Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1505336
UNDER THE DOME BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM AUGUST 2023 11 0 Receptions of 50 yards or more by wide receivers over Notre Dame's final 869 offensive plays during the 2022 regular season. On the Fighting Irish's first play from scrimmage in the season opener at Ohio State, quarter- back Tyler Buchner hooked up with wide receiver Lorenzo Styles for a 54-yard catch and run. That marked the Irish's only pass play of 50 or more yards until Buchner connected with running back Logan Diggs for a 75-yard touchdown reception in the 45-38 victory over South Carolina in the Gator Bowl. 3 Notre Dame position groups were rated among the top 10 in ESPN's "Position U" rankings for 2023: Tight ends at No. 2, offensive line at No. 5 and wide receivers at No. 10. ESPN Stats & Information combed through data on every team dating back to 1998, looking at key markers of greatness at each position, awarding points for college production, NFL Draft selections and NFL production. ESPN was especially bullish on the Irish's offensive line. "Notre Dame checks in at No. 5 on the list, but the Irish certainly could make some noise in 2023," ESPN noted. "Left tackle Joe Alt is already a domi- nant force, and he figures to have first-round potential. Blake Fisher looks like a high-level prospect, too, and a host of talented, younger linemen are waiting in the wings. Alabama's hold on the top spot is likely secure, but if the Irish linemen live up to their promise, Notre Dame could easily vault to No. 2 on our list." 7 Quarterbacks appear on The Athletic writer Stewart Man- del's 2023 preseason All-'wait, they're still playing college football?!' team (aka All-Geezer team). Among them was Notre Dame's Sam Hartman. "On Sept. 22, 2018, a young Notre Dame quarterback named Ian Book made his second career start at Wake Forest, winning 56-27," Mandel noted. "Wake's quarterback that day? True fresh- man Sam Hartman. Both went on to smash career records for their programs. But whereas Book is already entering his third season in the NFL, Hartman will be back for yet another Wake-Notre Dame game this season — this time as the opposing starter on Nov. 18." 10 Percent chance that Notre Dame junior left tackle Joe Alt will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, per ESPN. Only four players were given better odds to be taken with the top pick: USC quarterback Caleb Williams (25%), North Car- olina quarterback Drake Maye (20%), Penn State offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu (13%) and Florida State edge Jared Verse (12%). "Alt could go high in the draft because the NFL hasn't been shy about betting on pol- ished pass protectors in recent years," ESPN NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid noted. "With some coaching and improved body ma- turity over time, he has the potential to quickly be an offensive building block." 12th Out of 30 picks was where Notre Dame quar- terback Sam Hartman went in The Ath- letic's "Heisman fantasy draft" in late July. For the record, former Irish and current Alabama signal-caller Tyler Buchner went 13 picks later in round 4. "If Notre Dame has a big season and Hartman is the main reason, he'll get votes," said Ari Wasserman, who picked Hartman. "I thought this was a good value because brand of school can play a big role in how Heisman voters think." 15.8 Was the percentage ESPN's College Football Power Index listed for Notre Dame's chances to make the College Football Playoff, ninth best in the country. The Irish were also slotted ninth in the make the na- tional championship game (5.1%) and win the championship (1.6%) categories. Here is the full top 10 (ranked by playoff percentage) as of Aug. 4: Rk. School Playoff% Make NC% Win NC% 1. Ohio State 82.2 57.2 36.7 2. Georgia 63.1 35.9 19.1 3. Alabama 62.1 38.0 20.4 4. Texas 34.2 14.5 5.7 5. Michigan 25.9 10.3 3.9 6. USC 24.7 8.6 2.7 7. Clemson 24.2 8.1 2.8 8. LSU 23.7 10.3 4.1 9. Notre Dame 15.8 5.1 1.6 10. Penn State 10.7 3.5 1.0 Oklahoma 10.7 3.2 1.0 22.0 Miles per hour was Notre Dame wide receiver commit CAM WILLIAMS' top speed last fall, making him one of the fastest high school players in the country. The Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard South class of 2024 standout — who is rated as a four-star talent, the No. 2 prospect in Illinois, and the No. 7 wide receiver and No. 35 overall player in the country by On3 — checked in at No. 6 nationally among players with verified in-game top speeds recorded by Reel Analytics for the 2022 season. For the sake of comparison, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Parris Campbell pro- duced the NFL's top ball-carrying speed of 22.11 miles per hour in 2022, per Next Gen Stats. Only one other NFL player, Seattle Seahawks r u n n i n g b a c k Ke n n e t h Walker, ran at least 22.0 miles per hour. 39 Ye a rs b e t we e n men's basketball matchups for Notre Dame and South Carolina. The Irish will travel to Columbia, S.C., to take on the Gamecocks as part of the ACC/SEC Chal- lenge at 7 p.m. on Nov. 28. The last time the two schools played, the Gamecocks posted a 52-42 home victory over Digger Phelps' Irish on Feb. 4, 1984. Notre Dame holds 10-5 lead in the series between the two schools, including a 4-3 mark at South Carolina. 42 Completions and 24 touchdowns on throws of 30 or more yards for Notre Dame's Sam Hartman since 2021, the most among all college quarterbacks per Pro Football Focus. ✦ BY THE NUMBERS PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER