Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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24 PRESEASON 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED charge of adjusting pass protection at the line of scrimmage. It is a critical job that can mean the difference between a sack and a touchdown in some in- stances. With Correll in front of him, Hartman doesn't have to worry about that as much as he otherwise would. 18. DT HOWARD CROSS III Cross has never been a star, but for three years now — with consistently in- creasing snap counts — he has been an above-average nose tackle for the Irish. Despite being slightly undersized for his position at 6-foot-1, 288 pounds, Cross doesn't typically get pushed around in the run game. He actually led Notre Dame in tackles through three games last season. He also has the quickness to beat interior offensive linemen off the snap and the hands to win one-on-one as a pass rusher. A late-career breakout is still on the table, but if the Irish just get the steadiness that they're used to from Cross, they'd be satisfied. 19. S ANTONIO CARTER II If you're good enough to be re- cruited out of the transfer por- tal as an FCS player by a proud program like Notre Dame, then you're doing something right. Carter played his entire career at Rhode Island before arriving in South Bend in the summer. He had 112 total tackles and 17 passes broken up in 22 games in 2021-22. Carter gives Notre Dame another plus run defender at the strong safety spot. He also gives the Irish someone who can get to the football on the back end. The combination of Watts and Carter at the strong safety spot could bring Notre Dame good fortune in 2023. 20. OL ANDREW KRISTOFIC In the Notre Dame guard competition of 2023, Kristofic has the most expe- rience by far. He has 726 snaps in his career, mostly in 2021, playing offense in 22 games and starting eight across four seasons. Last season, Kristofic started one game in place of an injured senior guard Jarrett Patterson. He handled Ohio State's fierce defensive line relatively well. Kristofic allowed only one pres- sure in 23 opportunities, facing the likes of Michael Hall Jr. and (to a lesser ex- tent) Tuimoloau. One week into fall camp, though, junior Rocco Spindler was lining up next to Fisher during individual drills. Kristofic's grip on the right guard spot, which looked solid for months, might be slipping. 21. DB THOMAS HARPER Harper played 397 defensive snaps in seven games for Oklahoma State last season before going down with a shoul- der injury. Of those snaps, 259 were in the slot. His Pro Football Focus tack- ling grade of 56.9 needs some work, as does his coverage grade of 65.2, but it's difficult to turn in a magnificent score in those areas when guarding the op- ponent's quickest, shiftiest receiver on most downs. That's what Notre Dame is likely go- ing to ask Harper to do as the projected starter at nickel corner, and that's why he comes in at No. 21 in this rankings rundown. 22. OG BILLY SCHRAUTH Schrauth lined up as a starter at left guard during the spring slate. Notre Dame did not get a transfer over the offseason to bolster its guard depth, so even though he has yet to play a single offensive snap, Schrauth goes into the season as one of position coach Joe Rudolph's best options to be a starter at guard. Notre Dame thinks the world of Schrauth, the No. 127 player in the 2022 On3 Industry Ranking, but a Day 1 starter with zero career snaps at any position will worry any coach. Irish fans need to be pre- pared for growing pains if he can hold off junior Pat Coogan for the job, but regardless, Schrauth's fu- ture with Notre Dame is bright. 23. WR DEION COLZIE Colzie is the tallest Notre Dame wide receiver at 6-foot-4¾. He's the second heaviest at 210 pounds, trailing only ju- nior Jayden Thomas (221). Toward the end of the 2022 season, Colzie started benefiting from his phys- ical advantages. He caught 6 passes for 148 yards and 1 touchdown in the fi- nal three regular-season games of the year. An average of 24.7 yards per re- ception is dynamite. The first touch- down of his college career against USC in the 2022 regular-season finale looked an awful lot like what could be- come a common occurrence in 2023. He beat the defensive back by coming back to locate the ball and secure the catch. Graduate student Zeke Correll is the elder statesman on the Notre Dame offensive line. He's going into his second season as the full-time starter at center. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER