Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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8 DECEMBER 2016 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Anna Rohrer, a native of Mishawaka, Ind., earned ACC Cross Country Freshman Runner of the Year accolades and placed sixth at the na- tional meet in her first year at Notre Dame. She followed it up with an even more successful sopho- more campaign this fall, winning an individual ACC championship and posting a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships that earned her All-America honors for the second straight season. BGI: How much pressure was on you this season based off your performances last year? Rohrer: "I would say there was pressure on me because I had performed very well last year. That 's not something that bothers me because that's how it was for me in high school. "I kind of used that to channel my racing and it was my motivation. I'm used to the pressure, so I just used that to run faster." BGI: What were your goals heading into this season? Rohrer: "Going into the season I knew I should be toward the front at nationals, but it was after the first meet, the Notre Dame Invite, when I realized I had a shot at winning. After that first meet, then I had the goal of winning nationals. "Obviously I wanted to go un- defeated, but winning nationals was the big goal." BGI: How were you able to have the success you've had this year and what were the keys for you? Rohrer: "There's actually a lot that goes into being successful through the season. What most runners define as a successful season is first and foremost being healthy the whole time. Everyone wants to run well, but so much of be- ing successful is being able to get to the line at nationals and not hurting anywhere. "For us something our coach has incorpo- rated is making sure we're staying on top of our stretches, doing the drills we're supposed [to do], making sure we're getting proper nutrition and getting enough sleep. I'd say that's equally as important as the training." BGI: Being from the local area what does it mean to you have this success at Notre Dame? Rohrer: "I originally didn't want to go to Notre Dame because it was so close to home. I'm very glad I did. I knew it was the right place, otherwise I wouldn't have gone. "It really does mean a lot to me because I have so many people that support me and it really brings happiness to the community. It's a really neat thing to know your community supports you and it means more to them [than] just to me, our team, our coach — other people I haven't met are excited about my performance." BGI: How do you take the next step and finish first at the NCAA Championships? Rohrer: "I really just need to keep doing what I'm doing. Getting through the season healthy, working on making sure I get enough sleep, I think, is big. "If I can just keep training as I am and being as healthy as I am, I think I can get it." — Corey Bodden Five Questions With … SOPHOMORE CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER ANNA ROHRER Quenton Nelson Would Be Difficult To Withstand By Bryan Driskell Junior quarterback DeShone Kizer and junior left guard Quenton Nelson have both been projected as possible first-round picks, and ESPN draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay both rank Nelson as the top draft eligible guard in the country. Kizer is an incredible talent, but Nelson would be the bigger loss. There is little doubt that Kizer leaving early would be a setback, but Notre Dame is currently better prepared to handle his loss. Should Kizer depart, sophomore Brandon Wimbush would slide into the starting lineup. Wimbush — a consensus top-75 national recruit — has elite physical tools. Despite the presence of Kizer and strong-armed lefty Malik Zaire, there is little doubt that Wimbush has the strongest arm on the roster, possessing the ability to effortlessly make any throw on the field. In his first game action on Sept. 26, 2015, during Notre Dame's 62-27 vic- tory over UMass, Wimbush ripped off a 58-yard touchdown run, showing off his speed and athleticism. The replacement for Nelson is a bigger question mark. Freshman Tommy Kraemer should be in competition to earn the starting job at right guard, but the loss of Nelson could prompt him to slide to the left side. Sophomore Trevor Ruhland, sophomore Tristen Hoge and fresh- man Parker Boudreaux could also compete for playing time at guard, but the drop-off between Nelson and whoever would replace him would be stark. DeShone Kizer Leaving Early Would Create A Big Void By Matt Jones Should DeShone Kizer declare for the NFL Draft like many expect him to, he will be the bigger piece to replace on Notre Dame's offense. It's not hard to see what NFL scouts and gen- eral managers like about Kizer. He's smart, has a strong arm and has the size to compete at the next level. Though the wins haven't necessarily followed in 2016, that's not expected to hurt his pro prospects. All the qualities that Kizer possesses are not totally found in the players behind him on the bench. Senior Malik Zaire showed he wasn't a capable backup this season, and it would be surprising if he's back in 2017. Sophomore Bran- don Wimbush, who redshirted this season after serving as Kizer's backup in 2015, has a strong arm and a solid pedigree, but he doesn't have the whole package like Kizer does. If the USC game is Kizer's last in an Irish uniform, he'll have started 23 games in his career. Replacing that experience and the connection Kizer had with receivers won't be easy. While Kelly has had success with young quarterbacks in his Notre Dame tenure (Tommy Rees in 2010, Everett Golson in 2012 and Kizer himself in 2015), Wimbush — or whoever takes the snaps — will be under heavy scrutiny in 2017. Kizer was far from perfect in 2016, but he was a known commodity with a ton of upside. Notre Dame won't be able to say the same with their starter at quarterback next season. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHICH POTENTIAL EARLY DEPARTURE TO THE NFL WOULD BE THE TOUGHEST TO OVERCOME? QUENTON NELSON DESHONE KIZER Rohrer has earned All-America honors each of her first two years at Notre Dame. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS