Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/753492
20 NOV. 28, 2016 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED have been disappointed about their lack of action. Zaire could have a chance to start in 2016 if Kizer opts to turn pro, but he might also feel compelled to make a fresh start else- where. Once the feature back of the Irish offense, Folston has admitted his se- nior year is not where "I planned to be." Does he use a fifth elsewhere, or will he pick up his degree and give the NFL a tryout on his own without putting on too much more tread on the tires? Whereas Stanford can often have a dozen or so fifth-year players on its roster, Notre Dame had only three this season that arrived on schol- arship (Harrell, nose guard Jarron Jones and long snapper Scott Daly). Next year it could be double that, but the makeup of the roster, the school and its mission usually won't have it much higher than that. "We're not going to be Alabama," Kelly said. "We're not going to have a bunch of older players playing for us, and we're not going to be some of the teams that are allowing them to mature at that level. "We're going to have to play some of the younger players, and that's going to be the case here moving for- ward. I have no problem with that." In fairness, of the 22 players start- ing on offense and defense for No. 1 Alabama this month, only one is listed as a fifth-year senior. The top lineup also includes eight true soph- omores and two true freshmen (quar- terback Jalen Hurts and right tackle Jonah Williams). Other than linemen on both sides of the ball, Kelly is not reluctant to play freshmen, because there is no guarantee of them returning for a fifth season anyway. "Kids are coming here to get their degree and play championship foot- ball, and they have great confidence they can do that at an early age," he said. "As long as they can accept their role as a freshman we'll keep playing them." Sometimes there is no choice. ✦ SENIOR DAY HONOREES These seniors were recognized for their four years — and in five cases, five years or even six — at Notre Dame during a pre-game cer- emony in the Nov. 19 home finale versus Vir- ginia Tech. Alphabetically, they were: RB Josh Anderson (5) OL Hunter Bivin* CB Jesse Bongiovi^ K John Chereson^ LS Scott Daly (5) DL Marquis Dickerson^ RB Tarean Folston* OG Mark Harrell (5) WR Omar Hunter ^ WR Torii Hunter Jr.* DL Jarron Jones (5) CB Cole Luke TE Jacob Matuska* OT Mike McGlinchey* OG Colin McGovern* OL John Montelus* LB James Onwualu S Drew Recker^ LB Doug Randolph WR Corey Robinson DL Isaac Rochell RB Austin Ross^ RB Bailey Ross^ S Avery Sebastian (6) WR Buster Sheridan^ TE Durham Smythe* TE Ben Suttman^ QB Malik Zaire* ^ Walk-on; * eligible for a fifth season in 2017 Durham Smythe Plans Fifth-Year Return Just because a player is listed as a senior doesn't mean it will be Se- nior Day for him this Saturday in the home finale versus Virginia Tech. There are 10 current members of the senior class who have a fifth season of eligibility in 2017, with almost all of them on offense: quarterback Malik Zaire, running back Tarean Folston, wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr., tight ends Durham Smythe and Jacob Matuska, and of- fensive linemen Mike McGlinchey, Colin McGovern, Hunter Bivin and John Montelus. On defense, the lone candidate is cornerback Devin Butler, who was going to be medically redshirted this season because of a foot injury but is also currently suspended from the football team because of an off-the- field arrest in August. Starting left tackle McGlinchey has gone on the record that he plans to return in 2017, and on Nov. 16 No. 1 tight end Smythe confirmed he plans to do the same. Thus, the Irish could have at least six and maybe seven tight ends on scholarship next season. In addition to Smythe, Notre Dame has current juniors Nic Weishar and Tyler Luatua, and current sophomore Alizé Jones, who is academically ineligible this season but is still enrolled in school and practicing with the team. As a 2015 freshman, Jones led the tight ends in receptions with 13 for 190 yards. A fifth possibility for a fifth season is Matuska, although playing time would be hard to find. Furthermore, Notre Dame has verbal commitments from two of Rivals' top three tight end prospects in the nation. Texas' Brock Wright is ranked the nation's top player at his position, and No. 52 overall, while Illinois' Cole Kmet is categorized as the No. 3 tight end and No. 89 overall player nationally. Smythe said one of his roles in 2017 will be to help establish a comfort level with the two highly recruited freshmen. "Hopefully I can be a guy they can lean on as far as learning things, showing them how to come to work every day and things like that," he said. "We'll just try to keep on the same path as we have this year as far as establishing a connection with the quarterbacks and really throughout the entire offense." — Lou Somogyi Smythe, who had nine receptions for 112 yards and four scores through 10 games this fall, confirmed his intentions to return for a fifth-year senior campaign in 2017. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS Although senior left tackle Mike McGlinchey has announced he plans to return for a fifth season, he is highly regarded by pro scouts and will have the option of declaring for the 2017 NFL Draft. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA