Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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pounds) and several other young re- ceivers, a chance to prove themselves. Last year's top three pass catchers — wide receiver TJ Jones, tight end Troy Niklas and wide receiver DaVaris Dan- iels — will all be missing, although Daniels plans to return in the summer after his semester suspension for aca- demic reasons. Hunter already has the seal of approval from one of the guys he'll be trying to replace. "You see him make plays, you see him beat one-on-one matchups, and you see him make contested catches," Jones said in December. "He's mak- ing plays and showing his ability and showing that next year he's a guy that they need to watch." 3 MICHAEL DEEB LINEBACKER A year ago, Kelly listed Deeb among the players he expected to play as true freshmen. The Florida linebacker was physically ready to compete on special teams, but Kelly opted instead to pre- serve a year of his eligibility because it was clear the Irish wouldn't need him at inside linebacker. Now, Deeb is in a position to com- pete for a starting job throughout spring practice and into August. He was one of three scholarship players at that position on the field, along with senior Joe Schmidt and fifth-year se- nior Kendall Moore, when the team re- turned to action during the first week of March. Senior Jarrett Grace is expected to join that group in August when he fully heals from a broken leg. Grace is the top contender for the Mike posi- tion. It's possible that incoming fresh- man Nyles Morgan and redshirt fresh- man Doug Randolph, who arrived as an outside linebacker, could add some competition to the spot. It would be a shock if Deeb didn't make his collegiate debut this season, one way or another. The combination of his strength and having a year of practice at the position will help him contend for a starting spot. He was consistently among the scout team players that stood out to his teammates during practice. "He's definitely a guy I think can help out this program down the road," departed quarterback Tommy Rees Sophomore linebacker Michael Deeb impressed many of his offensive teammates when facing them on the scout team in practice last fall. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND