IN THE TRENCHES ANDREW OWENS
O
ne. Four. Six. Eight.
Those are the number of
Notre Dame players drafted
under head coach Brian Kelly's
watch in South Bend. The rising
figure highlights the program's im‑
proved player development in re‑
cent seasons. For the Irish to com‑
pete with college football's elite, it's
a number that needs to stay strong.
"I don't think it's a coincidence
that Notre Dame became a legiti‑
mate contender on the national
scene the past few years and all of
the sudden they have eight guys
drafted," DraftCountdown.com's
Scott Wright said. "You look at
the flip side of that coin, Texas has
been struggling and nobody from
that program gets drafted.
"It doesn't take too much to read
between the lines that the best
teams have the most talent."
Notre Dame's quick ascent to
the BCS National Championship
Game in Kelly's third season led
to raised expectations in year four,
but a 9‑4 campaign tempered the
good feelings a bit. This draft haul
makes the non‑BCS season even
more frustrating for Irish faithful
when you take into account how
much professional‑caliber talent
was on the roster.
Nonetheless, the NFL trend is
one Kelly will be quick to point out
on the recruiting trail.
NFL Draft Highlights Brian Kelly's
Player Development
Troy Niklas played linebacker as a freshman before mov-
ing to tight end, the position the second-round draft pick
will play for the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL.
PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA
