Notre Dame Football Week 3 Spring Practice Report

The third week of Notre Dame's spring practice was reasonably uneventful, which is typically a good thing for fans to hear.

Although a potential starter underwent surgery, he should return well before a possible No. 1 role would be in jeopardy. Avoiding season-ending issues is always comforting, especially after the Irish battled through a year filled with them.

Notre Dame has holes to fill on offense and defensive questions to answer, but early returns suggest legitimate progress on both sides of the ball.

And right now, that's the most important development.

First-Team Offense Sighting

Only five months remain before the starting offense is finalized; surely, lineups in April mean absolutely everything and are unalterable, right?

Sarcasm aside, Evan Sharpley of 247Sports shared how the depth chart is currently organized. The headline, of course, is that Malik Zaire ran the first-team offense, while DeShone Kizer commanded the No. 2 group.

Tarean Folston and Josh Adams split time as the lead running back, flanked by Corey Holmes, Torii Hunter Jr. and Equanimeous St. Brown at receiver. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock reiterated that St. Brown will be a major contributor, according to CSN Chicago's JJ Stankevitz.

A portion of the offensive line is technically an exception to the opening statement, since Mike McGlinchey, Quenton Nelson and Sam Mustipher are locked in. However, Hunter Bivin and Alex Bars ran with the first-teamers last week.

Starting spots may change at some positions, but none of those moves are surprising now or would be shocking to see in September.

Defending the Defense, Continuing the Hype

Notre Dame boasted NFL-caliber talent and other solid college defenders last season, but the unit didn't match the expectations most expected from a group with that collective skill.

Category	SACKS	TURN	RUSH YDS	PASS YDS	TOTAL YDS	PPG
Average (Total)	(24)	(14)	175.9	196.8	372.7	24.1
National Rank	78	110	72	26	45	39

Consequently, Brian VanGorder has taken plenty of criticism. Mike Vorel of the South Bend Tribune noted the defensive coordinator's response to a question asking the origin of the idea that his scheme is too complicated.

"I don't know. I have no idea," VanGorder said. "It's because we have a large inventory, I guess. And we didn't play really good defense, right? So if you have a large inventory and you don't play really good defense, then that's the assumption."

Reactions to that statement will differ, but there's no denying that the hype surrounding Nyles Morgan makes him a key player for the 2016 defense.

"Nyles has done a really good job communicating and leading the defense," head coach Brian Kelly said, per Chris Goff of the Journal-Gazette.

Morgan's performance as the middle linebacker will provide useful insight into whether or not a first-year starter can handle VanGorder's potentially complicated scheme.

Injury Updates

Joe Raymond/Associated Press

The school announced that cornerback Nick Watkins underwent successful surgery on a fractured left humerus. He'll be sidelined for the remainder of spring practice but is expected to return for summer workouts.

Watkins still could earn a No. 1 role. According to Jordan Wells of Rivals, Watkins said he'd consider it a failure to not start the season opener against Texas.

Notre Dame must rebuild its defensive line, and early enrollee Daelin Hayes might be a notable piece. He's working back from a shoulder injury and participating, but contact is limited.

"We're going to pick our spots with him," Kelly said, per Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune. "We're going to put him in a position where we can see some things from him, but I don't think we're going to overdo anything."

Corey Robinson spent the week on a stationary bike, sitting out because of a concussion. Nick Ironside of 247Sports noted that Kelly said the Irish are being cautious since the receiver has a history of concussions.

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.