Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503982
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM AUGUST 2023 29 interference] calls, and he just held his own," Chris Giles said. "I think that was the game for me where I was like, 'My kid can hang.'" MAKING BLOCKING 'GLAMOROUS' Before spring camp his senior year, Greathouse was told the unthinkable: "You're probably not gonna get the ball as much." Greathouse was only a few months removed from the greatest receiving performance in Texas state champion- ship history, a 236-yard masterpiece. Westlake, after a slow first half, started running a play called "Money Two." Cade Klubnik — now Clemson's quar- terback — would sprint out to his right and look back to his left, where Great- house would have already beaten his man on a backside post route. They ran it several times, scoring 20 unanswered points and winning 40-21. That game completed a three-year run of three straight championships for Klubnik and Greathouse. But Klubnik graduated. Rogers knew the best thing for the team would be to run the ball, with Greathouse blocking more than he was used to. "No problem, coach," Rogers recalled Greathouse saying. "I got you." Rogers remembered one play from spring camp that year that stood out, when Westlake's running back broke into the secondary for a big gain. Greathouse was blocking on the backside, driving his defender 90 yards down the field. Later, Rogers sent a video of a dif- ferent play to Blue & Gold Illustrated. In that one, Greathouse stalk-blocks a corner. On first contact, at the 40-yard line, Greathouse's helmet flies off. He didn't seem to notice. Without a hel- met, Greathouse drove the corner all the way to the sideline at the other 40, finishing the play by shoving him to the ground. "Jaden made it glamorous," Rogers said. "Jaden and his fellow receivers, they got more excited at the blocks they were getting during the season than scoring touchdowns, which is unique, and it's the reason we won a lot of games." 'THE BEST BIG BROTHER IN THE WORLD' Nicole Giles was too nervous to watch her son's state championship game at AT&T Stadium. Instead, she walked around the concourse with Great- house's sister, Riley. "The following day, I came home and since I knew the outcome, I sat there and watched it," Nicole Giles said. "I had no idea, until the end, that he broke the single-game record. He was so ex- cited, so pumped." Riley, who was 5 years old at the time, is Greathouse's biggest fan. Salazar was impressed with how his best receiver went out of his way to be a role model for his little sister. "She's a sweetheart, through and through," Salazar said. "He's made a point that any time he's around, she's there with him. She's his little shadow, and he's proud of his little sister." Riley went to every game she could, wea r i n g h e r c u s to m - m a d e No. 9 Greathouse jersey and supporting her "Bubba," as Chris Giles said she calls him. At the games, Riley made a habit of telling anyone who would listen who she was there to see. "She will let everybody know, point blank, 'That's my brother,'" Chris Giles said. "'Jaden Greathouse. He's the best big brother in the world. And if you've got a problem with it, you need to come talk to me.'" With Riley now 7 years old and Great- house at college, their parents say the relationship between them is even stronger. Sometimes, because of their age difference, Nicole Giles said they didn't interact as much as she wanted. When he visits home from college, though, their mom said he spends more time with her. Riley even made a trip to Notre Dame's practice facility during spring camp, quite literally looking up to her brother as he showed her around. "She's very excited to go to all the Notre Dame games," Nicole Giles said. "And to cheer him on." ✦ Here is Blue & Gold Illustrated's projection for how Notre Dame's 2023 scholarship depth chart looks heading into fall camp. Quarterback No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 10 Sam Hartman 6-1⅛ 210 Gr./1 18 Steve Angeli 6-2⅜ 211 So./4 8 Kenny Minchey 6-1⅝ 215 Fr./4 Running Back No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 7 Audric Estimé 5-11½ 227 Jr./2 13 Gi'Bran Payne 5-9⅛ 204 So./4 20 Jadarian Price 5-10⅜ 203 So./4 22 Devyn Ford 5-11 200 Gr./2 12 Jeremiyah Love 6-1 195 Fr./4 Boundary Receiver (W) No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 83 Jayden Thomas 6-1½ 220 Jr./3 0 Deion Colzie 6-4¾ 211 Jr./2 14 Braylon James 6-2⅛ 195 Fr./4 Field Receiver (X) No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 5 Tobias Merriweather 6-4 205 So./3 19 Jaden Greathouse 6-1 213 Fr./4 17 Rico Flores Jr. 6-0⅛ 198 Fr./4 Slot Receiver (Y) No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 2 Chris Tyree 5-9½ 192 Sr./2 29 Matt Salerno 6-0⅝ 195 Gr./1 11 KK Smith 5-11 170 Fr./4 Tight End No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 88 Mitchell Evans 6-5⅛ 260 Jr./2 84 Kevin Bauman 6-4½ 252 Sr./2 85 Holden Staes 6-4¼ 242 So./3 9 Eli Raridon 6-6¾ 249 So./3 38 Davis Sherwood 6-3 240 Jr./2 87 Cooper Flanagan 6-5 239 Fr./4 Left Tackle No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 76 Joe Alt 6-8 315 Jr./2 79 Tosh Baker 6-8 310 Sr./3 77 Ty Chan 6-5 310 So./4 56 Charles Jagusah 6-6 300 Fr./4 Left Guard No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 74 Billy Schrauth 6-4½ 304 So./4 78 Pat Coogan 6-5⅛ 309 Jr./3 55 Chris Terek 6-4 295 Fr./4 Center No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 52 Zeke Correll 6-3 300 Gr./2 70 Ashton Craig 6-4¼ 296 So./4 64 Joe Otting 6-5 271 Fr./4 Right Guard No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 73 Andrew Kristofic 6-5¼ 305 Gr./2 50 Rocco Spindler 6-4⅝ 325 Jr./3 72 Sam Pendleton 6-4⅛ 300 Fr./4 Right Tackle No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 54 Blake Fisher 6-6 310 Jr./3 59 Aamil Wagner 6-6 278 So./4 68 Michael Carmody 6-5½ 280 Sr./2 75 Sullivan Absher 6-7 305 Fr./4 PRE-FALL CAMP 2023 OFFENSE DEPTH CHART