Notre Dame: Top 5 Players Who Need to Step Up in 2010

Choosing just five players who need to step up in 2010 is not an easy task. With a new coach, new staff, new offensive and defensive systems, and the graduation of top players, there are plenty of players who need to step up for the Fightin' Irish to have a successful season in 2010.

Regardless, here are five players who need to take on more of a load for Notre Dame.

Dayne Crist, QB

Dayne Crist needs to step up for a couple of reasons.

1. He needs to step up because the starting quarterback job is not guaranteed to anyone.

Sure, Crist is the incumbent, but there is plenty of competition on the horizon.

Early enrollee Tommy Rees is the type of player with moxie who fits well with Coach Kelly. After him, comes Luke Massa from the successful St. Xavier high school program in Ohio, Andrew Hendrix, and even some players who could play quarterback or other positions in Danny Spond and Derek Roback. Heck, even former high school quarterback, John Goodman, is getting a look.

2. Assuming the starting nod does go to the incumbent, Crist needs to grab hold of the new offense and show he has the ability to be the field general he needs to be.

Crist has prototypical quarterback size, a strong arm, and is pretty athletic. Upon signing with Notre Dame, most everyone was thinking he was the second coming of Brady Quinn.

The Entire Offensive Line

Ok, I cheated on this one. This is not a "player" as much as it is a unit, but bear with me.

The entire offensive line needs to really step up.

Last year, they did a decent job of pass protection. However, they did not provide any sort of push off the line for the run game. It must be so frustrating as Armando Allen to spend your time juking and spinning to get back to the line of scrimmage.

Another thing that merits their need to collectively step up is the attrition felt by graduation. The offensive line lost four-year starter Sam Young at tackle, Eric Olsen at center, and Paul Duncan at tackle.

Ethan Johnson, DE

Ethan Johnson has had decent production since he showed up in South Bend. He saw duties as a pass rushing specialist his freshman year and got toggled around between defensive end and defensive tackle last year.

This year, he should be even more crucial than before.

The Fightin' Irish need Johnson to be a defensive end in the 3-4, which is basically another defensive tackle. The good thing is that he is a perfect fit. He has the size of a smaller defensive tackle but all the speed of a strongside defensive end.

Johnson will be incredibly pivotal if the Irish are going to produce any semblance of a pass rush from their defensive line. All too often last year, Notre Dame could not get pressure with their front four (in the 4-3) and really didn't produce anything more with all the blitzes they ran.

Darius Fleming/Steve Filer/Kerry Neal, OLB

I know. Not a player. Three players. I understand.

Much like the offensive line, the outside linebacker position as a whole needs to step up in 2010.

As you know, the outside linebackers in the 3-4 are responsible for a lot of the pass rush. They are really just small, speedy defensive ends who are athletic enough to play linebacker.

As is the case with Ethan Johnson, Notre Dame is pretty lucky that the 3-4 could be a perfect fit for the talents of Filer, Neal, and Fleming.

Filer and Fleming were recruited when the Irish ran the 3-4 a couple years ago and now should produce this year. Neal was always slated to be the weakside pass rushing terror and has shown glimpses in previous years. However, this offense should be perfectly suited for him now.

They are all nicely sized at 6'1", 240 lbs for Fleming, 6'2æ, 250 lbs for Neal, and 6'3æ, 240 lbs for Filer. They provide the 3-4 some depth at outside linebacker, as well as speed and athleticism.

Dan McCarthy/Harrison Smith, FS

Whomever wins the starting free safety spot will be crucial for the success of Notre Dame in 2010.

Now, some see Harrison Smith heading back to linebacker, but this writer thinks that with the depletion of the secondary, that he would be better suited in there.

As for McCarthy, his older brother Kyle has moved on, and now it's his turn to fill his shoes. (Talk about hand-me-downs...)

Smith and McCarthy will never be confused for Eric Berry, but they will need to man centerfield well enough to eliminate big plays.

All too often, because of the porous run defense, Kyle McCarthy found himself playing in the box which left Notre Dame's cornerbacks on islands.

In order to cut down on big plays, the Irish need their secondary to be shored up, especially at the free safety position.