The two teams have met once previously. In 2009, Michael Floyd and the Irish smacked Colin Kaepernick and the Wolf Pack 35-0! This year, the Wolf Pack will show up looking to score.

STARTERS RETURN ON OFFENSE 

The scariest part of the Wolf Pack is their plethora of returning starters on offense. The returners include a 1,000 yard rusher in James Butler as well as all their wide-receivers. Three tight ends who made starts will return and the offensive line welcomes back all primary starters. 

James Butler (Credit: Yahoo)

The most valuable of the returners will be Butler. After averaging 6.47 yards per carry as a sophomore, many conference experts say he has the potential to be named the best tailback in the Mountain West.

QUARTERBACK QUESTIONS 

DEFENSE BY THE EXPERTS

• Michigan State
• Duke
• Syracuse
• NC State
• Stanford
• Miami
• Navy
• Army
• Virginia Tech
• USC

The post Scouting Report: Nevada appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver William Fuller (7) catches a pass for a touchdown in front of Stanford Cardinal cornerback Terrence Alexander (11) in the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Matt Cashore/USA TODAY Sports

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) professional careers.

While Irish fans are proud to celebrate these “Domers,” it’s human nature to wonder: “Who’s next?”

Thankfully for the Irish fandom – and for quarterbacks Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer – Notre Dame currently has an embarrassment of riches in regards to talented wide receivers. The position is probably the most well recruited of any in the recent past (with offensive line nipping at its heels.)

Here’s the talent currently on the roster, with their 247sports.com composite rankings:

• Recruiting class of 2013: Torii Hunter Jr., 4 stars; Corey Robinson, 3 stars
• Class of 2014: Justin Brent and Corey Holmes, both 4 stars.
• Class of 2015: Equanimeous St. Brown, Miles Boykin and C.J. Sanders, all 4 stars
• Class of 2016: Javon McKinley and Chase Claypool, both 4 stars; Kevin “K.J.” Stepherson, 3 stars

This provides 9 scholarship wide receivers to potentially pick from – 10 if you throw in talented walk-on Chris Finke, who I believe is likely to earn a scholarship.

K.J. Stepherson

As talented as this group is, they lack experience as Fuller, Chris Brown and Amir Carlisle took the lion’s share of snaps in 2015. Among those remaining, three are realistically poised and positioned to be the next potential standout wide receiver (and I’m going to throw in a dark horse candidate). It will be difficult for the incoming freshman – even one as impressive early as Stepherson – to be physically and mentally able to crack the depth chart and contribute meaningful snaps. With that being said: Purchase a nice pair of shades, because the future is bright.

Robinson’s current health concern – multiple concussions within a year – likely removes him from this conversation. Sanders introduced his slippery elusiveness in the return game last year with a punt return against UMass and a huge kickoff return against Stanford. The possibility of Sanders’ distinct threat in special teams being converted to an offensive threat makes any Irish fan grin, but he will likely remain a return specialist with the current talent that is in front of him. Brent is now fighting for carries at running back. This leaves us with a diversely talented foursome.

Torii Hunter Jr.

Here’s the case for senior Torii Hunter Jr.: He has the most game time experience and possesses the unique mental and physical ability to play all three wide receiver positions. Playing all three wide receiver positions is nothing when you consider Hunter also found himself on defense last year, contributing as a situational defensive back. He also makes time to run down fly balls in the outfield for the Notre Dame Baseball program (#NDBB). Torii’s versatility oozes out of him and is unmistakably his most attractive attribute. After graduating three seniors, Hunter finds himself in a leadership role among the wide receivers. In a candid interview on WatchND, he elaborates on this role, his ability to play multiple sports, his versatility, and his expectations entering 2016. For these many reasons, he may be the next great wide receiver to emerge from Notre Dame.

Credit: Matt Cashore

The praise that Corey Holmes has received from coaches this spring has been a pleasant surprise to many Irish faithful. The decision to redshirt Holmes last year (his sophomore season) raised questions about his ability to contribute in the future. Holmes credits his father for helping him work through the frustrations of redshirting as a sophomore. “It wasn’t until halfway during the season when I finally stopped worrying about other people and worried about my own game,” Holmes explained. This mindset paid off and the questions were answered when Holmes posted a spring 40 yard dash time of 4.39 – officially making him the fastest player on the roster. Confidence will be key for the Florida wide out as he continues to progress into fall camp. If he can translate his raw speed into football speed – similar to Will Fuller’s path to success – he may become a go-to threat and poised for a breakout junior season.

Notre Dame’s Josh Equanimeous St. Brown celebrates a touchdown during the Fighting Irish’s game against the University of Massachusetts. (SBT Photo/ Becky Malewitz)

Holmes may be the fastest player for the Irish, but Equanimeous St. Brown may be the most polished receiver on the team. “EQ” played sparingly as a freshman as a back-up to Fuller, a future first round NFL Draft pick. The sophomore is listed at 6’4 and weighs 205 lbs. Brian Kelly alluded to the California blue chip’s athleticism stating, “(He) runs like a deer!” Kelly continued his praise during the 2015 season, “I think (St. Brown) would start for a number of power five teams. He’s ready to play right now. I’m just not taking Will (Fuller) off the field unless I have to.” “EQ” has the size and athletic abilities to become a transcendent wide receiver and 2016 may be the year the country learns how to correctly pronounce “Eq-uan-i-me-ous.”

Consider Miles Boykin the dark horse candidate to break out in 2016. Boykin is listed at 6’3 and an overpowering 225 lbs. He has been linked to lapses of inconsistency, whether that is drops or mistaken routes. But the sheer girth Boykin adds to the receiving corps is apparent in his frame. Boykin referred to his size in a recent interview, saying, “Knowing how to use (size) is the difference between knowing how to use it in the high school level, and knowing how to use it in college. People are stronger and you just have to fight through that, like running through friction and going up and getting balls and being physical with them.” Stepping up to the learning curve has been a process. If the consistency can begin to shine through, Boykin could immediately become a red zone threat, utilizing his size to essentially box out defenders in the end zone. Boykin has the summer and fall camp to convince position coach Mike Denbrock and ultimately Coach Kelly that he belongs on the field come game time.

The talent, especially young talent that #NDFB has at its disposal entering the 2016 season is second to none. The question still remains: Who will Zaire or Kizer turn to when the game is on the line…?

The post Will Another Star Receiver Emerge In ’16? appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

JAYLON SMITH’S INJURY EXAMINED

Courtesy of NY Jets / Twitter

Linebacker Jaylon Smith gave contradictory – or confusing – answers to reporters’ questions about possible nerve damage in his left knee. Smith tore his ACL and LCL during the Irish’s Jan. 1 loss to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

NFL team physicians were allowed to examine Smith today to evaluate the extent of his injury. Doctors will need to determine what nerve damage, if any, has been suffered – and if Smith will be able to recover from it.

In the media scrum, Smith initially said there was no nerve damage. In later questioning about an Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) brace he’s wearing, the junior linebacker said: “It’s helping the nerve heal.” He maintained throughout that the nerve was not “stretched” during the accident.

A FoxSports.com source – who was not named – told the publication that two doctors who evaluated Smith today had diverging opinions. The second doctor, the report said, pegged Smith’s chance at a full recovery at only 10 percent.

Smith was unsure of his own recovery timeline. Ian Rapoport, a NFL Network reporter, said teams – which he did not name – believe the linebacker will miss the entirety of the 2016 season.

Before today, the Fort Wayne, Ind. native was considered a certain Top 15 pick – with at least one mock draft having him as high as #7. If these evaluations cause Smith to tumble out of the first round, he will likely be able to collect on a $5 million loss of value insurance policy he purchased last year.

You can watch Smith walk, seven weeks removed from surgery, in this video shot today.

C.J. PROSISE BLAZES

Running back C.J. Prosise ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds today, which made him the eighth-fastest back at the Combine among 22 participants. The 4.48 second mark tied Prosise with former Irish running back George Atkinson III, who participated in the 2014 Combine.

C.J. Prosise runs an unofficial 4.46 in his first 40-yard run at the NFL Combine. pic.twitter.com/3FHHYrrxLz

— BlueandGold.com (@BGInews) February 26, 2016

Prosise’s overall performance was quite similar to Michael Floyd’s output in 2012.

• Prosise: 6 foot tall, 220 pounds, 4.48 40-yard dash, 35.5 inch vertical leap, 121 inch broad jump
• Floyd: 6 foot 3 inches, 220 pounds, 4.47 40-yard dash, 36.5 inch vertical leap, 122 inch broad jump.

Having seen this comparison, Floyd tweeted:

He making $$$$$$ https://t.co/h5v1gsM7eX

— MichaelFloyd (@MichaelMFloyd) February 26, 2016

Not really the natural hands you want to see from a converted WR. C.J. Prosise was hit and miss in drill work today. pic.twitter.com/XvzdGlXAqb

— Ethan Young (@EthanYoungFB) February 26, 2016

Prosise is projected to be a second, third or fourth round selection during the NFL Draft, which will be held April 28-30 in Chicago.

RONNIE STANLEY BATTLING TO BE FIRST TACKLE PICKED

Ronnie Stanley and Ole Miss’ Laremy Tunsil are widely considered to be the best tackles in the upcoming draft. Many weak teams are looking for a left tackle to protect their quarterback’s blind side and today was an opportunity for teams to evaluate Stanley and Tunsil side-by-side.

While Tunsil opted to skip most timed events, Stanley ran a respectable 5.20 second 40-yard dash (16th out of 47 offensive linemen), took 4.90 seconds to complete the 20-yard shuttle and 8.03 seconds to finish the three-cone drill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tSe2XGaR7E&feature=youtu.be

Tunsil did his best to impress as well, demonstrating absurd athleticism and causing scouts to gush about him more than any other player who participated in drills Friday.

The Rebels top lineman only had one hiccup today. His former teammate, Robert Nkemdiche, said Tunsil was in his hotel room when a drunken Nkemdiche fell 15 feet out a window before the Sugar Bowl. Nkemdiche was cited for marijuana possession, but did not connect Tunsil to the drugs.

Here’s a fun drill that allowed Stanley to play “mad dog” to Tunsil’s mirror:

Tunsil vs Stanley (as the mad dog) pic.twitter.com/BWz8d9Fj2B

— Rolo (@RoloEdits) February 26, 2016

ALSO APPEARING TODAY

• Center Nick Martin ran a 5.22 second 40-yard dash, did 28 reps on the bench press, jumped 97 inches in the broad jump, took 4.72 seconds to complete the 20-yard shuttle and 7.57 seconds to finish the 3-cone drill. His performance is similar to that of former Irish offensive lineman Eric Olsen, who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 draft.
• Defensive end Romeo Okwara was measured today – and his results are remarkably similar to former Irish tight end Troy Niklas’ measurables during the 2013 NFL Combine.
  • Romeo Okwara: Height: 6-5; Weight: 265 lbs.; Arm length: 34 1/8″; Hands: 10 1/8
  • Troy Niklas: Height: 6-6; Weight: 270 lbs.; Arm length: 34 1/8″; Hands: 10″
• Will Fuller logged 10 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press. Chris Brown skipped the event.
• Sheldon Day’s measurables: 6 feet tall, 286 pounds, Arm length: 32 7/8″; Hands: 9 3/8″

THIS WEEKEND

The NFL Network will air the Combine from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

SATURDAY

• On-field: Chris Brown, Will Fuller
• Bench press: Sheldon Day, Romeo Okwara & Jaylon Smith
• Measurements, interviews and medical exams: KeiVarae Russell, Elijah Shumate

SUNDAY

• On-field: Sheldon Day, Romeo Okwara
• Bench press: KeiVarae Russell, Elijah Shumate

MONDAY

• On-field: Elijah Shumate

The post Notre Dame At NFL Combine: Early Results appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

FROM OUR SITE

• Friday roundup: The “safety transfer” edition

PODCAST

• TNNDN: ND Fan Radio: Vol. 36 – Notre Dame coaching carousel – Part 1 (2:02:38)

COACHING

• 247 Sports: Hawkins: Sanford would be ‘lights-out’ hire at Notre Dame
• Rant Sports: Mike Sanford makes Notre Dame a New Year’s Six bowl contender
• 7KTVB (Idaho): Already time for the next big Harsin hire (Mike Sanford)
• Anchor of Gold: Report: Stanford assistant Marc Mattioli to replace Todd Lyght as Vanderbilt safeties coach (Mike Sanford)
• ND Insider: Former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis diving into next stage of life

RECRUITING

• SB Nation: Only interested in the best college football recruits? The 10 to know for 2016 (Gregory Little, Rashan Gary, Jacob Eason, Kareem Walker and Malik Henry)
• NJ.com: St. Joseph (Met.) offensive tackle Nick Krimin commits to Rutgers during visit
• One Foot Down: 2015 football recruiting: LB review
• TigerNet: Clemson offers 6-8 DE named Prince (Prince Sammons)
• Bleacher Report: 10 most important college football recruiting camps to keep your eye on in 2015 (Adidas Chicago Showcase/Kerry Neal)
• Scout: Campbell closing in on 30 offers (Kyree Campbell)
• Scout: Bredeson picks up Bama offer (Ben Bredeson)
• Irish Sports Daily: Recruiting week in review (Ben Bredeson, Julian Love)
• Scout: New Jersey: Top 15 2016 prospects (Ahmir Mitchell, Jordan Fuller, Brad Hawkins and Ron Johnson Jr.)
• Irish Sports Daily: Big-time Cali LB ready for ND contact (Krys Barnes)
• Scout: First offer for Anderson (Lamar Anderson, ND has not yet offered)
• Chicago Tribune: Wrestling: Hinsdale South senior Nick Carlson gets another shot at state berth (Robby Regan)
• The Detroit News: Trieu: Top targets give MSU thumbs up on visits (Corey Malone-Hatcher)
• ND Insider: Former Cal safety Avery Sebastian announces commitment to Notre Dame
• Irish Illustrated: Cal transfer: ND ‘amazing’ option
• College Football Talk: Former Cal safety finds new home at Notre Dame
• UHND: Notre Dame adds S transfer Avery Sebastian
• NBC Sports: Notre Dame lands Cal graduate transfer Avery Sebastian
• Irish Illustrated: Sebastian goes Irish
• Irish Sports Daily: ND lands fifth-year safety
• One Foot Down: California Bears safety Avery Sebastian transferring to Notre Dame for graduate season
• Slap the Sign: Former Cal safety Avery Sebastian commits to Notre Dame
• CSN Chicago: Notre Dame adds key depth with Cal transfer Avery Sebastian

CURRENT TEAM

• Knoxville News Sentinel: John Adams: Graduate transfers have increasing effect on college football (Everett Golson)
• One Foot Down: May the road rise up to meet you: Sheldon Day
• One Foot Down: Reviewing the redshirts: DT Jonathan Bonner
• Subway Domer: Avery Sebastian transfers to Notre Dame; Irish are heavily oversigned

IRISH IN THE NFL

• CBS Sports: Offseason extra: Players entering a contract year (Michael Floyd)
• CBS Sports: 2015 NFL combine: Prospects with the most to gain or lose (DaVaris Daniels)
• SB Nation: Jameis Winston, Melvin Gordon top Mike Mayock’s 2015 NFL Draft position rankings (Ben Koyack)
• Blue & Gold Illustrated: Combine will be crucial for Irish trio
• City of Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings in 2015 HOF game (Jerome Bettis)

MISC.

• Nashville Post: Vanderbilt completes football coaching staff – again (Todd Lyght)
• Scarlet & Game: What can Tony Alford bring?
• SB Nation: Is Oklahoma’s air raid renaissance enough of an overhaul? (Kerry Cooks)
• Green Bay Packers: Packers finalize coaching staff (Tom Clements)
• Orlando Sentinel: Ohio State, Alabama are double-digit favorite in Week 1 early odds (ND 10.5 pt favorite over Texas)

The post Morning Roundup: Feb. 13, 2015 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

COACHING

• 247 Sports: Notre Dame to land top coaching target Mike Sanford
• Fox Sports: Irish expected to hire Boise State’s Sanford as new OC
• Irish Sports Daily: Report: Notre Dame set to hire Sanford
• CSN Chicago: Reports: Notre Dame to hire Mike Sanford as OC/QB coach
• Irish Illustrated: Irish getting ‘bulldog’ in Sanford
• NBC Sports: Boise State’s Mike Sanford reportedly joining Notre Dame’s staff
• One Foot Down: Boise State’s Mike Sanford hired by Notre Dame as offensive coordinator
• Slap the Sign: Reports: Notre Dame to hire Boise State OC Mike Sanford
• UHND: Notre Dame coaching rumors: Mike Sanford as OC?
• CBS Sports: Reports: Notre Dame to hire Boise’s Mike Sanford Jr. to offensive staff
• Idaho Statesman: Source: Boise State OC Mike Sanford leaving for Notre Dame
• The Morning Call: Reports say Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish expected to hire Mike Sanford as new offensive coordinator
• ND Insider: Notre Dame reportedly adding Boise State’s Mike Sanford as coordinator
• Sporting News: Report: Notre Dame set to hire offensive coordinator from Boise State
• Elkhart Truth: Boise State’s Mike Sanford expected to join Notre Dame staff, sources say
• Lindy’s Sports: Report: Notre Dame hires Boise State OC
• ABC 6/Fox 9 (Idaho): An “Irish goodbye” for Mike Sanford?
• Twin Falls Times News: Reports: Boise State O.C. Sanford Jr. to Notre Dame
• Idaho Press-Tribune: Sanford likely headed for Notre Dame
• Seattle Times: Huskies morning links: Shaq Thompson would like to make one thing clear – he’s a linebacker (Mike Sanford)
• One Bronco Nation Under God: Inevitable comes early this year (Mike Sanford)
• Times-News: McCombs: Sanford’s exit to Notre Dame may be first step back to Boise
• Bleacher Report (Keith Arnold): New additions to offensive staff mean big changes
• 247 Sports: Mike Sanford’s offense: By the numbers
• Blue & Gold Illustrated: A glance at Sanford’s quarterback recruits
• SB Nation: 8 of 9 Oklahoma assistant coaching sports changed, then the co-DC left for the NFL
• ESPN: Coaching changes after National Signing Day unfair in football recruiting (Matt LaFleur)
• Cleveland Browns: How John DeFlillippo rose through the ranks to become Browns offensive coordinator

RECRUITING

• One Foot Down: 2015 football recruiting: DL review
• Scout: Spotlight: Jerry Tillery
• One Foot Down: Equanimeous St. Brown is more than a name
• Irish Sports Daily: In the film room: Austin Mack
• Scout: New York: Top 10 2016 prospects (Jamir Jones, Noah Dehond)
• Scout: Vols next for Jones (Tony Jones)
• Scout: East notes: Commitments, offers, etc. (Kyree Campbell)
• Fox Sports: East recruiting notes (Kyree Campbell)
• Irish Sports Daily: Top 2016 CA ATH nearing ND offer (Damian Alloway)
• Irish Sports Daily: Cupp earning offers this offseason (Notre Dame hasn’t offered yet)
• Bleacher Report: Ohio State football recruiting: Blue-chip Ohio prospects will fuel 2016 class (Tommy Kraemer)
• Bleacher Report: Who has the best 2015 college football roster based on past recruiting cycles? (Notre Dame is #10)
• BC Interruption: Boston College football recruiting: 2015 class offer breakdown (“Another 0-for year vs. Notre Dame.”)
• Sports NOLA: Scouting notes on Top 30 in New Orleans area for Class of 2016 (Kristian Fulton & Willie Allen)
• Testudo Times: 4-star RB Robert Washington: “I love the University of Maryland”
• The Football Brainiacs – University of Oklahoma Edition: Open post (Kerry Cooks, Jared Mayden)
• Cardinal Authority: U of L football: Junior Day notebook (Connor Foos & Quinton Baker)

CURRENT TEAM

• UHND: Notre Dame 2015 offense: An early glimpse
• Bleacher Report (Mike Monaco): Biggest question marks before spring practice
• Bleacher Report (Adam Kramer): Welcome to the unprecedented new era of college football free agency (Everett Golson)
• Bleacher Report: Who will be No. 1 weapon of each Top 25 college football team in 2015? (Malik Zaire)
• Bleacher Report: 2015 college football season will be the year of the running back (Greg Bryant)

IRISH IN THE NFL

• Colts Blitz: Safety LaRon Landry released (Sergio Brown)
• Fox Sports: Fifth-year option decisions looming for Minnesota Vikings on Matt Kalil, Harrison Smith
• NFL: 2015 NFL scouting combine: Wide receivers, tight ends to watch (Ben Koyack, Michael Floyd, Golden Tate, Tyler Eifert)
• Pro Football Talk: Twenty-three years ago Wednesday, the Packers traded for Brett Favre (Rick Mirer)
• The Morning Sun: Detroit Lions – Depth at wide receiver an issue (T.J. Jones)
• SportDFW: Dallas Cowboys – Regrading the 2014 first-round pick (Zack Martin)

MISC.

• Inside the Irish: Mailbag: Now open
• NBC News: Is football nearing a cultural crossroads as concussions grow? (Michael Oriard)
• Atlanta Journal Constitution: ESPN’s Brad Edwards: Georgia Tech will return to the New Year’s Six (Alabama vs. ND in Fiesta Bowl)
• Subway Domer: Poll perception deception
• Bleacher Report: Top 25 non-conference showdowns we wish we could schedule for 2015 (#3: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame)

The post Morning Roundup: Feb. 12, 2015 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

You can talk all you want about who the quarterback is going to be, or who’s gonna carry the ball or who’s gonna replace Michael Floyd. When you want to get serious, I’ll be here. Go on. What? You’re back? Couldn’t stay away from the Bayou, could you? You’re not the first, baby. And you won’t be the last. But before we get into all that, let’s talk about the offensive line.

To be honest, if the O-line doesn’t dominate the line of scrimmage, you could have Matt Barkley or Andrew Luck behind center, and it wouldn’t matter. As Coach Kelly said in the video above, a strong offensive line “has always been a staple in any good football program.”  The corollary to that, of course, is that a weak offensive line is a staple in any crappy football program. Believe me when I say this: the 2012 Fighting Irish have a very strong offensive line.

And it’s not just me saying that. The internets are saying that. Athlon ranks our O-Line in the Top Ten, right there with USC, Oklahoma and Michigan. In fact, if you love O-line play, and if you don’t you should stick to watching synchronized diving, you are going to LOVE this season. Along with ND, USC, Michigan and Oklahoma, Michigan State and Stanford made it into the preseason Top Fifteen. Bottom line is that our front five are as good as anybody’s and this should be the year the start crushing it. Why, Bayou? Why 2012?

2012 will be the year of the O-line for several reasons, the first of which is that we will have a mobile quarterback back there to keep the D-line honest. Let’s face it, loyal readers, Tommy Rees had the mobility of a fireplace. Do you know what that does to an O-lineman? Well, let me tell you: it makes you nuts. When you hear “pass” in the huddle, you curse silently to yourself, because you know that no matter how good you are, YOU CAN’T HOLD YOUR BLOCK FOR TWENTY MINUTES. Not without holding.  Sacks (and turnovers) are poison to the morale of the offensive line. They infect the relationship between the QB and his line and they can begin to undo the relationships between the linemen themselves.

Tony Rice, who knows something about playing quarterback at ND, thinks Golson is “better” than he was. That’s saying something. Me? I think our O-line might be better than his. Rice had Grunhard, Heck, Heldt, Ryan and Brown in front of him. Golson (or Hendrix) will have Lombard, Golic, Cave, Watt and Martin in front of him, and these young men are beasts. They’re all over 300 pounds and Lombard is a monster at 6’5″ & 309. They have a new line coach in Harry Hiestand, who brings a respected NFL-pedigree to the program.

Finally, they have experience and maturity on their side. Like rowing, the offensive line is a collective of individuals functioning as one. They communicate constantly and cover for each other in a symbiotic relationship from center to guard to tackle. With the “good morale and great communciation” that Coach Kellly mentioned in the video at the top, they stand ready to improve upon last year’s not insignificant accomplishments. Last year, they were #1 in the nation (7/7) on Fourth Down conversions and were tied with 10 other teams for 24th in the country in sacks allowed with 17.

And if you don’t think going against Nix, Manti and the rest of the boys all day long in practice won’t make our O-line an elite unit when it’s all said and done, you, my friend, should go back to watching rhythmic gymnastics.

The front five who take the field against Navy on September 1 are going to set the tone with their speed, size and ferocity. They will play at once the most important and unheralded role in clawing the Fighting Irish over the top and onward to victory.

The post The Offensive Line: the Secret to Our Success appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

It started back in January when I was committed to being a better head coach in the sense that I needed to spend more time with my players. This job has a tendency to distract you a little bit, and I took it because I wanted to coach and I wanted to be around the guys. So, back in January we started every monday, our A-team, and I would meet just myself with our players. So I just think my emphasis on spending more time with the players and getting to know them better and letting them get to know me better than just sitting up in an office and well, ‘there’s where the head coach of Notre Dame sits.’ I’ve never been that kind of coach, and I felt myself sliding towards that in my first couple years. So I don’t think its anything on their part, it’s probably more on my part – being more accessible and being around the guys a lot more.

It is at least comforting to know that Kelly is willing to look in the mirror and analyze his own approach to leading the team in aiming towards a breakout third season in South Bend. We know there are plenty of challenges in being the head coach at Notre Dame that you may not find, or may not find in such significant scale, at other schools, but it is a bit telling to learn that Kelly hasn’t been able to be as actively involved with his players as he was at Cincy, Central Michigan, and Grand Valley State:

I think when there’s not the kind of results that you’re looking for you gotta look at yourself first, and that’s where I looked.

I need to coach, I need to be in the trenches, I need to be around our guys, I need to be the effective leader. Some are better from sitting up on the tower, and some are better being hands on, and I’m better [hands on]. I need to be a better head coach, and that’s what my strengths are so I’m going to them.

Kelly’s winning track record is the main reason that Jack Swarbrick and Notre Dame chose to hire Kelly to replace Charlie Weis, and there is no question that Notre Dame fans have been disappointed by two 8-win seasons following Kelly’s BCS-caliber teams at Cincinnati that were arguably stocked with less talent than he has been able to work with at ND. We all may have our own opinions on what the Irish have been missing over the past two seasons, but Kelly is clearly the one in the best position to diagnose the true issues and, more importantly, to fix them going forward. Let’s hope that more hands on approach from Kelly translates into the execution that was missing at key points during the 2011 campaign.

You can follow Twibby on Twitter: @HLS_Twibby

The post Brian Kelly 2.0 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Tyler Eifert
Position: Tight End
Year: Senior
Height/Weight: 6’6”/251 lbs.

We all know Eifert’s story – seemingly average recruit; doesn’t play freshman year; fills in when Rudolph gets hurt; turns out to catch everything that is thrown his way; works with Michael Floyd to make Tommy Rees appear to be a serviceable QB; etc. After flirting with the prospect of moving on to the NFL after the 2011, Tyler Eifert chose to stick with his teammates in South Bend.

With the name of the Dublin starter still very much in limbo, Eifert’s ability to create defensive mismatches (particularly on routes of 15-yards or less) could be a must-needed crutch for the 2012 Irish offense. With Michael Floyd now working alongside Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona, and without an established threat at receiver to fill his shoes, Eifert will likely be even more of a focal point to the ND attack than he was in 2011 when he caught 63 balls for 803 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Other than the clairvoyant among us, not too many Domers would have expected Eifert to turn into a better pass-catching college tight end (the NFL may offer a different story) than his predecessor Kyle Rudolph, but he has the opportunity to cement that legacy this season. For his next surprise, let’s hope and dream that Eifert decides to snub the pros once again and come back for a 5th go-around donning the blue and gold.

Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo
Positions: Tight End
Year: Both Seniors
Height/Weight: Ertz – 6’6”/252 lbs.; Toilolo – 6’8”/265 lbs.

Stanford returns two of the mainstays in its 3-man tight end rotation (with Coby Fleener joining his pal Andrew Luck in Indianapolis) in seniors Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo. Last season Ertz caught 27 balls for 346 yards and 4 touchdowns while missing 4 games with an injury, and Toilolo snagged 25 passes for 343 yards and 6 touchdowns.

It is difficult to quantify, but it is not a stretch to say that these numbers were handicapped by the combination of the top quarterback in the country, one of the top tight ends in the country drawing most of the attention, and a lack of many threats at wide receiver. While the talent level may have dropped, we can still expect Stanford’s tight ends to play a big role in David Shaw’s offensive scheme this year with both Ertz and Toilolo offering safe, effective targets to the winner of the Brett Nottingham/Josh Nunes quarterback battle.

Toilolo was named to the Mackey Award Watch List (along with 3 other Notre Dame opponents including Hubie Graham of Pitt, Chris Pantale of Boston College, and Dion Sims of Michigan State) after earning honorable mention all-conference last season.

Similarly to how the Irish utilize Eifert, you’ll likely see Ertz lining up outside as well:

Previously in the Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy series:

Kicker & Punter
Offensive Line
Defensive Line
Safety
Wide Receiver
Cornerback
Running Back

As always, you can follow Twibby on Twitter: @HLS_Twibby

The post Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy: Tight End appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.