Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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14 JANUARY 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Eva Gaetino — Soccer For the second straight sea- son, the senior defender from Dexter, Mich., was named one of 15 semifinalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy, which is awarded annually to the nation's most outstanding college player. In addition to Gaetino's 2023 Hermann Trophy recognition Nov. 28, she was also recently named a first-team All-American for the second straight season, shortly after claiming ACC Defender of the Year honors for a second consecutive year. Chris Guiliano — Swimming The medal count for the junior from Douglass- ville, Pa., continued to grow Dec. 2, when he secured a bronze medal in the 100 free- style with a time of 48.51 at the U.S. Open in Greensboro, N.C. Guiliano was also a finalist in the 50 and 200 freestyle events at the meet. He posted times in all three events that were good enough to qualify for the Olympic Trials this June in Indianapolis. Danny Nelson — Hockey The freshman forward from Maple Grove, Minn., was named to the 2024 U.S. National Junior Team preliminary ros- ter Dec. 4. He participated in Team USA's training camp Dec. 14-16, in Plymouth, Mich., for his chance at a U.S. Junior National final roster spot. Through Dec. 7, Nelson ranked second on the team with 14 points (3 goals and 11 assists), a mark that ranked fifth in the Big Ten Conference among first-year skaters. Sydney Palazzolo — Volleyball The junior outside hitter from Shelby Township, Mich., earned second-team All-ACC honors Nov. 27, after leading the league in several impor- tant statistical categories. Palazzolo paced the ACC in kills (389), points (461.5) and points per set (4.57). She also led Notre Dame with 50 service aces and finished second in the conference in kills per set (3.85) during a season when she reached the coveted career milestone of 1,000 kills. TOP TOP OF THE CLASS OF THE CLASS Irish student-athletes excelling on the field and in the classroom ✦ GIMME FIVE When Notre Dame dipped into the transfer portal for a wide receiver, it couldn't have done much better than Kris Mitchell. The Florida International graduate transfer is No. 2 wideout in the portal, according to On3's rankings. No. 1 on the list, South Alabama transfer Caullin Lacy, plays primarily out of the slot — meaning he doesn't fill Notre Dame's biggest need, because the Irish have promising freshmen Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison returning in that role next season. That means Mitchell is On3's best available player at its most pressing position of need, and for good reason. He is 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, and he burst onto the scene in 2023. He caught 64 passes on 100 targets for 1,118 yards and 7 touchdowns. When you turn on the tape, you'll see a wideout with all the makings of an elite deep threat, even against increased competition. Lacy is a terrific player in his own right, even if he doesn't necessarily fit Notre Dame's current roster. He caught 91 passes for 1,316 yards and 7 scores in his fourth season with the Jag- uars, and he left for an opportunity at a Power Five — or with the Pac-12 gone, Power Four — school in his final season of eligibility. Ja'Mori Maclin, transferring from North Texas, is No. 3 on the list. He broke out in his second season with the Mean Green in 2023 after a two-year stint at Missouri. He is the cousin of former Tigers star and NFL wideout Jeremy Maclin. South Carolina's Juice Wells and Vanderbilt's Will Sheppard round out On3's top five transferring re- ceivers. Both are looking for greener pastures after down years for their Southeastern Conference teams. —Jack Soble CHARTING THE IRISH UNLUCKY IRISH? Team Rankings, a popular site for college football hierarchy charts and comparisons, has a metric called "College Football Luck Rankings & Ratings." According to the site, which combines offensive and defensive efficiencies to match a team's actual record to what it should be, Notre Dame was one of the unluckiest teams in the nation in 2023. The Irish came out of the regular season with a -1.1 rating. There were only 24 FBS teams in the coun- try with a mark of -1.0 or worse. The following teams had the worst luck among Power Five programs: Rk. School Luck Rating Record 1. TCU -2.9 5-7 2. Washington State -1.5 5-7 3. Kansas State -1.5 8-4 4. Arkansas -1.5 4-8 5. Texas A&M -1.4 7-5 6. Pittsburgh -1.4 3-9 7. UCF -1.3 6-6 8. Cincinnati -1.3 3-9 9. Indiana -1.2 3-9 10. Nebraska -1.1 5-7 11. Notre Dame -1.1 9-3 Interestingly, only three of the 11 teams — including the Fighting Irish — posted a winning record during the regular season. For reference, Washington had the best luck in the country with a rating of 3.2. The Huskies went 13-0 and punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff with a 34-31 win over Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game Dec. 1. Every one of the top 12 luckiest teams in the country won at least nine games. — Tyler Horka ON3'S TOP FIVE TRANSFER PORTAL WIDE RECEIVERS As of Dec. 7 Rk. Player Previous School New School 1. Caullin Lacy South Alabama 2. Kris Mitchell Florida International Notre Dame 3. Ja'Mori Maclin North Texas 4. Juice Wells South Carolina 5. Will Sheppard Vanderbilt Kris Mitchell had 64 catches for 1,118 yards and 7 scores at FIU. PHOTO COURTESY FIU ATHLETICS