Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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said. "He's down there [on the scout team] flying around and hitting peo- ple." 2 DURHAM SMYTHE TIGHT END Smythe's prospects of playing in 2014 skyrocketed in January when would- be senior Niklas made an unexpected decision to enter the NFL Draft. Niklas' departure came shortly after fifth-year senior Alex Welch transferred to Miami (Ohio) for his fifth season, leaving the Irish with senior Ben Koyack, Smythe and fellow redshirter Mike Heuerman as the lone tight ends on scholarship this spring. Given the strong reviews he received from Kelly and new offensive coordina- tor Mike Denbrock during bowl prep, Smythe seems like a frontrunner to be- come Notre Dame's second tight end behind Koyack. Kelly is hoping the 6-4, 242-pound Texas product will grow into a strong blocker more in the mold of Niklas than of former All-American Ty- ler Eifert. That fits well with Koyack, who could play more of the hybrid re- ceiver/tight end position in his final sea- son of eligibility. "I don't want to over-hype Durham," Kelly said in December. "But he has some really unique ball skills for that position. As long as he continues to de- velop and get stronger physically, and if he doesn't get into a hybrid position in terms of not getting strong enough to play as an in-line tight end, he's going to be an exceptional player." Smythe and Heureman both spent time studying in Koyack's room this winter trying to digest the playbook more completely. The new top dog at the team's traditional position of power said he was impressed with what both freshmen were able to pick up. "They're both good guys. They both have really good work ethic," Koyack said. "We talk a lot. They're both com- mitted. That's something that's going to help them out a lot." 1 GREG BRYANT RUNNING BACK Bryant played in three of his first four games at Notre Dame and rushed for 14 yards before an injury put him on the shelf for the rest of his rookie season. He needed platelet-rich plasma injections in his knee during October, and the Irish decided to be patient in returning him to the field. The injury allowed the former five-star prospect to preserve a year of eligibil- ity and made him an easy top choice for this list. Classmate and fellow Floridian Tar- ean Folston picked up Bryant's slack and set himself up to be Notre Dame's No. 1 back in 2014. Most who saw a healthy Bryant during practices in No- vember and December expect him to join Folston at the top of the depth chart. His combination of speed and power could give the Irish a danger- ous, young combination in the back- field in 2014. That pair will be joined by senior Cam McDaniel, who has proven to be a reliable option in the backfield and was Notre Dame's leading rusher last season with 705 yards. "They're great guys, hardworking and very talented," McDaniel said. "It's a great opportunity to get to go