Blue and Gold Illustrated

Nov. 28, 2016*

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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18 NOV. 28, 2016 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY LOU SOMOGYI T he triple option in college foot- ball doesn't merely refer to a system of offense run primarily by the military academies. College football seniors — the fourth year variety — generally have three options following the tradi- tional Senior Day in their home finale. One is to exercise their fifth-year option, provided they were red- shirted either medically or otherwise, earlier in their careers. Two is to use their fifth season at another school, where they would be immediately eligible and not have to sit out a year if they have already earned their undergraduate degree. That might provide them a final chance to start if it doesn't look plau- sible at their current school. Finally, you can move on with your life after football, or begin your pro- fessional career in the sport. No group better manifests all these possibilities than the current seniors, who were the highest-rated recruit- ing class, at No. 3 in the nation ac- cording to Rivals, under seventh- year head coach Brian Kelly when it signed in February 2013. Of the 24 players in that class, only 12 were still playing for Notre Dame this season as fourth-year seniors. ASTOUNDING ATTRITION For 30 years, Blue & Gold Illustrated has had a standard reply to the popu- lar "how did they do in recruiting this year?" inquiry: Check back in four years and we can tell you. • This senior class signed four five- star players: running back Greg Bry- ant, defensive lineman Eddie Van- derdoes, linebacker Jaylon Smith and safety Max Redfield. Bryant, after transferring to UAB, tragically died in a shooting in his home state of Florida this spring. Vanderdoes never enrolled, deciding instead to attend UCLA. Smith, the 2015 Butkus Award winner, turned pro after his junior season. Redfield was removed from the team in Au- gust after an off-campus arrest. • A fifth player, wide receiver Will Fuller, joined Smith in the NFL Draft. If you want to be among the top teams, those Smith and Fuller are the type of players that need to be signed in every class. Kelly understands that junior quar- terback DeShone Kizer has a decision to make this winter. "When you have really good foot- ball players that have the opportu- nity to go to the NFL, that's going to be a reality here at Notre Dame," Kelly said. "I'd love for everybody to stay and use their four years of eligi- bility, and all have their degree. But the reality of it is that those situations are going to keep coming up." • Offensive guard Steve Elmer, who cracked the starting lineup sev- eral times as a freshman in 2013 and started every game in 2014 and 2015 graduated in three and a half years (he was an early entrant) and opted to go into the professional sector as well — in Washington, D.C., but not football. That's a bittersweet great news/ tough situation for Kelly. The sweet is following through on the "40-year commitment" for life. "They know that they have options when they come to Notre Dame," Kelly said of recruiting players who appreciate the school's student-ath- lete emphasis. "The NFL for most of those kids is a No. 1 option. But there are a number of kids that know there is the door open for them to do whatever it is that they're passionate about, whether it's the public sector, the private sector, Wall Street. "That is a great trait for us to con- tinue to talk about in the recruiting process." As a football coach, though, it's not easy to lose a player with that much experience and eligibility still remaining. "An investment of time and the game experience," replied Kelly on what he lost with Elmer. "All the things that you correct on Sunday had to be re-corrected starting day one. There was a lot of equity placed SENIORITY SYSTEM It's not always clear who will or won't come back for a fifth season, or even a fourth

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