Golson took the field he came with
limitations of his own. The senior said
he has outgrown many of those dur-
ing his year away, thanks to increased
maturity and one-on-one quarterback
tutelage.
No one knows for sure yet how far
he has come since leaving the Sun-
Life Stadium turf at the BCS National
Championship Game. His progress is
the single biggest variable facing the
Irish as they embark on a new season.
2. LB JAYLON SMITH
While Golson searched for consis-
tency during the 2012 season, it was
charismatic linebacker Manti Te'o that
pulled the team together and led them
toward a title shot. Smith came to
Notre Dame a year later with plans to
build a legacy that eclipsed Te'o's. Af-
ter picking up 67 tackles on his way to
Freshman All-America honors, Smith
finds himself with the opportunity to
start building in the middle of Notre
Dame's new-look defense.
Smith moved from outside line-
backer to the inside Will position this
spring to make him an unavoidable
presence to opposing offenses. The
Senior quarterback Everett Golson accounted for 2,703 yards of total offense and 18 touchdowns as a
first-year starter in 2012, and he will be asked to do even more this fall.
PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND
