Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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44 PRESEASON 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: NAVY SPECIAL TEAMS How poetic it was when Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser blocked a Navy punt to set up what was ultimately the game-winning touchdown in Balti- more last year. Notre Dame had the special teams edge in every game it played last year, except for the Gator Bowl against South Carolina. That was a meeting of the special teams minds in Notre Dame's Brian Mason and South Carolina's Pete Lembo, two semifinalists for the Broyles Award given annually to the best assistant coach in the country. Mason is with the Indianapolis Colts now, though, so it's not a given the Irish are going to roll out of bed and make a special teams play that changes any game in 2023. It's on new special teams coordinator Marty Biagi to not let there be too much of a dip in special teams production. South Florida transfer Spencer Shrader showed off his leg in a fall camp practice open to the me- dia in late July. He made 6 of 8 attempts that day, including one from 49 yards out. He seems like a serviceable replacement for Blake Grupe. Bryce McFerson has a monster leg and should do just fine as the punting successor to Jon Sot, too. Navy had only two kick returns go for 30-plus yards and one punt return go for 20-plus yards in 2022. The Midshipmen aren't shocking anybody with overly athletic skill players in the return game. Senior Evan Warren is the projected starting place- kicker, and he has attempted only 1 field goal in his career. OFFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. QB 10 Sam Hartman 6-1⅛ 212 Gr. 18 Steve Angeli 6-2⅜ 211 So. RB 7 Audric Estimé 5-11½ 233 Jr. 24 Jadarian Price 5-10⅜ 206 So. or 3 Gi'Bran Payne 5-9⅛ 208 So. or 22 Devyn Ford 5-11 200 Gr. or 12 Jeremiyah Love 5-11⅞ 197 Fr. WR 83 Jayden Thomas 6-1½ 221 Jr. 0 Deion Colzie 6-4¾ 210 Jr. WR 5 Tobias Merriweather 6-4 204 So. 17 Rico Flores Jr. 6-0⅛ 205 Fr. WR 2 Chris Tyree 5-9½ 192 Sr. 19 Jaden Greathouse 6-1 204 Fr. TE 88 Mitchell Evans 6-5⅛ 251 Jr. 84 Kevin Bauman 6-4½ 256 Sr. or 13 Holden Staes 6-4¼ 242 So. or 9 Eli Raridon 6-6¾ 250 So. LT 76 Joe Alt 6-7⅝ 322 Jr. 79 Tosh Baker 6-8 317 Sr. LG 74 Billy Schrauth 6-4½ 311 So. 78 Pat Coogan 6-5⅛ 303 Jr. C 52 Zeke Correll 6-3 306 Gr. 70 Ashton Craig 6-4¼ 307 So. RG 73 Andrew Kristofic 6-5¼ 305 Gr. 50 Rocco Spindler 6-4⅝ 314 Jr. RT 54 Blake Fisher 6-6 310 Jr. 59 Aamil Wagner 6-6 288 So./4 DEFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Vyper 12 Jordan Botelho 6-2½ 264 Sr. 44 Junior Tuihalamaka 6-1⅞ 254 So. NT 56 Howard Cross III 6-0⅞ 288 Gr. 97 Gabriel Rubio 6-5¼ 306 Jr. DT 99 Rylie Mills 6-5⅛ 306 Sr. 47 Jason Onye 6-4½ 294 Jr. SDE 31 Nana Osafo-Mensah 6-3⅛ 264 Sr. or 1 Javontae Jean-Baptiste 6-4½ 260 Gr. Will 8 Marist Liufau 6-2¼ 239 Gr. 3 Jaylen Sneed 6-1⅛ 222 So. Mike 27 JD Bertrand 6-1 233 Gr. 42 Nolan Ziegler 6-3 234 So. Rover 24 Jack Kiser 6-1⅝ 232 Gr. 3 Jaylen Sneed 6-1⅛ 222 So. CB-F 20 Benjamin Morrison 6-0¼ 185 So. 7 Jaden Mickey 5-11½ 180 So. CB-B 5 Cam Hart 6-2½ 207 Gr. 7 Jaden Mickey 5-11½ 180 So. Nickel 13 Thomas Harper 5-10⅝ 193 Gr. or 6 Clarence Lewis 5-11½ 202 Sr. SS 0 Xavier Watts 5-11¾ 204 Sr. 4 Antonio Carter II 5-11¾ 207 Gr. FS 2 DJ Brown 6-1¼ 202 Gr. 13 Thomas Harper 5-10⅝ 193 Gr. or 11 Ramon Henderson 6-1 196 Sr. SPECIAL TEAMS Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. K 32 Spencer Shrader 6-1⅜ 200 Gr. 92 Zac Yoakam 5-8 188 So. KO 92 Zac Yoakam 5-8 188 So. or 14 Bryce McFerson 6-1½ 197 So. P 14 Bryce McFerson 6-1½ 197 So. or 43 Ben Krimm 6-1⅛ 204 Gr. LS 65 Michael Vinson 6-2 235 Gr. 51 Rino Monteforte 5-7 195 So. H 16 Dylan Devezin 6-1⅛ 222 So. 14 Bryce McFerson 6-1½ 197 So. KR 2 Chris Tyree 5-9½ 192 Sr. 3 Gi'Bran Payne 5-9⅛ 208 So. or 7 Jaden Mickey 5-11½ 180 So. PR 29 Matt Salerno 6-0⅝ 199 Gr. 19 Jaden Greathouse 6-1 204 Fr. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Two-Deep Depth Chart Senior defensive end Jacob Busic was second on the team in sacks (6) and tied for second in tackles for loss (8.5) last year. Five of his 38 total tackles last season came against the Irish. PHOTO COURTESY NAVY ATHLETICS