Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/159744
The Difference Makers Ten pivotal players that can make or break Notre Dame's 2013 season N By Dan Murphy otre Dame's best steps toward a sturdy foundation under the current coaching regime haven't come by landing fivestar recruits or outthinking opposing coaches on Saturday afternoons. The Irish have grown in the past four years because of their increasing depth. The stars — the "faces of the program" — still exist, but the talent drop-off is far less dramatic than when Brian Kelly came to South Bend in 2010. The difference between the 10thbest player on the roster and the 20thbest player is hard to discern. So is the difference between the second-string linebacker or lineman and the starter in front of him. With that in mind, Blue & Gold Illustrated will forego the August ritual of ranking the team's top 10 players. Instead, we've compiled a list of the 10 players who can do the most to determine where the Irish finish in 2013. If they make the improvements Kelly and his staff expect, Notre Dame will have a chance to win a BCS bowl before the system is tossed out next year. If they don't, a double-digit win season will be hard to reach. Missing are names like veteran left tackle Zack Martin — the best tackle in the country, according to Kelly — and junior running back George Atkinson III. Why? Because Notre Dame already knows what it will get from the nearly impenetrable Martin, and there is enough depth behind Atkinson that the offense can make do with other challengers if he doesn't break out as a feature back. Thus, here are our 10 difference makers on the 2013 Irish roster. 1. NG Louis Nix III The 357-pound cornerstone of Notre Dame's defense is arguably the most dominant nose guard in the nation this year. Nix's surprising quickness and ability to find the football are equally valuable as his space-eating presence at the line of scrimmage. The preseason All-America pick changes the Irish defense whenever he's on the field. The question is how often can he be on the field. Nix admits he was often a two-