Notre Dame Football: Spring Goals for Fighting Irish's WRs

The primary concern for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish offense during the spring isn't who will be throwing the football. Rather, it's the players on the receiving end.

Redshirt sophomore DeShone Kizer and junior Malik Zaire will continue battling for the starting quarterback job, but the Fighting Irish are likely comfortable with the prospect of either starring in the offense. The same cannot be said for the receiving corps, which lost its top three contributors.

Will Fuller and Chris Brown and Amir Carlisle reeled in a combined 141 passes for 2,206 yards and 19 scores last season. Throw in departed running back C.J. Prosise—a converted wideout—and Notre Dame lost nearly 70, 75 and 80 percent of its receptions, yards and touchdowns, respectively.

The daunting task to replace that production has started on the practice field, where the young talent must capitalize on chances to fill the void of veterans.

Building rapport with Kizer and Zaire is critical, but it's not easily accomplished. Wide receivers coach Mike Denbrock perfectly explained the situation, as noted by JJ Stankevitz of CSN Chicago. Denbrock said:

"

There's a lot of times where the ball will get thrown and the quarterbacks are kind of looking over at me and saying, Are you gonna yell at the receiver because he did the wrong thing, or are you gonna yell at me because I threw the ball where it wasn't supposed to be or whatever. ... As you could tell, there was a little bit of that going on today at practice.

"

And that's simply one of several important goals for Notre Dame's receivers this spring.

Veterans Lock Up Starting Jobs

Seniors Corey Robinson and Torii Hunter Jr. have a majority of the experience at the position, but neither has asserted himself as a dominant player. Robinson caught 40 passes in 2014 but tumbled to just 16 last year, while Hunter tallied 28 receptions.

Exiting the spring with two established receivers would be a luxury.

Robinson's main competition is freshman Miles Boykin, who redshirted last season, but head coach Brian Kelly said Boykin could be a "really, really prominent player in our offense," per Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune.

Sophomore C.J. Sanders would've been the beneficiary of additional reps in the slot because of Hunter's commitment to baseball. However, a hip flexor strain will sideline Sanders for four months, according to ESPN's Matt Fortuna. Hunter needs to secure the spot.

Notre Dame is certain to utilize more of a rotation this year, but knowing the veterans are unquestionably reliable options would be comforting for late-game situations. A wrong route could be the difference between a comeback win or a deflating and avoidable loss.

Progress Past the Hype

Credit: 247Sports

March is a time for players and coaches to rave about weight-room warriors, anyone who "really took it upon himself to improve" and young players "showing out this spring."

Let's see it translate.

Among the unproven wideouts, sophomore Equanimeous St. Brown is the leading candidate to occupy a significant role. Last season, Kelly said St. Brown was ready to play, per Stankevitz.

The receiver didn't, however, because he was Fuller's backup. That makes perfect sense, since no one would reasonably argue Fuller's snaps should've been limited to give St. Brown more chances.

Nevertheless, potential must start to become production. The 6'4", 205-pound target has a whole lot of the former but only a single catch for the latter.

St. Brown could become the next standout, but the Irish can't tout him on hype alone for much longer.

Establish the Big-Play Threat

Notre Dame will miss this.

Consequent to Fuller's departure, the Irish need a downfield weapon. He recorded 17 catches of 25-plus yards, which tied for the seventh-most nationally.

St. Brown is the logical candidate because he's set to replace Fuller as the "X" receiver, where early enrollee freshman Kevin Stepherson is also working. Again, remember to be careful when hearing a new young player—Stepherson—is impressing this spring.

Otherwise, junior Corey Holmes and Hunter timed at 4.39 and 4.42 seconds, respectively, in the 40-yard dash, according to Hansen. Sanders is also known for his speed.

This isn't a plug-and-play void to fill, however, and there's a chance Notre Dame doesn't find someone. But a vertical threat is an important asset to every championship team.

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All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.