Notre Dame Football: Power Ranking the 20 Best Players on the 2011 Irish Roster
Expectations for Notre Dame football haven't been this high since 2005 and 2006, otherwise known as the first two seasons of the Charlie Weis era. Led by their record-breaking quarterback Brady Quinn, the Irish combined to go 19-6 over the two-year period while appearing in back-to-back BCS games. Unfortunately, they lost both games to Ohio State and LSU by a combined score of 75-34.
Fast forward five years and the buzz around Notre Dame football is officially back. Second-year head coach Brian Kelly has helped orchestrate an influx of top-tier talent on the defensive side of the ball that we haven't seen since Lou Holtz was roaming the sidelines in South Bend 15 years ago.
So what exactly are the expectations for the 2011 season? Allow me to enlighten you...
- Vegas has the Irish listed as the 12 highest favorite to win the national championship.
- Both Athlon Sports and Phil Steele have preseason ranked the Irish at No. 6.
- As of today, the Irish will be favored to win 11 of the 12 games on their schedule.
- Manti Te'o is considered by many to be the best linebacker in the nation
- Michael Floyd (assuming he is eligible) is considered by many to be the best wide receiver in the nation.
This is arguably the most talented Notre Dame roster since 1993, the last year of a six-year era of dominance in which the Irish won 64 out of 70 games.
With their talent level finally back to where it belongs, let's take a look at the 20 best players on this year's roster.
20. Ishaq Williams
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We're going to start this list off with three true freshman because quite frankly, the Irish haven't seen a defensive trio like this come through South Bend in a long time.
Ishaq Williams comes to Notre Dame as the No. 2 ranked weakside defensive end in the nation and the 16th best player overall.
At 6'5", 242 lbs, Williams is a straight up freak of nature athlete. He's listed as a linebacker now, but who knows what position he will end up playing at Notre Dame when it's all said and done.
What we do know, is that whatever position Williams ends up playing, he is going to be a dominant force and should contribute immediately.
Williams is certainly helping his case for playing time by enrolling early at Notre Dame, giving him a leg up on some of his competition.
19. Stephon Tuitt
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Stephon Tuitt (6'5", 270 lbs) was ranked the No. 2 strongside defensive end in the nation and the 22nd best player overall. Tuitt is an absolute beast, who is the definition of a "power DL."
Tuitt did not enroll early at Notre Dame and is considered by some to be raw but don't be surprised if he sees the playing field early and often.
Tuitt is an incredible athlete for his size and will spend a lot of time in opposing backfields...
18. Aaron Lynch
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At 6'6", 240 lbs, Aaron Lynch is another "power DL," that enrolled early at Notre Dame, and the media is already beginning to take notice.
Bill Carey of SI.Com had this to say about Lynch following the spring:
"Headlining Notre Dame's recruiting class was Lynch, who this spring showed he has the potential to be the type of playmaker who takes the program to the next level.
Lynch was unblockable at times during the Blue-Gold spring game, recording seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and repeatedly hurrying the quarterback. The 6'6", 260-pound defensive end from Cape Coral, Fla., appears to be the most ready of Notre Dame's three 5-star defensive line recruits. Look for him to be most effective in passing situations."
Lynch was ranked as the No. 3 strongside defensive end and the No. 28 overall player in the nation.
When was the last time, Notre Dame brought in three of the top 30 overall players in the country on DEFENSE? Look for these three freshman all to make an immediately impact in South Bend this fall.
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17. Louis Nix
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At 6'3" and THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY pounds, Louis Nix is a redshirt freshman that the Irish will be counting on this season to help stuff the run. Nix was ranked as the seventh-best defensive tackle in the nation two years ago and the 85th-best player overall.
He's currently listed as a backup on the depth chart behind junior Hafis Williams, but Nix will see plenty of time on the field next year for the Irish as they will be counting on him to make an early impact.
16. the Entire Offensive Line
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I couldn't pick just one player on the offensive line, so I went with the entire unit. Phil Steele ranks the Notre Dame offensive line as the 11th-best offensive line in the country, which is better than all 12 Irish opponents next season.
The average height and weight of the starting five measures out to 6'4", 302 lbs, which sounds more like an NFL offensive line to me.
The veteran unit consists of Zack Martin (junior) and Taylor Dever (senior) at the tackle positions, Chris Watt (junior) and Trevor Robinson (senior) at guard and Braxston Cave (senior) at center. It should be noted that Watt is in a battle with fifth-year senior Andrew Nuss for the starting left guard spot.
15. Robert Blanton
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Robert Blanton (6'1", 196 lbs) was Notre Dame's third cornerback last season behind Gary Gray and Darrin Walls. This year, Blanton starts opposite Gray as a result of Walls graduating.
Blanton had 54 tackles and two interceptions last season but saved his best for last. Against Miami in the Sun Bowl, Blanton had a career high nine tackles and an interception.
The Irish are extremely thin at cornerback this year and will be relying heavily on Blanton to not only stay healthy, but to play nearly every snap.
14. Kapron Lewis-Moore
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Kapron Lewis-Moore (6'4", 295 lbs) is a returning starter at defensive end and is ranked as the No. 36 defensive end in the country by Phil Steele.
Moore had 62 tackles and two sacks last year for the Irish and is a name you will hear called out a lot next season.
13. Prince Shembo
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Prince Shembo (6'2", 250 lbs) is an incredibly "freakish" talent who played immediately as a freshman last season for the Irish. This year, he will start on a linebacking unit that many feel could be the best in the country.
Shembo had 15 tackles and a ridiculous 4.5 sacks last year in just seven games. My No.1 defensive candidate for breakout player of the year is this man.
I'm predicting 12 sacks for the Prince in 2011.
12. Carlo Calabrese
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Another member of the linebacking corp, Carlo Calabrese (6'1", 245 lbs) had a breakout sophomore year last season for the Irish. Phil Steele ranks Calabrese as the 34th-best inside linebacker in the country.
Calabrese had 61 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season, but those numbers are deceiving because of an injury that derailed an extremely productive first half of the season.
In the seven games prior to being injured in the second half against Navy, Calabrese racked up 53 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Look for him to keep up this average of nearly eight tackles per game and eclipse 100 total tackles in 2011.
11. Ethan Johnson
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Another returning starter at defensive end opposite Kapron Lewis-Moore is Ethan Johnson (6'4", 300 lbs). Phil Steel ranks Johnson as the No. 31 defensive end in the country and the Irish will be counting on his senior leadership to help mentor the "Big Three" freshmen.
Johnson recorded 34 tackles and five sacks while appearing in 12-of-13 games for the Irish.
10. Gary Gray
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Fifth-year Senior Gary Gray (5'11", 195 lbs) returns to start at cornerback after a strong 2010 campaign for the Irish. Phil Steele ranks Gray as the 30th-best cornerback in the country.
Gray recorded 66 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble last season, and much like Blanton, will be counted on to play nearly every down for an extremely thin Irish secondary.
9. T.J. Jones
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T.J. Jones (5'11", 187 lbs) started as a true freshman last year for the Irish and will be faced with raised expectations from head coach Brian Kelly as a sophomore.
Jones had 23 catches for 306 yards and three TD's last season in 10 games for the Irish.
In just the second game of his career against Michigan, Jones had three catches for 73 yards and a touchdown.
I anticipate a pretty big up-tick in production this season as he helps relieve some of the pressure off Michael Floyd and Theo Riddick.
8. Tyler Eifert
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Tyler Eifert (6'6", 242 lbs) is yet another heralded tight end in the long list of All-American tight ends to play for Notre Dame.
Had Eifert played anywhere else in the country last year, you likely would have heard a lot more about him. Unfortunately, he was stuck behind the best tight end in the country in Kyle Rudolph.
Eifert was given the opportunity to play after Rudolph went down with a season-ending injury and responded with 26 catches for 335 yards and two touchdowns in his last seven games.
Phil Steele ranks Eifert as the No. 10 tight end in the country but don't be surprised if he finishes the season close to No. 1.
7. Darius Fleming
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Senior Darius Fleming (6'2", 250 lbs) returns as the starter at outside linebacker and is ranked by Phil Steele as the #10 linebacker in the nation.
Fleming had 48 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and an interception last season and is a big reason why Steele ranks the Irish linebacking unit as the 7th best in the nation.
As good as Fleming was last year, he tends to disappear from time to time and I'm predicting this year he shows up for all 12 games as the NFL scouts will be watching closely.
6. Theo Riddick
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Theo Riddick (5'11", 198 lbs) was well on his way to a breakout sophomore campaign (after making the transition from running back to wide receiver) before a severe ankle injury cost him the second half of his season.
Riddick had 10 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown in an overtime loss to Michigan State and looked well on his way to being the dynamic playmaker opposite Michael Floyd that many of us had predicted he would be in the preseason.
In a four-game stretch starting with the MSU game, Riddick hauled in 33 passes for 343 yards and three touchdowns.
If Riddick plays all 12 games next season, look for double-digit touchdowns and 1,000 yards receiving opposite Floyd, who will be commanding a double team on almost every snap.
5. Harrison Smith
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Fifth-year senior Harrison Smith (6'2", 214) returns to his free safety position and is ranked as the No. 5 free safety in the nation by Phil Steele.
Smith had 91 tackles and seven interceptions last year, including three picks in the second quarter against Miami in the Sun Bowl.
Don't be surprised to see Smith on some All-American teams by the end of this season.
4. Dayne Crist
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Dayne Crist (6'4", 235 lbs) is yet another Irish player who was well on his way to a breakout year before a knee injury cut his season short.
In just seven-and-a-half games, Crist threw for 2,033 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions, resulting in a 129.3 QB Rating.
Assuming Crist is the named the starter next season and assuming he can stay healthy for all 12 games (two pretty big assumptions on my part), I think he will end up with 3,300 yards passing and 25 touchdowns.
A healthy Dayne Crist will go a long way towards determining the fate of the 2011 Notre Dame football team.
3. Cierre Wood
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Ladies and Gentlemen, my pick for the 2011 Irish breakout player of the year, No. 20, Cierre Wood. Despite splitting time with Armando Allen and Robert Hughes in the backfield last season, Wood still managed to rush for 603 yards and an impressive 5.1 yards per carry.
The 6'0'', 210 lb Wood is an explosive home run hitting type of running back who will be counted on heavily by head coach Brian Kelly this season. The Irish are extremely thin at the running back position, and it will be imperative that Wood stay healthy for all 12 games.
In the final three games of the 2010 season, Wood rushed for 82.7 yards per game while averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
IF (yes, a very big if) Wood does manage to play all 12 games this season, I anticipate five yards per carry, 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns for the rising junior.
2. Manti Te'o
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Manti Te'o (6'2", 255 lbs) was named first team All-American by Athlon's and second team All-American by Phil Steele.
Te'o had 129 tackles last season as a sophomore, which included a career high 21 tackles against Stanford.
Here's to hoping Te'o has a great junior year, but not too great, as I'd like to see him stick around for his senior year too.
1. Michael Floyd
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Assuming he is eligible to play next season (and he will be), Michael Floyd will return to Notre Dame for a senior season that will see him break every receiving record in school history.
As a junior, Floyd racked up 79 receptions for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns, despite sitting out one game with an injury.
And here's a stat you can tell your friends, Floyd has 28 touchdowns in 29 career games for the Irish. Measuring out at 6'3", 227 lbs, he is quite simply, "un-guardable."
Floyd will likely be a first team All-American and a first-round NFL draft pick in 2012 as he helps lead the Irish back to the BCS in year two of the Brian Kelly era.
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