Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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4. WR TJ Jones A four-year starter at wide receiver, Jones set a very high bar himself with touchdown catches in his first two games as a freshman. Since then, he's quietly collected 111 catches for 1,321 yards. Remaining quiet is no longer an option. Jones is set to become the Irish go-to receiver as a senior now that former first-round NFL picks Tyler Eifert and Michael Floyd have cleared the way. Kelly thinks Jones has the same potential as his predecessors. "I like the balance in our offense, but I still think we have a dynamic playmaker in TJ Jones," the coach said. "I just think we surround TJ with much more balance. We didn't surround Tyler nor Michael with as much balance as TJ is going to have this year." Jones will have help from others like wideout DaVaris Daniels and tight end Troy Niklas, but when Notre Dame needs to convert a third down or dial up a big play, his number will be the first called. 5. DE Stephon Tuitt The 6-6, 322-pound Tuitt lands in the middle of our list because Notre Dame has a clear idea of "the floor" with their star defensive end. He produced a team-high 12 sacks last season while playing through a debilitating sports hernia injury. Tuitt can still swing the defense significantly in one direction or another based on how close he can come to his tantalizingly high ceiling now that he is healthy. "I feel great right now," he said after a week of practice in August. "I feel stronger, faster, quicker and I'm ready for the season to start." The junior has the potential to set Notre Dame's all-time sacks record and become a first-team All-American if he returns to the pace he had at the beginning of the 2012 season — six sacks in his first four game. He showed up in August noticeably larger than the 303 pounds he carried last season. Will the extra weight make him stronger or slow him down? 6. LB Carlo Calabrese Calabrese has been largely a runstopping specialist since he first started at Will linebacker in Kelly's first year at Notre Dame. He'll need to be more to help replace Maxwell Award winner Manti Te'o in the middle of the defense. The fifth-year senior took an unexpected jump into the ranks of defensive team leaders this summer. Several teammates listed him and tag-team partner Dan Fox among the voices of the defense. Prior to that, Calabrese worked hard in the spring to become more nimble and therefore more effective in pass coverage. Fox became a steadier force next to Te'o last season, and junior Jarrett Grace will help that duo in his first year as a regular contributor on defense. Calabrese can assuage fears about a lack of depth at inside linebacker with a good, consistent season. Without him, Notre Dame will have to get creative to find ways to keep the middle of their pass defense from becoming a liability. 7. C Nick Martin Nick, a junior, may still be the "other