Position-by-Position Preview of Notre Dame's 2016 Roster
While the 2016 edition of Notre Dame football is built to compete for a national championship, the Fighting Irish will need to overcome a couple of weaknesses along the way.
The defense's performance will determine how long Brian Kelly's team will stay in contention, because scoring shouldn't be a problem for the offense.
Notre Dame needs to pick a quarterback, but it's hard to say there's a wrong choice. Granted, the receiving corps is almost entirely new compared to 2015, so the Irish must overcome a transition period.
However, the most important changes on the roster are in the front seven. Notre Dame needs an adequate defense to complement the scoring attack. If that happens, the program could challenge for its ultimate goal: a national title.
Quarterbacks
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In 2015, Malik Zaire opened the season as the starter. He was terrific in seven quarters of action, but a broken ankle ended his year.
Deshone Kizer took over and guided the Irish to the Fiesta Bowl, recording 2,880 yards and 21 touchdowns through the air while running for 525 and 10 scores.
The competition began in March, since Zaire is healthy. However, Kelly didn't name a winner following spring practice, as expected. The duo pulled away from third-stringer Brandon Wimbush, but that was the only separation.
Fall camp will decide which quarterback lines up under center on Sunday, Sept. 4, at Texas.
Running Backs
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Fortunately for Notre Dame, choosing between a couple of top running backs isn't as stressful.
Tarean Folston rushed for a team-best 889 yards in 2014, scoring six times. However, he managed just three carries last season because of a torn right ACL.
Josh Adams moved into the backup role behind C.J. Prosise, who battled injury issues of his own. Adams tallied 838 yards and seven touchdowns, reaching at least 130 yards four times.
The Irish can rely on both Folston and Adams, while former 4-star recruit Dexter Williams rounds out a talented backfield.
Wide Receivers
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Will Fuller, Chris Brown and Amir Carlisle were Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in receptions last season. The only returning wideouts with at least 15 catches are Torii Hunter Jr. (28) and Corey Robinson (16).
And Robinson might elect to retire from football instead of using his final year of eligibility because of recurring concussions.
Consequently, the depth chart is wide-open. The Irish need that to happen on the field this fall, too.
Equanimeous St. Brown has ascended to a projected starting role alongside Hunter. C.J. Sanders is a leading option, though he needs to recover from a hip injury. Otherwise, Corey Holmes and Miles Boykin are possible replacements.
True freshman Kevin Stepherson impressed in spring practice, and Chris Finke held a larger role following Sanders' injury.
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Tight Ends
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If the coaching staff wants to involve the tight ends more often, the right pieces are present.
Durham Smythe caught a touchdown before missing a majority of 2015 because of injury. Since he's the most complete tight end, Smythe won't be a liability as a blocker.
While the same cannot be said for Alize Jones, the 6'4", 240-pounder is a major pass-catching threat. He snagged 13 receptions for 190 yards last season. Jones can also be split wide, so he'll assist in lessening the possible concerns at wide receiver.
Nic Weishar should factor into the rotation in a smaller role.
Offensive Line
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Mike McGlinchey (moving from right tackle to LT) and Quenton Nelson (LG) are the only returning starters on the offensive line, but Kelly is already satisfied with Sam Mustipher.
"The left side's pretty much set over there as you can imagine with 'Q,' Quenton Nelson, and McGlinchey, and Sam's solid at center," the Irish coach said, per Scott DeCamp of MLive.
Hunter Bivin (RG) and Alex Bars (RT) are leading contenders to secure starting jobs, though Colin McGovern and Tristen Hoge are still in the picture. Tommy Kraemer, a 4-star signee, arrives this summer.
Notre Dame finished 2015 with the No. 27 offense, and a comparable ranking is a fair expectation behind this unit.
Defensive Line
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Notre Dame lost a couple of key pieces in Sheldon Day and Romeo Okwara, who combined for 13 of the team's 24 sacks. What's left on the roster is tons of potential with few game-day contributions.
Isaac Rochell is the exception, having notched 63 tackles last year. His backups at defensive end are Jonathan Bonner and Khalid Kareem.
On the other side, Jay Hayes holds a slight edge over Andrew Trumbetti. Five-star Daelin Hayes should play immediately, although he was injured during spring practice.
Defensive tackle Jarron Jones tallied 40 stops in 2014 but missed most of 2015. He and Daniel Cage will rotate next to Jerry Tillery, whose backup is Elijah Taylor. All four tackles were 4-star prospects.
Rapid development up front is paramount to the Irish reaching their collective ceiling next season.
Linebackers
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The defensive line's progression is also critical because the linebacker unit is relatively unproven.
Nyles Morgan logged significant action two years ago when Joe Schmidt was injured, but Morgan didn't play much last season. Josh Barajas is the primary backup in the middle.
James Onwualu—the lone returning starter—and Te'von Coney are penciled in as the starting outside linebackers, though the latter sat out spring practice because of shoulder surgery. Greer Martini also missed the sessions, but he'll likely be the top backup and first option in case of injury.
Should a second issue arise, Asmar Bilal was a first-stringer during spring practice while Coney and Martini were unavailable.
Secondary
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Injuries limited cornerback Shaun Crawford and strong safety Drue Tranquill in 2015, but they are undisputed starters for the upcoming season. Plus, Cole Luke is the No. 1 corner.
However, since Crawford will also play nickelback, the Irish need another starting-caliber corner. That competition is among Devin Butler, Nick Watkins and Nick Coleman.
The primary spot of intrigue is at free safety. While Max Redfield has avoided injuries (good), he's been perhaps the most inconsistent defender (bad). Devin Studstill, a 3-star early enrollee, served as the first-string safety for some of the spring.
Notre Dame can be confident the secondary will be the strength of its defense, but those two particular areas must be addressed.
Special Teams
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After starting 3-of-5 last year, Justin Yoon drilled 12 straight field goals with a long of 52 yards. The freshman also hit 50 of 52 extra points.
Tyler Newsome—who earned the game ball and MVP honors in the spring game—averaged 44.5 yards per punt in 2015.
Sanders was both the kick and punt returner last season, and he'll likely continue holding those roles after taking back one each for a touchdown. Finke, Adams and Williams lead the other options.
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.
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