Notre Dame Football: Projecting Irish's Post-Spring 2-Deep Depth Chart

Notre Dame wrapped up a spring practice headlined by how to replace departed starters, but the Fighting Irish's depth chart has already taken shape.

While some competitions—like at quarterback—will carry through the summer and into fall camp, most of the two-deep is settled. In many cases, even if the starter isn't locked in, the No. 2 is safely ahead of the third-stringer.

Injuries affected Notre Dame during the March and April workouts, and those ailments are reflected on the depth chart.

Position	First-String	Second-String
QB	DeShone Kizer/Malik Zaire	Brandon Wimbush
RB	Tarean Folston/Josh Adams	Dexter Williams
WR	Torii Hunter Jr.	Kevin Stepherson
WR	Equanimeous St. Brown	Corey Robinson (inj)/Miles Boykin
WR	Corey Holmes/Chris Finke	C.J. Sanders (inj)
TE	Durham Smythe	Alize Jones
LT	Mike McGlinchey	Jimmy Byrne
LG	Quenton Nelson	Mark Harrell/Trevor Ruhland
C	Sam Mustipher	Tristen Hoge
RG	Hunter Bivin	Tristen Hoge
RT	Alex Bars	Colin McGovern
K	Justin Yoon	Tyler Newsome

As expected, the quarterback battle had no ultimate resolution. DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire will continue competing for the starting nod. But we know Brandon Wimbush, officially, is not a factor.

Head coach Brian Kelly said he hasn't found a way to give Wimbush enough reps, per Mike Vorel of the South Bend Tribune. The sophomore is likely headed for a redshirt.

Although Tarean Folston earned the No. 1 job in 2015, a torn right ACL ended his year during the season opener. Josh Adams mostly served as C.J. Prosise's backup, but also logged a couple starts, finishing with 880 total yards and seven touchdowns.

Folston and Adams give Notre Dame a formidable combination at the top of the depth chart, while 2015 4-star Dexter Williams gives the backfield substantial depth.

Injuries were a problem for a receiving corps that must replace a strong majority of its production.

Corey Robinson (concussion) recently met with a specialist and will determine whether or not to continue his football career, Kelly told Nick Ironside of 247Sports. A hip injury will sideline C.J. Sanders for a few months, per ESPN.com's Matt Fortuna.

So, Notre Dame had to adapt.

Fortunately, true freshman Kevin Stepherson emerged as a potential immediate contributor, while Corey Holmes took first-team reps. Equanimeous St. Brown and Torii Hunter Jr. didn't change the notion they're headed for starting roles.

Plus, potential mismatch nightmare Alize Jones worked on the outside, too. He's also the primary backup at tight end to Durham Smythe, who missed most of 2015 due to shoulder and knee surgeries.

Mike McGlinchey, Quenton Nelson and Sam Mustipher locked up starting spots at left tackle, left guard and center, respectively, barring injury. Hunter Bivin and Alex Bars must hold off Tristen Hoge and Colin McGovern for the final two positions up front.

The left side of Notre Dame's offensive line will be stronger, but the starboard side isn't much of a concern.

Position	First-String	Second-String
DE	Jay Hayes/Andrew Trumbetti	Daelin Hayes (inj)
DT	Jarron Jones	Daniel Cage
DT	Jerry Tillery	Elijah Taylor
DE	Isaac Rochell	Jonathon Bonner/Khalid Kareem
LB	Asmar Bilal	Te'von Coney (inj)
LB	Nyles Morgan	Josh Barajas
LB	James Onwualu	Greer Martini (inj)
CB	Cole Luke	Shaun Crawford (nickel)
FS	Max Redfield	Devin Studstill
SS	Drue Tranquill	Avery Sebastian
CB	Nick Watkins (inj)	Nick Coleman/Ashton White
P	Tyler Newsome	Jeff Riney

Jay Hayes moved from tackle to end, and defensive line coach Keith Gilmore believes the redshirt sophomore will share time with returning starter Andrew Trumbetti.

"If it's a power team you'll probably see Jay Hayes more. If it's a passing team you'll see Andrew more," Gilmore said, according to Tim O'Malley of Scout. "They'll both start and play a lot. We want that competition."

Hayes and Trumbetti will be opposite Isaac Rochell, who is the second-leading tackler back from 2015. He's a safe bet to start alongside Jarron Jones and Jerry Tillery in the trenches.

Daniel Cage is the top backup at tackle, while true freshman Daelin Hayes should join the rotation on the outside.

Or Hayes could shift to linebacker, which had the unfortunate combination of losing two key contributors and missing top replacement options—Te'von Coney and Greer Martini—due to injury.

Nyles Morgan—thankfully for the Irish—stood out in the middle. "Thankfully" because he was the only healthy option with meaningful experience. Asmar Bilal and returning starter James Onwualu flanked Morgan, who position coach Mike Elston said "is going to have a heck of a year," per Vorel.

In the secondary, true freshman safety Devin Studstill earned plenty of attention. Despite Max Redfield's inconsistency, the multiyear starter likely hasn't lost his job—not yet, at least.

Nick Watkins recently underwent surgery on his broken left arm, but the junior should recover in plenty of time to join fellow outside cornerback Cole Luke, nickelback Shaun Crawford and safety Drue Tranquill in the starting lineup.

Justin Yoon and Tyler Newsome are poised to serve as the placekicker and punter, respectively. 

---

All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.