Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/80757
A PATH IS CLEARED FOR YOUNG STARS T ime, in some cases, and a healthy depth chart in others have tempered the panic from Notre Dame's preseason roster attrition. MURPHY'S LAW DAN MURPHY The view from 30,000 feet (which is where I currently sit en route to Ireland) is bleak. The Irish will board their own flight to Dublin Wednesday evening with plenty of empty seats — a few of which should have been filled by last year's start- ing running back, starting quarterback and a key inside linebacker. Despite the steady stream of early season suspensions throughout the NCAA, no one will be without returning starters in as many cru- cial positions as Notre Dame. The Irish, however, have yet to break stride as they march toward the starting line for the 2012 season. They instead are taking the glass-half-full approach of Sir Winston Churchill who said, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." He knew a thing or two about wars of attrition. When asked about the contingency plan for replacing 1,100-yard rusher Cierre Wood two days after he was suspended for violating team rules, head coach Brian Kelly said there is none. He didn't think he needed one. Senior Theo Riddick will help fill the gap left by Wood, but his absence will be even more of an open door for sophomore George Atkinson III. The dynamic Atkinson made a strong case for carries this spring when he gained a team-high 178 all-purpose yards in the Blue-Gold Game. Still, he would've struggled to find a niche behind Wood and Riddick. Now, the door is wide open for Atkinson to prove himself in a real game — and he has the speed to blow it clear off its hinges. Atkinson is one of several talented youngsters who will get an early shot to find a spot in Notre Dame's regular rota- tion during the first few weeks of Sep- tember. Twenty-two players in the Irish two-deep depth chart against Navy are freshmen or sophomores. Only eight of them have played significant minutes be- fore, and a handful of other new faces that fall just outside that list are expected to see the field this Saturday. Some are getting their chances through suspensions, others because of injury or graduating superstars. They all have an unusually clear path to become early impact players and establish the next wave of Notre Dame stars. None of them will be watched more closely that starting quarterback Everett Golson, who will take his first collegiate snap against the Midshipmen. Golson may have landed that job regardless of incumbent junior Tommy Rees' arrest last May. Rees' ensuing one-game suspension, though, does give Golson the luxury of not having to look over his shoulder when things go awry. Kelly said he knows he'll have to live with a few mistakes from his new quarter- back. He was less willing to do that a year ago for Dayne Crist with Rees waiting on the sideline. Golson's backup on Saturday is Andrew Hendrix, who has only a few more snaps than Golson and doesn't offer any more predictability. On defense, sophomore linebacker Jarrett Grace stands to benefit the most from this summer's suspensions. Instead of searching for sunlight behind senior Manti Te'o at the Mike linebacker posi- tion, Grace is now a second-stringer at both inside positions, replacing suspended senior Carlo Calabrese at the Will. He'll The suspension of senior Cierre Wood has opened the door for sophomore George Atkinson III (above) to seize a more prominent role at running back. almost certainly get his first snaps against Navy. And for a player who grew up de- fending the option at Cincinnati's Colerain High School, he's got a great opportunity to make sure they're not his last this year. The list continues with a slew of fresh- men that have made strong impressions during their first training camp. Coaches heaped praised on KeiVarae Russell even before he took over the starting job for Lo Wood after the junior ruptured his Achil- les tendon. Kelly said he also expects to see his trio of freshmen wide receivers — Davonté Neal, Justin Ferguson and Chris Brown — make an early contribution in ✦ PAGE 15 PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA the team search to replace Michael Floyd's production. "We're not afraid to put them out there. and they certainly are not afraid to play," Kelly said. There's no time for fear in such a quick turnaround. This weekend on a small is- land at the edge of the Atlantic, Notre Dame's next crop of playmakers will be tossed into the deep end. Sink or swim. The direction they take will likely de- cide where the rest of the 2012 season is headed. ✦ E-mail Dan at dmurphy@blueandgold.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @BGI_DanMurphy.