Chase Claypool

Let’s Talk About Wimbush and Accuracy

October 4, 2017 by Ryan Ritter

We, as Notre Dame football fans, will always have an eagle eye out for anything that seems potentially broken. We can't help it. We've been hurt too much in the past. We constantly await for the other shoe to drop. So, as great as the win against Miami of Ohio was, we can't help but feel concerned about Brandon Wimbush's 7-18, 119 yard performance. Yes, three of those passes were for TD's, allowing for his QBR to not dovetail into horrendous territory, although a 61.5 will earn no more than a ...

Notre Dame's Nick Coleman (24) brings down Nevada's Hasaan Henderson (12) during the Notre Dame-Nevada NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. South Bend Tribune Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

Spring Ball Miracle – Tackling Becomes A Priority

March 30, 2017 by BJ Konkle

Spring football is often a time for acclimating young players to the intricacies of a division I playbook. It's also a good time to emphasize and tweak countless position-specific techniques. New defensive coordinator, Mike Elko, has chosen to allocate a chunk of spring ball to teaching some of the fundamentals. To be more specific - teaching proper tackling. Missed Tackles According to College Football Film Room, the Irish missed a total of 106 tackles in 2016 and 112 tackles in 2015. These ...

Credit: Detroit Free Press

In Kelly-Harbaugh Recruit Fight, It’s Tied

January 19, 2017 by andrewwinn

In the constant tug-of-war for the attention of high school student-athletes, Brian Kelly and Jim Harbaugh are currently deadlocked. Brian Kelly and his staff have convinced 21 student-athletes with Michigan offers to commit to Notre Dame, while Jim Harbaugh and his group have persuaded the same number to forgo Notre Dame offers and come to Ann Arbor, according to Her Loyal Sons research. Michigan and Notre Dame have historically battled for outstanding players in midwestern states, ...

Credit: Gameface Media

Four Irish Footballers Turning 21 During Fall Camp

July 20, 2016 by andrewwinn

Perhaps you've heard of the "beer mile," where participants drink a full-sized beer and then run a quarter mile four times over. It's a competitive event, sure, but not one I'd suggest doing during the hot August heat in South Bend, Ind. Fall camp under Brian Kelly usually opens in the first week of August, which is great if you're not happening to reach legal drinking age soon thereafter. So let's pour one out for senior TE Durham Smythe, junior RB Justin Brent, junior S Drue Tranquill and ...

Freshman Reveal Jersey Numbers

June 20, 2016 by andrewwinn

With Notre Dame's summer classes commencing last Monday, 18 freshman have now officially joined the Irish football team. All have already picked their numbers, with some announcing them through social media. Here's the rundown: #12 QB IAN BOOK: Book sported #11 in high school, which is currently sported by redshirt sophomore running back Justin Brent. Book said last Tuesday that he'll be wearing #12, which was most recently worn by fellow quarterback Brandon Wimbush. Wimbush, a sophomore, ...

(Photo: Eddie Burch, Greenville News)

Notre Dame Football’s Most Promising “Rookies”

June 6, 2016 by andrewwinn

The Irish Illustrated staff collectively ranked the top Irish "rookies" based on who they felt would have the best Notre Dame careers. My top 10 list differed from theirs, so let's take a closer look: 1. Brandon Wimbush (II Staff: #2) If you consider the question, you'll notice it's a little tricky. "Who among the three dozen will have the best careers at Notre Dame?" Brandon Wimbush is a quarterback with all the tools: strong arm, fleet of foot and accurate. I'm not certain that ...

Credit: Irish Illustrated

Will Another Star Receiver Emerge In ’16?

May 16, 2016 by BJ Konkle

Welcome to a series of posts we're calling "Five Question Marks." In this inaugural entry, BJ Konkle answers a question on the minds of many Notre Dame fans: Is there another star wide receiver waiting to emerge? Notre Dame football has recruited, developed and ultimately produced extraordinary college football wide receivers. Some of these athletes - Jeff Samardzija, Michael Floyd, Golden Tate, T.J. Jones, and most recently Will Fuller - have gone on to successful (and lucrative) ...

Superlatives for the Recruiting Class of ’16

May 6, 2016 by BJ Konkle

If you have ever watched Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, then you have likely seen his “Late Night Superlatives” bit. This sparked an interesting idea to present further insight into a few members of the #NDFB 2016 recruiting class. While I certainly don’t believe I have quite the comedic abilities that Jimmy does, but I do think I can provide more value when talking all things Notre Dame Football. Unlike your old, dusty senior yearbook where all of the “Most likely to…” were voted on by an entire ...

Don’t “Trade” Malik Zaire

March 4, 2016 by andrewwinn

If you were the general manager of Notre Dame, would you trade Malik Zaire for Florida Gators' linebacker Jarrad Davis and wide receivers Joshua Hammond and Dre Massey? David Kenyon, a Bleacher Report columnist, suggested this in "Ten College Football Trades We Wish Could Happen This Spring." Kenyon acknowledges there's no such thing as trading college football players (although Kyler Murray & Trevor Knight did a switcheroo that looked like one.) Kenyon's caveat was that his trades ...

Signature Moves: Chase Claypool

February 3, 2016 by Bayou Irish

Chase Claypool, a 6'5", 215 pound wide receiver from sunny Abbotsford, British Columbia, has sick moves that allow him to choose when he wants to get hit and, if he gets hit, whether or not he's going down. He can also deliver a punishing hit on defense. Claypool's size and speed sparked a flood of offers, with schools as diverse as Oregon, Michigan, and Rice salivating over his potential. At one school, he's a freakishly-large receiver. At another, he's a defensive end. At Notre Dame, he ...