Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 2, 2017 13 UNDER THE DOME An enigmatic Notre Dame wide receiving corps through the first three games of the season had more news arise during the week of preparation for Michigan State. Graduate transfer Freddy Canteen, who began the year as a starter, underwent surgery Sept. 19 for a torn labrum and will be sidelined the rest of season. He had caught one pass for seven yards. Head coach Brian Kelly also confirmed that the plan is to redshirt sophomore Javon McKinley, the highest-rated receiver recruit on the roster, after a year of eligibility was burned on him last year. McKinley played only half of the 2016 sea- son, almost exclusively on special teams, before a broken fibula sidelined him in November. He did participate in spring drills, but only with limited contact work. "I don't want to accelerate them through the program unless they are squared away in terms of all of your traits," said Kelly of McKinley. "Right now, it looks like that's leaning towards the po- tential for a redshirt year." Meanwhile, graduate transfer and fifth-year senior Cameron Smith, whose seven catches (for 54 yards) were the most in the first two weeks, was not available for the Boston College game Sept. 16 after rolling his ankle during the week of practice for the Eagles. Notre Dame's wideouts caught only three passes for 11 yards in the 49-20 victory at Boston College, although it proved inconsequential be- cause of the 515 rushing yards by the Irish. Sophomore Chase Claypool caught two of the passes for eight yards while getting a starting role in place of Smith at the X (field side receiver), and the staff is eager to see the physical 6-4½, 228-pound Claypool in the lineup regularly with junior Equanimeous St. Brown. "We may move him inside a little bit to the Z [slot], but he's big, he's physical, he's got speed," Kelly said. "We just think that he needs to con- tinue to grow at that position. He blocked very well for us. He was assignment correct. "We saw him really grow in the areas that we wanted him to grow in, and I think in terms of all the receivers, they just have to make more plays for us, contested catches — and they will. "[It] hasn't got off to the kind of start we want, but it's a long season, and I have a great deal of confidence in them." Finding the right sync between new starting quarterback Brandon Wimbush and the receivers has been part of the problem. "He's seeing it maybe a little late, and then com- municating it a little bit late. The processing has just got to be a little bit quicker, which effectively moves everybody in unison," Kelly said of Wimbush. "He's seeing it — but it's a little bit late … which forces him to rush things and overthrow a little bit. "We don't have to throw for 300 yards, but we've got to hit receivers. Receivers have got to make some tough catches, and we've got to put Brandon in a position where we're featuring the things that he does well." Receiving Corps Down Two Members Holy Cross Village is a continuing care retirement community, sponsored by the Brothers of Holy Cross, with a tradition of caring, compassion and trust. Holy Cross Village welcomes people of all faiths. 54515 State Rd., 933 North, Notre Dame, IN 46556 www.holycrossvillage.com ... AND ENJOY THE GAME OF LIFE AT HOLY CROSS VILLAGE I magine making new friends and developing new talents, where everything you need to enjoy the game of life is right outside your front door. Nestled among three institutions of higher learning, Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame is a senior living community unlike anything else around. Our warm and inviting community offers: Independent Living Homes and Apartments Assisted Living Apartments Skilled Nursing Memory Care Rehabilitation Services Call (574) 251-2235 today for more information and to schedule a tour. Sophomore wide receiver Chase Claypool started the Boston College game and will be a fixture in the lineup moving forward. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND