Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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16 MARCH 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME UNDER THE DOME Irish student-athletes excelling on the field and in the classroom Ian Dwyer — Fencing The senior from Montclair, N.J., posted a 17‑1 record at Notre Dame's DeCicco Duals Jan. 28‑29, while leading the sabre squad to a 9‑1 mark. For his efforts, Dwyer was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Fencer of the Week Feb. 1, along with Irish women's fencer Amanda Sirico. As of Feb. 2, Dwyer boasted a 55‑22 career record during his time in South Bend. Marina Mabrey — Basketball The sophomore wing from Belmar, N.J., came on strong at the beginning of ACC play. Mabrey got things started with a 22‑point performance in a 70‑62 loss at North Carolina State Dec. 29. In an 82‑74 over Virginia Jan. 29, she came within a point of her career high with a 26‑point effort against the Cavaliers. As of Feb. 7, Mabrey had scored in double figures in seven of the last 10 games and was averaging 13.6 points per game in conference contests. Steve Vasturia — Basketball The senior from Medford, N.J., was named one of 10 finalists for the Jerry West Award, which is given annually to the best shooting guard in college basketball. The list will be cut to five in March. Through 24 games, Vas‑ turia was averaging 13.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, while shooting 39.4 percent from three‑point range and 91.0 percent from the free throw line. Karley Wester — Softball The senior captain from Huntington Beach, Calif., has been named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award watch list. The two‑ t i m e N at i o n a l Fa st p i tc h Coaches Association All‑ American is the active hits leader in the NCAA. As a co‑captain in 2016, Wester batted .446 while adding Notre Dame single‑season records for hits (91), runs scored (68) and stolen bases (46). TOP OF THE CLASS ✦ GIMME FIVE Along with Clemson's DeShaun Watson and North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky, Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer opted to depart early for the NFL Draft because he is projected as a first‑round pick. In the eight years from 1944‑51, Notre Dame had five quarterbacks selected in the first round by the NFL: Angelo Bertelli (No. 1 in 1944), Frank Dancewicz (No. 1 in 1945), John Lujack (No. 4 in 1945), Frank Tripucka (No. 9 in 1949) and Bob Williams (No. 2 in 1951). In the 66 seasons since 1951, the Fight‑ ing Irish have had five other quarterbacks selected in the first round, although one of them, Paul Hornung in 1957, was listed as a "back" rather than a quarterback. Indeed, Hornung would distinguish himself as the left halfback under head coach Vince Lombardi at Green Bay en route to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Chronologically, here are the five Notre Dame quarterbacks since 1951 that were se‑ lected in the first round: Quarterback (Year) Selection (Team) 1. Ralph Guglielmi (1955) 4 (Washington) 2. Paul Hornung (1957) 1 (Green Bay) 3. George Izo (1960) 2 (Chicago Cardinals) 4. Rick Mirer (1993) 2 (Seattle) 5. Brady Quinn (2007) 22 (Cleveland) Getting To Know … NOTRE DAME SIGNEE MICHAEL YOUNG Hometown: "Destrehan, La." High School: "Destrehan." Favorite Movie: "'The Avengers.'" Favorite TV Show: "'Jimmy Neutron.'" Favorite Music: "Hip Hop/R&B." Favorite Musician: "It's a tie between Chris Brown, Future and Drake." Favorite Food: "Hamburgers." Favorite Thing About Notre Dame: "Just how family oriented ev‑ erybody is throughout the school. The guys are kind of the same and they all have high expectations. A guy like me, I have high expecta‑ tions as well and on top of that family oriented aspect, I can't wait for that. Guys pick each other up and want to get the best out of each other." Hardest Player You've Ever Faced: "I'd have to say [three‑star 2017 cornerback] Amik Rob‑ ertson. That guy is an absolute freak athlete. He's shorter than me, but he's blazing fast and is the most fierce competitor I've ever played." CHARTING THE IRISH COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S EARLY EXODUS Just two Notre Dame players — quarter‑ back DeShone Kizer and running back Tarean Folston — elected to leave college eligibility on the table and declare for the NFL Draft in January. That's down from a year ago, when five play‑ ers left early: linebacker Jaylon Smith, offen‑ sive tackle Ronnie Stanley, running back C.J. Prosise, cornerback KeiVarae Russell and wide receiver Will Fuller. Nationally, 103 players declared early for the NFL Draft — the second most in history. That number trails the 105 that left college early a year ago. A majority of those players come from Power Five leagues, led by the South‑ eastern Conference (25) and Atlantic Coast Conference (20). Kizer will have competition among the other five quarterbacks that declared early for the draft. North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky and Clemson's DeShaun Watson are projected to land in the first round. Folston, who is projected to be picked in a later round, is one of 19 running backs to declare early. Wide receiver is the most com‑ petitive position among early entrants, with 26 leaving school early. Moving? Let us know! Call 1-800-421-7751 NUMBER OF PLAYERS WHO DECLARED EARLY FOR THE NFL DRAFT By Conference SEC ............................................ 25 ACC ........................................... 20 Big Ten ...................................... 15 Pac‑12 ....................................... 12 Big 12 ........................................ 10 Non‑FBS ...................................... 9 CUSA ........................................... 4 AAC ............................................. 3 MWC ........................................... 2 ND ............................................... 2 MAC ............................................ 1 By Position Position Group Number of Players Quarterbacks ................................................ 6 Running Backs ............................................ 19 Wide Receivers ........................................... 26 Tight Ends ..................................................... 4 Offensive Line ............................................... 5 Defensive Line ............................................ 17 Linebackers ................................................... 9 Defensive Backs .......................................... 17