Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IN THE TRENCHES ANDREW OWENS since where we were in 2012. We'll get there. Hopefully we won't have as many injuries. We'll get back here again. We'll win them." It's true that Notre Dame has grown as a program since that 42-14 beatdown in the BCS National Championship Game against Ala- bama three years ago. But now, in year seven, the signature wins need to follow. The Irish produced seven NFL draftees and three more were on the verge of hearing their names called before eventually signing as un- drafted free agents. Next year's NFL Draft haul will further the notion that Notre Dame is producing talent matched by few other programs on a year-to-year basis. After eight former Irish play- ers were drafted in 2014, only one (tight end Ben Koyack in the seventh round) was in 2015. The cupboard was bare as far as NFL talent goes until last year 's superb junior class with Jaylon Smith and Will Fuller was draft eligible, and offensive line- men Ronnie Stanley and Nick Martin reached graduation. Even with Smith and Fuller depart- ing early, Notre Dame should pro- vide the league another crop of pro- fessional-ready players next spring. "For Notre Dame, this is the first real big payoff of Brian Kelly's ten- ure there where he started bringing better talent," DraftCountdown.com analyst Scott Wright said. "And now it's starting to pay off not only in terms of the quality of the prospects, but the quantity as well. "Next year, I don't think Notre Dame is going to have the high- level talent like with Jaylon Smith and Ronnie Stanley. That's probably a year or two away where they're going to have premium draft picks. Certainly it will be a better class next year than Notre Dame had become accustomed to for a 10- or 15-year stretch." The candidates for the 2017 NFL Draft include players whose col- legiate eligibility will have expired at the conclusion of the upcoming campaign (defensive lineman Isaac Rochell, cornerback Cole Luke, linebacker James Onwualu, safety Max Redfield and Jarron Jones) and those who might pass up another season at Notre Dame for the pros (running back Tarean Folston, of- fensive linemen Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson, quarterback DeShone Kizer, and wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr.). That's a strong amount of NFL- quality talent, and Notre Dame will likely be good for at least five to eight prospects per draft cycle. That reality can no longer be ques- tioned about the Kelly era, but now the inquiry shifts back to the colle- giate field and when the quantity and quality of elite players will translate to major victories. ✦ Andrew Owens has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since August 2013. He can be reached at aowens@blueandgold.com