Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM JUNE/JULY 2023 27 was all that kept him below 1,000 yards. He said he dropped his body fat from 2022, but he hasn't cut any strength or weight. Notre Dame's run-first offense and limited passing game sometimes re- quired you to squint to see wide receiver Jayden Thomas' 2022 mini-breakout. Thomas ended last year with 25 catches for 362 yards, good for 14.5 yards per catch. Notre Dame used his 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame to create mismatches in the slot. He was the Irish's best deep threat and a contested catch weapon. His spring performance built on last fall's foundation. T h e M i ch a e l M ayer s ucce ss i o n plan centers around junior tight end Mitchell Evans, whose role as the No. 2 option last fall mainly asked him to block. It provided a mere 1 passing target in 250 regular-season snaps. His Gator Bowl start in place of Mayer, though, put his receiving skills on display. Notre Dame believed it had a talented pass catcher in Evans when it signed him. Now he has the runway to back up the buzz. Colzie went backward after his taste of action as a freshman, put- ting forth a sluggish 2022 spring and suffering a knee injury in preseason camp. He was invis- ible in the first half of the year. Out of nowhere, though, he became a third-down target in the second half and ended with 9 catches for 192 yards. His spring play this year didn't clinch a starting spot, but he was a frequent first-teamer in practice. Defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio broke into the rota- tion last year and will re- main there again if he doesn't start. He logged 184 snaps a year ago. He should have little trouble pass- ing 200 if he can stay healthy. THINNING OF THE HERD Every player exit that took Notre Dame from 92 scholarships at the start of winter workouts to 82 as of May 1 came from the junior class. Head coach Marcus Freeman began spring by announcing three medi- cal retirements (quarterback Ron Pow- lus III, linebacker Will Schweitzer, safety Justin Walters) and three departures (of-