Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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explosiveness to his repertoire. Russell has shown a great deal of improvement with his ball skills and instincts in the pass game. He looks even more comfortable at the position than he did a season ago. If there was a knock on Russell during his 26 starts over the 2012 and 2013 seasons, it was his lack of natural instincts at the posi- tion. The athletic skills were there, but Russell did not always show the ball skills or route recognition to be an elite cornerback. His total of just 13 com- bined passes defended as a freshman and sophomore was evidence of that. Those improvements, more than anything else, have put Russell in posi- tion to have an All-America season. He should combine with junior Cole Luke to form one of the more potent corner- back duos in the country. Sporting News rated the pair as the No. 5 cornerback tandem in the entire country. Luke posted 15 passes defended as a junior, the most by a Notre Dame defender since 1978 and two more than Senior Class Review Players Signed In February: 17 Players Available in 2015: 12 (WR Justin Ferguson transferred to Western Michigan, QB Gunner Kiel transferred to Cincinnati, RB Will Mahone was dismissed from school, WR Davonte Neal transferred to Arizona, and CB Tee Shepard transferred to Holmes Community College and then Ole Miss) 2012 Recruiting Rankings: ESPN (No. 9), Scout (No. 16), Tom Lemming/MaxPreps (No. 17), 247Sports (No. 18), Rivals (No. 20) Name/Comment Pos. Ht. Wt. Nicky Baratti* S 6-1 210 Multiple shoulder injuries have kept him from competing for a starting spot. Chris Brown WR 6-1½ 195 Speedy wideout is looking to finish his career on a strong note. Scott Daly* LS 6-1½ 250 Enters his third season as Notre Dame's starting short and long snapper. Sheldon Day DE 6-2 285 Team captain is considered the No. 5 defensive tackle in the nation by Phil Steele's. Mark Harrell* OL 6-4 306 Moved from the interior to tackle where he has emerged as the backup on the right side. Jarron Jones* NG 6-5½ 315 Line was dealt a tough blow when he was lost for the season with a knee injury. Phil Steele's ranked him as the No. 28 defensive tackle nationally. Romeo Okwara DE 6-4 270 Solid run defender continues to be vital figure in the weakside end rotation. C.J. Prosise* RB 6-0½ 220 Moved to the backfield where he is expected to develop into an every-down back and big-play threat. KeiVarae Russell* CB 5-11 196 After a year away from the team he will look to emerge as one of the nation's top corners. Elijah Shumate S 6-0 224 Enters his second season as a starter and provides solid in-the-box ability. Ronnie Stanley* OL 6-5½ 315 The nation's second-best offensive tackle accord- ing to Phil Steele's turned down a chance at the NFL to return in 2015. John Turner* S 6-0½ 220 Will factor into the Notre Dame special teams depth chart at several spots. * Eligible for a fifth season in 2016