Blue and Gold Illustrated

May 2023

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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UNDER THE DOME 10 MAY 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED Tobias Merriweather: Sophomore Sensation In The Making By Tyler Horka It's OK if you still see visions of Tobias Merriweather streaking over the middle of the field on a deep post and leaping up higher than a Stanford de- fensive back at the goal line to haul in a 41-yard touchdown. You're not alone. It's also OK to wonder why that was Merriweather's lone catch in his true freshman season. You're not alone there, either. What was made clear in the first week of Notre Dame spring football practices is that Merriweather is no longer the head-spinning first-year player who couldn't grasp the totality of the Irish's playbook and subsequently didn't receive much playing time. When wideouts and tight ends stepped to the line of scrimmage to catch passes from Notre Dame quarterbacks on the first day of spring ball, Merriweather was among the first four players to do so. We're not just looking at a breakout candidate in the 6-4, 205-pound Merriweather. We're looking at a potential starter. A potential star. Teaming up with a veteran quarterback who distributes the ball among a plethora of pass catchers is the best thing that can happen for Merriweather in Year 2. Wake Forest graduate transfer quarterback Sam Hartman will see more of the field than backup-turned-starter by way of injury Drew Pyne did in 10 games for Notre Dame last fall. Hartman loves to throw the deep ball, and he throws it well. Merriweather might be Notre Dame's best deep threat. The stars are aligning for him. Soon, those visions of one touchdown will turn into a highlight reel of plenty. Junior Jayden Thomas Is The Easy Choice By Todd D. Burlage Walk into any Notre Dame spring practice and one player in particular immediately grabs all eyes and attention, wherever he is on the field. And expect junior wide receiver Jayden Thomas to attract plenty more notice this fall when he emerges as the best wide receiver on the team. Just shy of 6-foot-2 and a chiseled 220 pounds, Thomas will become a dream target for presumed Irish starting quarterback Sam Hartman. And given what Thomas demonstrated during his ascent late last season, he'll be ready for anything Hartman throws his way. During Notre Dame's final five games in 2022, Thomas became the best and most trusted wideout on the team, recording 15 catches and 204 yards in those five games. Thomas had multiple catches in all five, including a career-high 5 catches against South Carolina in the Gator Bowl Dec. 30. He also posted a career-high 80 yards with 1 of his 3 touchdowns last season versus Navy Nov. 12. Thomas carried that late-season momentum into this 2023 spring season and has emerged during media viewing periods as the frontline wide receiver on the team, apparently even leapfrogging junior wideout Lorenzo Styles — last year's leading Irish receiver — on the depth chart. Thomas' late surge in 2022 left him third on the team with 25 catches and 362 yards, two marks that he'll shatter this season as the most important wideout, and the most improved player on the 2023 roster. And that's something to get excited about. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHICH NOTRE DAME WIDE RECEIVER ARE YOU MOST EXCITED BY IN 2023? Out of the 13 players who took part in Notre Dame's annual pro day at the Irish Athletics Cen- ter March 24, former Irish safety Brandon Joseph believed had the most to prove — and he was probably right. One of four Notre Dame players to participate in the NFL Draft Combine last month, Joseph did little to boost his draft stock in Indianapolis, leav- ing his pro day as a last a chance to breathe some life into his draft profile. Joseph showed across-the-board improvement at his pro day compared to his combine workouts. Most notably, Joseph improved his 40-yard dash time from a 4.62 in Indianapolis to a 4.57 at Notre Dame. The 6-foot, 198-pound former All- American also added four inches to his vertical jump, going from 30.5 inches to 34.5 inches. After playing four years at Northwestern, Jo- seph came to Notre Dame before the 2022-23 season as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining. Up next, Joseph said he'll keep working to be ready for if and when his name is called during the NFL Draft April 27-29. Joseph is one of about seven former Irish players considered draft prospects. Blue & Gold Illustrated caught up with Joseph after his pro day workouts to discuss the draft prep process, his time at Notre Dame and what lies ahead. BGI: What were you looking to accomplish with your pro day? Joseph: "I needed to do everything better be- cause I didn't think it was good enough at the combine. And I did. I improved in everything. So, I'm pleased about that." BGI: What kind of feedback did you get from the scouts and coaches during this process? Joseph: "I know I need to improve my tackling. That's a big one for me, honestly. Right now, im- proving my tackling is just about explosiveness, strength, making sure that my numbers are good in the weight room. "I can start working on technique as I get closer [to draft day]." BGI: What surprised you during the pre-draft process? Joseph: "I think it was great to train in Dallas at EXOS. They really gave me a good idea of what to expect, so nothing really caught me by surprise. "I had a good idea on how the interviews were going to go and what they wanted us to do out on the field. I felt very prepared for this." BGI: What prepared you to take this next step in your football career? Joseph: "From me redshirting my true fresh- man year at Northwestern, and sitting down and learning the playbook, to being an All-American the following year, to then making a decision to transfer to Notre Dame. "Every part of this process prepared me to be at the next level." BGI: What did you learn during your year at Notre Dame? Joseph: "Coming over here to Notre Dame, and the challenge and the want to win a national championship, was a reminder that I want to be the best because they want to compete at the highest level every year." — Todd D. Burlage Five Questions With … FORMER NOTRE DAME SAFETY BRANDON JOSEPH MERRIWEATHER THOMAS Joseph notched 30 tackles and 1 interception in 10 games during his lone season with the Fighting Irish. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER

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