Notre Dame Football: Manti Te'o and Seniors Who Will Star for Irish in 2012

Notre Dame may have lost Michael Floyd, but the Irish will have three solid senior contributors in 2012. On defense, it starts with the MLB, Manti Te'o. 

At the beginning of the season, many thought Te'o would declare for the 2012 NFL draft, possibly even be drafted in the first round. He did have 128 tackles and five sacks, so he could have thrown his name into the draft ring.

Irish fans are happy he decided to return to South Bend for another year.

Te'o will bring elite experience and a history of production back with him for his final year at Notre Dame. He'll likely tally his third consecutive 125-plus tackle season and lead what many hope will be a better defense.

The offense is not void of senior leadership.

RB Cierre Wood will help an unsettled QB situation while building on his 1,102-yard, nine-TD performance in 2011. Wood averaged over five yards per carry in 2011, and he'll deliver an even bigger contribution in 2012.

The Irish don't have a ton of weapons at receiver, so they will depend on the running game even more this season.

One great weapon in the passing game is TE Tyler Eifert. Eifert is a definite NFL prospect. The 6'6", 250-pounder from Fort Wayne had 63 catches for 803 yards and five TDs in 2011.

His combination of speed, hands and size should make him a very popular and valuable safety valve for Irish QBs.

Notre Dame will likely start the season with Tommy Rees at QB, but if the team struggles, a change could be made. Depending on his progress, freshman Gunner Kiel could see some time.

Whoever is under center will benefit greatly from what Wood and Eifert provide.

QB play will dictate what type of season the Irish have. The senior leadership at other positions helps the player who settles in at the team's most critical position.