Notre Dame Football: Steadiest Positions for Irish After Regular Season
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — So much attention in the past week has centered around Notre Dame football’s widespread problems after a 49-14 whipping at the hands of USC on Saturday.
Earlier this week, we investigated the biggest questions for the Irish during the bowl season. Now we’ll examine Notre Dame’s positions of strength, an exercise that reveals the strong points of the Irish squad while also showing how uncertain many positions are moving forward.
Let’s have at it.
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Running Back
Sophomore running back Tarean Folston emerged as the top back as the season sped along, and his development alone would have positioned running back as one of Notre Dame’s steadiest positions.
But fellow sophomore back Greg Bryant also flashed against USC—tallying a career-high 79 yards on the ground. We’ll need to see more from Bryant before his role in the backfield becomes a certainty, but the Irish certainly have the pieces in place.
Folston racked up 816 rushing yards and averaged 5.3 yards per rush, while Bryant has notched 287 yards on 52 carries (5.5 yards per carry).
| Game | Carries | Yards | Touchdowns |
| Rice | 12 | 71 | 0 |
| Michigan | 9 | 17 | 0 |
| Purdue | 9 | 22 | 0 |
| Syracuse | 9 | 41 | 0 |
| Stanford | 3 | 14 | 0 |
| North Carolina | 18 | 98 | 2 |
| Florida State | 21 | 120 | 0 |
| Navy | 20 | 149 | 1 |
| Arizona State | 11 | 30 | 0 |
| Northwestern | 20 | 106 | 1 |
| Louisville | 18 | 134 | 1 |
| USC | 4 | 14 | 0 |
Irish head coach Brian Kelly has praised Folston’s recent improvement in pass protection—the one key area that had been holding him back, in the estimation of Kelly—and Bryant surged back onto the radar against the Trojans, especially in the second half. Can he carry that momentum forward?
| Game | Carries | Yards | Touchdowns |
| Rice | 8 | 71 | 1 |
| Michigan | 8 | 19 | 0 |
| Purdue | 6 | 29 | 0 |
| Syracuse | 11 | 55 | 0 |
| Stanford | 6 | 14 | 0 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 13 | 1 |
| Florida State | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Navy | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northwestern | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Louisville | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| USC | 7 | 79 | 1 |
The Irish should feel confident in their backs heading into the bowl game and 2015.
Wide Receiver
Let’s call the drop-ridden USC game an aberration for a receiving corps that eclipsed expectations this season. With no proven pass-catcher on the roster for the season opener against Rice in August, the group of youngsters stepped up and delivered.
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
| Will Fuller | 71 | 1037 | 14 |
| Corey Robinson | 40 | 539 | 5 |
| Chris Brown | 35 | 499 | 1 |
| C.J. Prosise | 26 | 482 | 2 |
| Amir Carlisle | 20 | 287 | 3 |
| Torii Hunter Jr. | 7 | 65 | 1 |
Sophomore Will Fuller has headlined the contingent with his 14 touchdown grabs, tied with Alabama star receiver Amari Cooper for the second most in the country. Fellow sophomore Corey Robinson has impressed as both a possession receiver, especially on underneath routes, and as a red-zone target, where he utilizes his lanky 6’4.5” frame.
Meanwhile, senior Amir Carlisle and junior C.J. Prosise held down the slot, while junior Chris Brown was actually third on the team in receptions and yards.
“He’s played well the last three weeks,” Kelly said of Brown before the USC game. “Really have seen a different guy after the Arizona State game, just seen a look in his eye that has the makings for me of what I’ve wanted to see from him all year. Just he wants it bad.”
The Irish boasted depth at the position entering the season. Now, the deep position has added experience and production, a combination that bodes well for 2015 to catch plenty of passes from Notre Dame’s quarterback—whomever that may be.
Cornerback
Saturday’s performance against Cody Kessler and the Trojans doesn’t accurately justify the strength of this position moving forward. Notre Dame left its cornerbacks in man-to-man coverage, and Kessler tossed six touchdowns.
But sophomore Cole Luke has emerged as a strong cornerback for the Irish. Before the USC game, Kelly said Luke “is turning into an ‘A’ player.” Kelly said the second-year defensive back was probably a ‘C’ player entering the season and is currently a ‘B+’ based on his impressive season.
Fellow sophomore Devin Butler has earned increased playing time in recent weeks with graduate student Cody Riggs battling a stress reaction in his foot. Though Butler has been burned for a few touchdowns, his extra experience this season should pay off moving forward.
Notre Dame is also scheduled to receive a big boost from cornerback KeiVarae Russell, who has announced his intention to return to the program in the summer in preparation for the 2015 season. Should nickelback Matthias Farley come back for a fifth year—as is expected—Notre Dame will have a solid lineup of corners to man the perimeter.
All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Mike Monaco is a lead Notre Dame writer for Bleacher Report. Follow @MikeMonaco on Twitter.
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