Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2024 29 Week 4 to the end of the regular season. He only missed two full games, but the player Notre Dame believed would be its No. 1 wide receiver caught only 5 passes between Sept. 17 and Dec. 28. Thomas caught 4 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown in the Sun Bowl, showing how effective he could have been if he stayed healthy. He'll have to compete for a starting job next season after the Irish brought in three transfer receivers. 6. DE JORDAN BOTELHO Botelho remains an enigma. He didn't have a sack in the entire month of No- vember, but he showed up at the Sun Bowl and looked unblockable on his way to winning some individual hardware for posting 5 total tackles and a sack. In his first year as Notre Dame's full- time vyper, Botelho only registered 4 sacks in 13 games. He's returning for a graduate season in 2024. It's now or never for Botelho to be the true pass- rushing force many believe he has the tools to be. 5. RB AUDRIC ESTIMÉ Estimé, in his first season as Notre Dame's undisputed RB1, put together one of the best seasons for a running back in Fighting Irish history. He broke the program record for most rushing touchdowns in a single season (18) and got to fifth in yards (1,341). When Estimé got into the open field, it was over for opposing defenses. When he couldn't get it going, Notre Dame's offense was often stuck. He was a rare valuable running back, and he'll get drafted in April. 4. OT BLAKE FISHER Nobody saw Fisher, a prized recruit rated as the best signee in Notre Dame's recruiting class of 2021, playing second fiddle to anyone. That's because no- body saw Joe Alt, the 13th highest-rated Notre Dame signee in the same class, becoming the best offensive tackle in college football. Fisher was not that, but he was a surefire starter for two seasons after missing all but six quarters of his true freshman season with a knee injury. If he stayed for his senior season, he'd be Notre Dame's best tackle by far. But the NFL is calling, and Fisher couldn't pass that up. He's more than good enough to go. 3. CB BENJAMIN MORRISON Morrison had a "down" year in terms of interceptions, going from 6 as a freshman to 3 as a sophomore. But don't think for a second that he wasn't just as good or as valuable this season. He was, and then some. Morrison led the Irish with 10 passes defended and very rarely got beat in coverage, allowing 5.47 yards per at- tempt on 51 targets. He and Hart were the biggest reasons Notre Dame's de- fense was as good as it was, and he'll enter next season as a projected first- round pick. 2. OT JOE ALT Like MVP voting or even selections at the very top of the NFL Draft, it's diffi- cult for an offensive lineman to ever go before a quarterback. But in an alternate universe where that is commonplace, Alt would be one of the few offensive linemen with credentials fit to usurp signal-callers. Alt was a unanimous first-team All- American in 2023 and a finalist for the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy. He only allowed 5 pressures on 368 pass-blocking snaps. He's the real deal and a potential top-10 pick in April. 1. QB SAM HARTMAN From a numbers standpoint, Hartman lived up to the massive expectations. Hartman threw for a career-high 8.9 yards per attempt and tossed 24 touch- down passes. He would have scored more if Notre Dame wasn't content with handing the ball to Estimé every time it got to the goal line. However, against top defenses like Ohio State, Louisville and Clemson, Hartman and the Irish offense couldn't get it done. Some of it wasn't his fault, but some of it was. Regardless, when the team loses because the offense doesn't work, the blame will go to the quarter- back. ✦ In his lone season with the Fighting Irish, graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman threw for 2,689 yards and 24 touchdowns. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER