Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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and he's the only one among the four who could average at least 5.0 yards per carry. He's made improvements each year in his strength, receiving ability and especially in his blitz pick-up blocking. Punt return duties could possibly be added to his 2012 résumé, mainly because he doesn't have to carry the whole load in a growing backfield. • Left guard Chris Watt joined Te'o and Wood n the USA Today first-team All-America unit as high school se- niors, but Watt didn't break into the starting lineup until last season. He answered the bell for all 13 games, and he and Martin are expected to form one of the better left sides in college football. • Running back/slot receiver Theo Riddick was pegged for stardom by Kelly early in the new coach's regime back in 2010, part of the reason be- ing he was the first major position change, from running back to slot receiver, under the new staff. As a freshman in 2009, Riddick appeared more advanced than Wood, rushing for 160 yards and 5.5 yards per carry while Wood, much to his displeasure, was withheld from action to preserve a year and develop better. Riddick has caught 84 passes the past two seasons, second only to Eifert among returning players, but never quite fully blossomed as the running, receiving and return triple threat envisioned by Kelly. Like Jonas Gray last year, the time should be ripe for Riddick to serve as a strong complement to Wood in the backfield, while also still being able to line up in the slot and maybe even be on the field the same time as Wood. This year's Blue-Gold Game re- sulted in him catching more passes than anyone else (eight for 63 yards and a score) while also carrying five times from the backfield. If all goes to plan, Wood and justing to their new and more promi- nent roles the next two years — and now are needed to have their best seasons in their last dance. Similar to the graduated Smith, Motta also had a stint at outside line- backer earlier in his career before aligning at safety. He briefly got out of the shadows last year in the 18-14 Champs Sports Bowl loss to Florida State when he scored the game's first touchdown on a 29-yard fumble re- turn. Junior Austin Collinsworth's torn labrum that required surgery this summer threw a wrench into Notre Dame's plans to maintain a three- man rotation at the safety spot this season. That setback makes it all the more urgent for Motta to raise his game in his fourth season with the Irish program the way Smith did in 2010 and Slaughter did in 2011. hardly stops with the aforemen- tioned nine. Dan Fox and Carlo Calabrese re- The production in this senior class FINDING A NICHE turn as a tag-team duo at the Will slot oppoiste Te'o. They combined For A Fifth Season? Among the 15 fourth-year seniors, nine are elgible to apply for a fifth season in 2013. Alphabetically they are: Will linebacker Who Will Return Carlo Calabrese, tight end Tyler Eifert, Will linebacker Dan Fox, tight end Jake Golic, of- fensive left tackle Zack Martin, nose guard Tyler Stockton, kicker Nick Tausch, offensive left guard Chris Watt and running back Cierre Wood. All but Golic and Stockton are starters or "co-starters" in 2012 — but wideout John Goodman and Dan McCarthy weren't position group starters either as 2011 seniors, yet still returned for a fifth season this year. Barring a medical redshirt, the All-American Eifert would be the least likely candidate be- cause he could be the first tight end taken in the 2013 NFL Draft. What about Wood? If he has a second 1,000- yard rushing campaign in 2012, and then re- ceives his degree, will he be eager to go to the next level? The staying power of a running back in the NFL is about three seasons, and absorbing more hits as a collegian might hurt his stock. The left side of the offensive line with Mar- tin and Watt would be a huge boon in 2013 if they both return. Generally, offensive linemen return for the fifth — Braxston Cave and Mike Golic Jr. in 2012, Taylor Dever and Andrew Nuss in 2011, etc. — unless you're projected as a top pick, a la center Jeff Faine in 2003. Are Fox and Calabrese needed back at the same position, or could one move to the Mike posi- tion that will be vacated by Manti Te'o? Will Tausch have a Riddick each could see at least 15 touches per game, be it as runners, on bubble screens, vertical threats, or maybe even on returns. • Safety Zeke Motta has started 16 games and recorded 102 career tackles, but last year he was in the shadow of first-round pick Harrison Smith and current fifth-year senior playmaker Jamoris Slaughter in their three-man rotation. Motta is to the defense what Riddick is on offense. Both played as freshmen, were ad- www.BLUEANDGOLD.com Senior Carlo Calabrese is a co-starter along with classmnate Dan Fox at Will linebacker this sea- son. Both are likely to return for a fifth season of eligibility in 2013. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA dynamic 2012 season as the kicker that will make the staff want him to come back for more, similar to David Ruffer and his fifth season in 2011? Our projection for best six more football scholarships in the current 19-man recruiting class to be signed in Febru- ary 2013. bets to return for a fifth season are Fox and Cala- brese as inside lineback- ers, Martin and Watt along the offensive line, and maybe either Tausch or Wood. That would still allow the Irish to give five or — Lou Somogyi PRESEASON 2012 27