Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/783750
66 MARCH 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING Notre Dame currently has 86 scholarship players and has until August to whittle it down to the NCAA limit of 85. Parentheses indicate years of eligibil- ity remaining, beginning in 2017. Quarterbacks (4) Senior — Montgomery VanGorder (2) Junior — Brandon Wimbush (3) Sophomore — Ian Book (4) Freshman — Avery Davis (4) Note: Although VanGorder is the starting holder on field goals and extra points, only Wimbush has taken any QB snaps — 22 against UMass and five versus Pitt as a 2015 freshman before redshirting in 2016. The five career passes he has thrown are the fewest by an entire Notre Dame quarterback lineup entering a season since 2007, when the trio of junior Evan Sharpley (two passes), sophomore Demetrius Jones (zero) and freshman Jimmy Clau- sen (zero) had two. Running Backs (5) Senior — None Junior — Josh Adams (2) and Dexter Williams (2) Sophomores — Tony Jones Jr. (4) and Deon McIntosh (4) Freshman — C.J. Holmes (4) Notes: Adams rushed for a team-high 933 yards last season … Holmes is an early enrollee who will participate in spring practice. Wide Receivers (9) Senior — None Juniors — Miles Boykin (3), Chris Finke (3), C.J. Sanders (2) and Equanime- ous St. Brown (2) Sophomores — Chase Claypool (3), Javon McKinley (3) and Kevin Stepher- son (3) Freshmen — Jafar Armstrong (4) and Michael Young (4) Note: This group entered 2016 with a combined two catches for eight yards. This year they have 138 catches for 2,000 yards (14.5 yards per catch) and 19 touchdowns, led by St. Brown's 58 for 961 yards and nine scores. Tight Ends (6) Fifth-Year Senior — Durham Smythe (1) Seniors — Tyler Luatua (1) and Nic Weishar (2) Junior — Alizé Jones (3) Sophomore — None Freshmen — Cole Kmet (4) and Brock Wright (4) Notes: Academically ineligible last season but now back, Jones had more receptions (13) and receiving yards (190) as a 2015 freshman than all the tight ends last year combined (12 catches for 159 yards), although Smythe did snare four touchdowns … Wright is an early enrollee this spring. Guards/Centers (9) Seniors — Jimmy Byrne (2), Sam Mustipher (2) and Quenton Nelson (2) Juniors — Tristen Hoge (3) and Trevor Ruhland (3) Sophomores — Parker Bourdeaux (4) and Tommy Kraemer (4) Freshmen — Dillan Gibbons (4) and Robert Hainsey (4) Notes: Mustipher and Nelson started all 12 games at center and left guard last season, respectively, with newly elected captain Nelson earning third- team Associated Press All-America honors. … Recruited as a tackle, Kraemer might get a shot at the vacated right guard spot, or he could stay at tackle … Hainsey is an early enrollee. Offensive Tackles (6) Fifth-Year Seniors — Hunter Bivin (1) and Mike McGlinchey (1) Senior — Alex Bars (2) Junior — None Sophomore — Liam Eichenberg (4) Freshmen — Aaron Banks (4) and Joshua Lugg (4) Notes: Third-team AP All-American and captain McGlinchey has started 26 straight games, and Bars started all 12 last year at right tackle … Banks joins Hainsey as an early enrollee. Defensive Ends (8) Seniors — Andrew Trumbetti (1) and Jay Hayes (2) Junior — None Sophomores — Daelin Hayes (3), Khalid Kareem (4), Adetokunbo Ogunedji (4) and Julian Okwara (3) Freshmen — Jonathan MacCollister (4) and Kofi Wardlow (4) Notes: This position has two career sacks, both by Trumbetti, although none last year. Defensive Tackles/Nose Guards (10) Seniors — Daniel Cage (1), Jonathan Bonner (2) and Peter Mokwuah (2) Juniors — Jerry Tillery (2), Micah Dew-Treadway (3), Elijah Taylor (3) and Brandon Tiassum (3) Sophomore — None Freshmen — Darnell Ewell (4), Kurt Hinish (4) and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa (4) Notes: Tillery is the top returning tackler from the line last year with 37 (three for loss) … Cage is second with 10, but missed all of November because of a concussion. Linebackers (9) Seniors — Greer Martini (1) and Nyles Morgan (1) Juniors — Te'von Coney (2), Josh Barajas (3) and Asmar Bilal (3) Sophomores — Jamir Jones (4) and Jonathan Jones (4) Freshmen — David Adams (4) and Drew White (4) Notes: Morgan and Martini are both 2017 captains … Morgan led the 2016 team in tackles (94) and sacks (four), and Martini — who made the fifth-most tackles (55) — collected the most stops for loss (seven) among returning play- ers and the second-most sacks (three). 2017 Scholarship Breakdown By Position And Class Eqanimeous St. Brown was the team's leading receiver in 2016, catching 58 passes for 961 yards and nine touchdowns. He leads another young receiving corps in 2017. PHOTO BY RICK KIMBALL