Notre Dame Football: KeiVarae Russell's Return Provides Much-Needed Spark

Just like that, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish's recent string of bad luck has ended. For a change, the Irish are getting a key player for their College Football Playoff run in 2015. Granted, the return was expected, but it doesn't diminish the impact.

On Tuesday, head coach Brian Kelly announced that cornerback KeiVarae Russell was fully cleared by the NCAA and will be eligible to participate this season. Russell was one of five Irish players suspended last season for academic fraud.

(On a related noted, Kelly added that defensive end Ishaq Williams, another one of the five suspended players, is waiting to hear back from the NCAA on an appeal.) 

The news is a welcome relief for Notre Dame fans. Over the past two weeks, the Irish have lost second-leading rusher Greg Bryant (academics) and starting defensive tackle Jarron Jones (MCL injury). Getting Russell back provides the defense, which took a hit late last season because of injuries, with a much-needed spark.

While Russell may be rusty at first, as Kelly noted, it's only a matter of time before he's back to his old self. 

But what, exactly, are the Irish getting back?

A veteran player, first of all. Before his suspension, Russell had started all 26 games of his career, including his first 13 as a freshman. Now a senior, Russell brings a wealth of experience to the secondary and adds to a defense laden with juniors and seniors.

As Jerry Hinnen of CBS Sports wrote, "The Irish defense can now claim to return 11 starters—10 from 2014, plus the addition of Russell. If Kelly and defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder have their schematic ducks in a row after an inconsistent 2014, this should be one of the nation's best defenses."

Russell has also had a productive career to date. In 2012, he was a member of the team that made a national championship game appearance against Alabama—and a member of a defense that ranked 13th nationally in yards per pass attempt allowed. Along the way, Russell earned Freshman All-American honors. In 2013, Russell led the Irish with eight pass breakups.

As B/R draft guru Matt Miller noted, Russell is a potential first-round talent in a loaded 2016 cornerback class that features the following draft-eligible players: Vernon Hargreaves III (Florida), Jalen Ramsey (Florida State) and Kendall Fuller (Virginia Tech). To be thought of as a possible first-round talent in that group is saying something.

Notre Dame's 2015 schedule isn't loaded with offenses that feature high-profile quarterback-receiver combos, but don't confuse quantity with quality. On Oct. 3, the Irish will travel to Clemson in one of the most intriguing games of the season. There, the team will ask Russell to defend the pass-catching combination of Mike Williams and Artavis Scott, who totaled 14 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards receiving a year ago. Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson is one of the fast-rising stars in the game.

Two weeks later, Notre Dame will host USC, which has quarterback Cody Kessler and receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. On Nov. 7, Notre Dame will face one of the best wide receivers in the country, Pittsburgh's Tyler Boyd.

Yeah, having Russell, the team's best cornerback, again should help. Though not all of Notre Dame's questions—namely involving quarterback Malik Zaire—will be answered before the start of the season, Russell's return does answer one. Once again, there's reason to be excited about this Irish football team. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.