Notre Dame Football: Mid-Season Grades for Each Irish Positional Unit
Finally, after seven weeks and seven season-ending injuries, Notre Dame football gets a reprieve.
The Irish have a bye week and a chance to return home while the university splits for a week-long fall break.
Notre Dame is 6-1, ranked 11th in the country and gearing up for the home stretch with its final five regular-season games.
Before we move ahead, let’s take stock of Notre Dame’s different position groups and assess their performances through these first seven weeks. We’ll judge production in the context of all circumstances, including unexpected injuries. An average performance will be graded a ‘C.’
Let’s get to it.
Quarterback
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What a stretch for the Notre Dame quarterback position.
A two-headed quarterback battle between Everett Golson and Malik Zaire turned into a one-man show for Zaire when Golson exited for Florida State. But Zaire’s injury in Week 2 against Virginia forced DeShone Kizer into action.
Looking at Zaire first, the southpaw turned in a terrific performance against Texas, completing 19-of-22 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns. He took just one sack. Zaire, though, struggled against the Cavaliers, completing just seven of his 18 attempts for 115 yards and a score.
Kizer, of course, stepped in and launched the go-ahead touchdown to Will Fuller with 12 seconds remaining to down Virginia. And in the five starts since, Kizer has impressed. The redshirt freshman hasn’t been perfect (interceptions against Georgia Tech, UMass, Clemson and Navy, plus four sacks against USC), but he’s thrown for 10 touchdowns, completed 65.4 percent of his passes and improved as a runner. All this for the third-string quarterback in the spring.
Grade: A-
Running Back
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Just like at quarterback, the running back spot has taken on a much different look for the Irish since the spring.
Former slot receiver C.J. Prosise was originally “cross-training” at running back, initially arranged behind Tarean Folston and Greg Bryant in the pecking order. Folston suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter against Texas, and Bryant is long gone.
Naturally, Prosise is sixth in the country in rushing yards (922) and tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns (11), per CFBStats.com. Prosise is still growing in and out of the backfield, learning to run with a lower pad level and still developing in pass protection.
But could you really ask for much more?
Grade: A
Wide Receiver
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One of Notre Dame’s deepest positions on the roster, wide receiver has actually played out less democratically, especially early on, than expected.
Will Fuller, predictably, is building on his breakout sophomore season. The junior speedster has hauled in 32 grabs for 702 yards (21.9 yards per reception) and eight touchdowns.
Senior Chris Brown is on his way to his most productive season in South Bend, totaling 27 catches, 355 yards and two touchdowns through seven games.
Senior slot man Amir Carlisle (16 catches for 161 yards) has started to heat up in recent weeks, forming a nice tandem with the versatile and finally healthy Torii Hunter Jr. (11 catches, 146 yards, one touchdown).
But Corey Robinson (eight catches, 98 yards, one touchdown) struggled until his impressive scoring grab Saturday against the Trojans, and both Brown (Clemson) and Hunter (USC) have fumbled near the goal line in big moments. Drops from a variety of sources were problematic against Clemson.
This group has been productive, but it can tighten the screws down the stretch.
Grade: B
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Tight End
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A deep but inexperienced group of tight ends grew even greener following Week 2 when starter Durham Smythe was ruled out for the season with shoulder and knee injuries.
Smythe provided Notre Dame with a balanced option at tight end, factoring in as both a blocker and a pass catcher. His absence left the Irish with second-year tight ends Tyler Luatua and Nic Weishar, as well as freshman Alize Jones and fifth-year senior Chase Hounshell, a converted defensive lineman.
Tight ends have only accounted for 14 catches, 149 yards and one touchdown (on a fake field goal, of all ways) for the Irish. Even before Smythe’s injury and Luatua’s time away with a concussion, the tight ends weren’t featured prominently in the receiving game.
They have blocked well on the perimeter, with holding penalties only a minor issue against the Trojans.
Grade: B
Offensive Line
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Notre Dame’s veteran offensive line, anchored by fifth-year center Nick Martin and senior left tackle Ronnie Stanley, began the season expected to be one of, if not the, strength of the offense.
By and large, the unit has lived up to that billing.
Martin and Stanley, along with left guards Quenton Nelson and Alex Bars, right guard Steve Elmer and right tackle Mike McGlinchey, have paved the way for a first-year running back while also keeping an inexperienced quarterback upright.
Yes, the Irish did struggle to run the ball against Clemson, but head coach Brian Kelly attributed that more to circumstances beyond the offensive line, such as the Tigers defense loading the box.
Expectations were high, and the unit is not without blemishes, but the offensive line has been stout.
Grade: A-
Defensive Line
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Sheldon Day and Isaac Rochell have starred and logged high snap counts along the Irish defensive line. That tandem has combined for 13.5 tackles for loss.
Beyond them, senior defensive end Romeo Okwara (4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks) has been solid, and Daniel Cage and Jerry Tillery have shared the role vacated by the injured Jarron Jones.
The Irish are only tied for 80th in the country, per CFBStats.com, with 11 sacks as a defense. But Notre Dame’s defensive line has held up well against option offenses and kept talented opponents like Clemson (in the fourth quarter, in particular) and USC (in the second half) in check for long stretches.
Grade: B+
Linebacker
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Jaylon Smith is a star, plain and simple. That’s not breaking news.
Still, Smith’s production (56 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries) is remarkable and key for an Irish defense that has navigated some lulls.
Middle linebacker Joe Schmidt admitted he wasn’t pleased with his performance against Clemson, and Kelly said before the season that Schmidt probably was still a slight step behind where he was last year before his season-ending ankle injury. Schmidt has been stout against the option, however, and his 41 tackles rank third on the squad.
James Onwualu and Greer Martini have provided a nice mix at the third linebacker spot, with Martini particularly impressing against Georgia Tech and Navy.
Grade: B
Defensive Back
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Ask Kelly about room for growth in the second half of the season, and the head coach wastes no time pointing to Notre Dame’s secondary.
The Irish have allowed big plays through the air and on the ground, between failed eye discipline and shoddy tackling.
Heading into the Navy game, junior safety Max Redfield graded the Irish secondary’s performance to date as a C+ or B-. KeiVarae Russell admitted before the USC game that he could ramp up his practice intensity.
This group has been the biggest question mark for Notre Dame. It likely also has the most room for growth down the stretch.
Grade: C+
Specialists
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Justin Yoon has shaken off two missed field goals and two missed extra points to solidify himself in recent weeks, while punter Tyler Newsome has averaged 43.5 yards per punt, which slots him 34th in the country, per CFBStats.com.
As a team, Notre Dame ranks middle of the pack (58th, per CFBStats.com) in kick returns at 21.6 yards per return. The Irish are 39th in punt returns, and freshman C.J. Sanders took one back 50 yards for a touchdown against UMass.
Grade: B
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