Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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heads into the 2016 season looking to team with the potentially dominant left side of Nelson and McGlinchey to provide the line a powerful nucleus up front on which to build. SOPHOMORE TIGHT END ALIZÉ JONES Jones demonstrated flashes as a freshman, leading all tight ends with 13 receptions for 190 yards, but the learning curve limited how much he was able to do. He was slow to break out this spring, but by the middle he began to emerge. By the end, the Notre Dame coaches were doing whatever they could to find ways to not only put him on the field but also to get him the football as often as possible. Similar to 2012 Mackey Award winner Tyler Eifert, the rangy 6-4½ sophomore with the skills to chal- lenge mismatched defenses vertically spent time lining up at the W, the X and every tight end spot imagin- able. His improved understanding of the offense has him showcasing his speed, hands and play-making abil- ity far more consistently. He could be poised for a breakout 2016 season that would change the face of the Notre Dame offense. JUNIOR RIGHT TACKLE ALEX BARS When spring practice began, three position battles along the line had to be settled. Mustipher quickly emerged as the starting center, but the other two have taken more time to work themselves out. While he has yet to be announced as the starter, it seems obvious Bars will enter the fall as the starter at right tackle. Bars started two games as a soph- omore, but they were at left guard. Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand moved him out to right tackle dur- ing the spring, and Bars quickly re- acclimated himself to the position de- spite still working himself back to full speed after suffering a season-ending ankle injury Oct. 17 against USC. The closer he got back to full strength the better he looked, espe- cially in pass protection. By the end of spring, Bars looked far more com- fortable playing on an island in the pass game, and his push in the run game was also starting to get back on track. FRESHMAN WIDE RECEIVER KEVIN STEPHERSON Junior Corey Holmes had a very good spring at slot receiver and cer- tainly merits mention. If he can con- tinue his rise, he will have an impact on the 2016 offense. Yet it was Stepherson that often stole the show, and he showed that off in the Blue-Gold Game, hauling in four passes for 70 yards. "I don't know that we have a player on our team like K.J. Stepherson that can catch the ball at full speed as he cuts across the field — a very unique trait of his," Kelly said after the spring game. "He still has to work on catch- ing the ball vertically down the field. "But he catches the ball out of his break at full speed, and it is a unique trait that he has that I have not seen since I've been here at Notre Dame, and we'll continue to work with him." ✦