Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2017 57 and says, 'Oooohh!' [Then] you go cover it," Polian said. "That's been the big challenge is getting Tyler to under- stand that a 44-yard fair catch is a big win. The 55-yard line drives down the middle of the field have to go away. If he's going to mishit a ball and it's a 37- yard fair catch, don't boo, because I'm high-fiving him. "I'd rather have a 37-yard fair catch than a 55-yard line drive down the middle of the field, because that is a hard ball to cover, to get the guys down. He has worked really, really hard this camp." Polian personally recruited Doerer last winter, but said he has not yet seized the kickoff duties. Plus, one never really knows what to expect un- til the lights come on for real and stage fright doesn't grow. "I want to put him in the stadium with some people around," Polian said of Doerer. "You can never repli- cate 82,000 [people in attendance] and screaming, but we've got to keep put- ting him in pressure situations. "Thus far, he's reacted very well. [He's a] long and loose athletic guy, great future." MAINSTAY FIGURES Baseball has the rare five-tool guys. In football special teams, the prized figures are athletes who can excel on all four units: kick and punt coverage, and kick and punt returns. According to Polian, three players who are the best bets to fall into that category are two running backs — sophomore Tony Jones Jr. and junior Dexter Williams — and sophomore wideout Chase Claypool, who re- corded 11 tackles last year (seven solo). "Tony will be on three for certain, maybe four," Polian said. "If he doesn't it's because we made the conscious decision to take him off one. "That four-unit guy that is going to win 70 percent of his one-on-one matchups, to me that's a difference- making guy. I'd like to look up at the end of camp and say there are three, maybe four of those guys." Although those first three play on offense, they have drawn the attention of Polian in tackling circuits with their physicality. "Claypool has to understand that if he wants to play on Sunday someday, the fifth receiver on every NFL ros- ter has to be a four-unit special teams player," said Polian, the son of NFL Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian. "Not only are we trying to add value to our own football team — which is our first priority — we're also trying to add value to them personally so that if they have this dream of playing football beyond college, they now have a body of work that evaluators can look at and say, 'This guy adds value beyond being a receiver.' "I have found that the offensive players we have approached that way have bought in, they understand." Williams and Claypool have audi- tioned as "gunners" in coverage, as have senior receiver Austin Webster, junior cornerback Shaun Crawford, junior safety Nicco Fertitta and sopho- more cornerback Julian Love. "Love has been a nice surprise," Po- lian said. "He's exceeded my expecta- tions … he's going to show up in a bunch of stuff, too." In different roles as blockers or cover men, the leaders could include veter- ans such as senior linebackers Greer Martini and Drue Tranquill, and gradu- ate student tight end Durham Smythe. Special teams are also an excellent opportunity for freshmen to cut their teeth. Among them are safeties Isa- iah Robertson and Jordan Genmark- Heath, rover Jeremiah Owusu-Kora- moah and tight end Cole Kmet. "There are difference makers, there are core guys who will be on three or four units and then there are role play- ers who have to be on one or two for a very specific role and they have to be bought in," Polian said. In the case of Owusu-Koramoah, though, he doesn't even turn 18 until November, so burning a year of eligi- bility to do only one role might not be practical. "If we go [with a freshman], he's got to be out there a bunch," Polian said. "You can't decide to play a fresh- man just for punt returns. That doesn't make any sense. "If he's not quite ready, then we keep him in the minor leagues and get him ready." ✦ Sophomore wide receiver Chase Claypool was a special teams standout last year, recording 11 tackles (seven solo). PHOTO BY RICK KIMBALL 2017 Special Teams Depth Chart Kicker No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 19 Justin Yoon 5-10 192 Jr./2 39 Jonathan Doerer 6-3 193 Fr./4 Walk-on: Sam Kohler (29) Punter No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 85 Tyler Newsome 6-2½ 210 Sr./2 39 Jonathan Doerer 6-3 193 Fr./4 Walk-on: Jeff Riney (42) Long Snapper No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 54 John Shannon 6-2 230 So./4 82 Nic Weishar 6-5 243 Sr./2 Walk-on: Kier Murphy (40) Kickoff Returns No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 3 C.J. Sanders 5-8 181 Jr./2 2 Dexter Williams 5-11 215 Jr./2 Punt Returns No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 10 Chris Finke 5-9½ 181 Jr./3 or 87 Michael Young 5-10 190 Fr./4