Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2016 43 to have to show itself as an inside receiver." In the second week of spring prac- tice, Sanders suffered a hip flexor injury that required surgery. It was scheduled to sideline him four months and required a scooter as his substitute for walking. But the Granada Hills, Calif., native has showed no ill effects during pre- season practice and could have a breakout 2016 season. 2. Tony Jones Jr.: With Adams and Williams dealing with injuries during the early days of camp, the freshman Jones Jr. received carries with the sec- ond-team offense and flashed the tal- ent that made him a four-star recruit and a U.S. Army All-American out of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy. Kelly, in his seventh season at Notre Dame, has a history of call- ing on freshman running backs. In his first six recruiting classes in South Bend, only two backs have redshirted: Will Mahone and Cam Roberson. Both of those players de- parted the Irish early, with Roberson suffering an injury that ended his football career. While Jones Jr. is still expected to be the team's No. 4 running back — Kelly said he'd prefer to redshirt him — his powerful 5-10½, 215-pound frame, pass-catching skills and abil- ity to protect the quarterback with his blocking impressed the head coach. 3. Nic Weishar: The junior was part of a 2015 tight end corps that caught just 20 passes for 237 yards and one touchdown. Weishar himself had just three catches for 19 yards. But with sophomore Alizé Jones ineligible this season while serving an academic suspension, Weishar is expected to surge into a bigger role on the offense. "He's made progress in the areas of body control, balance and volume," Kelly said of the 6-4, 240-pound Weishar. "At this time last year we had lost him for two or three prac- tices already — overheating, not be- ing able to make the practice, incon- sistency in terms of just being out on the field. "Nic hasn't missed a practice [this year], and we've had some pretty hot days out there and his volume's been high. Just in that, his ability to be out there every single day and take the load of the position has been a big uptick for us." ✦ QUARTERBACK No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 14 DeShone Kizer 6-4¼ 230 Jr./3 or 9 Malik Zaire 6-0 225 Sr./2 7 Brandon Wimbush 6-1 225 So./3 4 M. VanGorder 6-0½ 215 Jr./3 12 Ian Book 5-11½ 200 Fr./4 Walk-on: Sophomore Nolan Henry (17) RUNNING BACK No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 25 Tarean Folston 5-9½ 214 Sr./2 or 33 Josh Adams 6-1½ 220 So./3 2 Dexter Williams 5-11 210 So./3 34 Tony Jones Jr. 5-10½ 215 Fr./4 46 Josh Anderson 5-9 205 5th/1 11 Justin Brent 6-1½ 220 Jr./3 Walk-ons: Senior Austin Ross (28), senior Bailey Ross (49) and freshman Brett Segobiano (40) SLOT RECEIVER (Z) No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 3 C.J. Sanders 5-8 185 So./3 15 Corey Holmes 6-0½ 180 Jr./3 27 Chris Finke 5-9½ 180 So./4 FIELD RECEIVER (X) No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 16 Torii Hunter Jr. 6-0 195 Sr./2 88 Javon McKinley 6-1½ 210 Fr./4 29 Kevin Stepherson 6-0 181 Fr./4 38 Deon McIntosh 5-10½ 180 Fr./4 BOUNDARY RECEIVER (W) No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 6 E. St. Brown 6-4 205 So./3 81 Miles Boykin 6-3½ 222 So./4 83 Chase Claypool 6-4 220 Fr./4 Walk-ons: Senior Omar Hunter (37), juniors Keenan Centlivre (87), Grant Hammann (35), Buster Sheridan (18) and Austin Webster (26), and freshmen Mick Assaf (24) and Arion Shinaver (85) TIGHT END No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 80 Durham Smythe 6-4½ 245 Sr./2 or 82 Nic Weishar 6-4 240 Jr./3 13 Tyler Luatua 6-2½ 255 Jr./2 89 Jacob Matuska 6-4½ 275 Sr./2 Walk-on: Senior Ben Suttman (84) Note: Sophomore Alizé Jones is serving an aca- demic suspension in 2016. He can practice with the team, but will not play in games this fall. LEFT TACKLE No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 68 Mike McGlinchey 6-7½ 310 Sr./2 70 Hunter Bivin 6-5½ 308 Sr./2 74 Liam Eichenberg 6-5½ 280 Fr./4 LEFT GUARD No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 56 Quenton Nelson 6-5 325 Jr./3 57 Trevor Ruhland 6-3½ 300 So./4 50 Parker Boudreaux 6-2½ 295 Fr./4 CENTER No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 53 Sam Mustipher 6-2½ 310 Jr./3 66 Tristen Hoge 6-4½ 310 So./4 75 Mark Harrell 6-4 306 5th/1 RIGHT GUARD No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 62 Colin McGovern 6-4½ 310 Sr./2 or 66 Tristen Hoge 6-4½ 310 So./4 67 Jimmy Byrne 6-4 300 Jr./3 RIGHT TACKLE No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 71 Alex Bars 6-6 320 Jr./3 78 Tommy Kraemer 6-4½ 315 Fr./4 60 John Montelus 6-4 310 Sr./2 Walk-ons: Junior Sam Bush (63) and sophomore Logan Plantz (69) 2016 Offensive Depth Chart As Blue & Gold Illustrated went to press Aug. 23, here was our unofficial depth chart on offense. Heights and weights are from the fall. The number next to the class year represents years of eligibility remaining. Sophomore wide receiver and return man C.J. Sanders suffered a hip flexor injury in the spring, but showed no ill effects during preseason prac- tice and is expected to make a big impact in the slot this fall. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND