Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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22 PRESEASON 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED named Jagusah Alt's replacement on the left side shortly after bowl practices began in December. It's one he prob- ably still has even after the injury, too. His size, physicality and know-how for offensive line play all stand out at the tackle position, but he'll have to wait until 2025 to showcase it. 7. LB JACK KISER Kiser is a sixth-year player who has a chance to set the all-time record for games played in a Notre Dame uniform toward the end of this season. The next eldest statesmen in the Notre Dame linebacker room is junior Jaylen Sneed, who has started only one game in his college career. He finished third on the Notre Dame defense in total tackles last season de- spite playing significantly fewer snaps than the two players ahead of him, How- ard Cross III and JD Bertrand. They both went over 600 snaps. Kiser played 354. With more opportunities, Kiser has a chance to be Notre Dame's leading tack- ler — and leader of the defense in general. 8. RB JEREMIYAH LOVE To call Love a running back and leave it at that would be underselling his value. Notre Dame plans to use the St. Louis Christian Brothers College gradu- ate as a multi-purpose weapon, and the Irish are really excited about that. "Jeremiyah Love is going to have a big year," Freeman said May 31. "We're gonna do multiple different things with him." To paraphrase offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, Notre Dame knows it has to get the ball in Love's hands as often as it can. He is the most explosive skill position player on the Irish. You'll see him in the backfield, in the slot, in a wing position and anywhere else Den- brock can imagine. When Love has the football, he has electric speed, more physicality than most anticipated when he came to South Bend and the ability to go from zero to 60 in an instant. 9. DT RYLIE MILLS If you're looking for a team captain candidate in 2024, Mills is a good choice. He played in and started all 13 games for Notre Dame as a senior last season and had 47 total tackles, tying for sixth-most among all Irish defensive players. Twenty Notre Dame players received a missed run-play tackles percentage from Pro Football Focus last year. Only four of them had a better mark than Mills, who turned in a figure of 7.3 per- cent. No Notre Dame defensive lineman had a better PFF pass-play win percent- age than Mills' 15.1. He had 32 quar- terback pressures and 20 quarterback hurries per PFF, both totals putting him at No. 3 among all Irish players in those respective categories. 10. DE RJ OBEN When Oben committed to Notre Dame, he immediately became by far the team's most experienced edge rusher. Without him, the Irish would rely on an unproven junior playing the position for the first time in Joshua Burnham and/ or a true freshman in Bryce Young at strong-side defensive end. The production is there for Oben, who averaged 31 pressures and just less than 5 sacks per season over the past three years. He can win in a variety of ways, comes with a great motor and of- ten plays his best when the lights are brightest (he was a significant part of Duke's statement win over Clemson to open the 2023 season). 11. WR KRIS MITCHELL Somebody has to be a deep threat for Notre Dame in 2024. The Blue & Gold Illustrated staff is calling its shot that it'll be the transfer from Florida Inter- national who went for 1,118 yards a sea- son ago. Mitchell stayed healthy in spring prac- tices, which seems like a small thing. In South Bend, it is not. Jayden Thomas, Deion Colzie and Jayden Harrison all dealt with ailments in the spring. Beaux Collins and Logan Saldate were not spring practice participants. More reps were funneled to Mitchell as a result. He goes into the season as one of Notre Dame's most trusted receiving options. 12. CB CHRISTIAN GRAY He's got a chance to be one of Notre Dame's two starting cornerbacks on the outside. Everybody knows Benja- min Morrison is one of them when he's healthy. The second spot is up for grabs, and Blue & Gold Illustrated is putting in a prediction for Gray to win the job in a battle with junior Jaden Mickey. Gray's got the athleticism. Twitchi- ness. Ability to stick to receivers like glue. There's an "it" factor you've got to have as a corner. Gray isn't lacking it. If Notre Dame coaches notice the same thing, he'll be starting after all Aug. 31 in College Station, Texas. Sophomore Christian Gray has a grand opportunity to win a position battle with junior Jaden Mickey to become one of two starting Notre Dame cornerbacks. PHOTO BY JOHN CROTHERS