Domers all around the country world are psyched with the offensive firepower Notre Dame hopes to unleash this year. Likewise, the Irish faithful are conscientious of how important a well assembled depth chart is – especially on defense. But, how many people are equally aware of the importance of the often forgotten third facet of the game? That’s right, we’re talking about those special teams, baby! Invariably, there will be a moment this year when the game comes down to a last second field goal, or the turning point is a clutch downed punt on the opposing team’s two yard line. Thankfully for the Irish, they return two of the most talented specialists in the country.

For The Irish: #19 K Justin Yoon, (Soph.), 5-foot-9, 190 lbs.

Justin Yoon (UND.com)

Yoo(ooooooo)n, the former number one ranked kicker in the country (according to 247sports), earned a spot on Sporting News Freshman All-America team last year after he made 15 of 17 field goals and 50 of 52 PATs. His long field goal was a 52 yard bomb against Navy – one yard less than the school record. With all of these freshman successes, “inconsistency” was the word that surrounded Yoon’s performance following the 2016 fall camp. Yoon elaborated with NDinsider.com reporter Eric Hansen:

“I’ve been having struggles hitting the ball with my foot properly…having struggles of making sure I’m finishing straight through all the way to the field goal posts in the middle. Sometimes my body alignment is off, my rhythm is off. And so I work on each and every little detail that I could to this point, and I think I’ve overcome all the hurdles. I feel like at this point, I’ve come to a solid point where I could say I’m very confident. It’s just a matter of getting ready for Texas now.”

Yoon appears to have all of the mechanical kinks worked out, picking up where he left off last year, drilling 50+ yard field goals with ease. Yoon should benefit, as he did last year, from a dynamic and explosive offense providing many red zone field goal opportunities (hopefully more PATs as well). Expect nothing short of another highly successful year in regards to the Irish kicking game on the boot of Justin Yoon.

For the Enemy: #15 K Michael Badgley (Jr.), Miami, 5-foot-10, 180 lbs.

Like Yoon, Badgley was the number one rated kicker coming out of high school (according to 247sports). Last season, Badgley set a Miami school record connecting on 25 field goals out of 30 opportunities – beating the previous record of 22. He also was perfect on all 40 PAT attempts. He set additional school records notching five field goals in one game (accomplishing this feat twice last year) and connected on a remarkable 57 yard field goal. Badgley failed to split the uprights on other attempts over 50 yards (51, 53). He was named Third Team All-ACC as voted on by the coaches.

If the Irish defense force the Miami offense into a position where Badgley is called upon five times in one game, I like the Notre Dame’s chances given the Irish potential on offense to put up multiples of 7 compared to Miami’s multiples of 3.

For the Irish: #85 P Tyler Newsome (Jr.), 6-foot-2, 210 lbs.

Credit: Michael Caterina / SB Tribune

Tyler Newsome is not your average punter. Before diving into the wide world of punting stats, let’s instead dive into the life of Notre Dame’s coolest cat. Newsome sports long, wavy, blond hair and completely out of style short shorts, which instantly qualify him as worst dressed on the team. Newsome doesn’t care. Instead he chooses to justify his short shorts with the phrase, “sky’s out, thighs out.” He also has a specific “cookin’ dance” he likes to show off after a quality punt. For more on the interesting punter, I strongly suggest reading this piece by Tim Prister of Irish Illustrated.

On to football – 2015 was the first year of punting duties for Newsome. He booted an impressive average of 44.5 yards per punt. His long punt was a solid 62 yard blast. Many, including myself, believe Newsome was snubbed from the 2016 Ray Guy Award preseason watch list – the award for the nation’s best punter. Fortunately, “watch lists” are meaningless.

Newsome’s specialties don’t end with punting  – he also manages the kickoff duties. In 13 games, he recorded 21 touchbacks in 84 kickoffs. Punting is often a thankless job, but only because everyone hates the idea of fourth down. With an established weapon at punter, the Irish should be confident in their ability to flip field position when needed.

For the Enemy: #46 P Alex Boy (Sr.), Nevada, 6-foot-3, 200 lbs.

Credit: Nevada Wolf Pack athletics

Boy is an extremely talented and experienced punter. In his time at Nevada he has played in 26 games, totaling 124 total punts amassing an amazing 5,346 total yards. He ranks second in the Nevada school record books with an average of 43.1 yards per punt. Boy has been named to the aforementioned 2016 Ray Guy Award preseason watch list. His career long is a 68 yard punt that likely produced a divot in the ground if it wasn’t caught. Fun fact – Boy walked on his freshman year. Hopefully the Irish faithful get to know Boy very well as he is forced to add to his impressive 5,346 career yards after many three-and-outs when Nevada faces off against Notre Dame in the Irish home opener.

May the Notre Dame special teams prove to be nothing short of…special in 2016.

Cheers and Go Irish!

The post Special Teams: Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Depth, baby! Everything this fall will revolve around the exceptional depth that has slowly been built year over year. The coaching staff has recruited exceptionally well over the past few years (the 2017 class aka #IRISHEL17E and the 2018 class aka #IrishBouND18 are stacking up quite nicely as well) especially addressing specific positional needs.

The depth is far and above where it has been in years past. The offense returns multiple assets at every position. Proven running backs Tarean Folston and Josh Adams will lead the ground game along with Dexter Williams guaranteed to be fighting for carries.

The offensive line depth is nothing short of incredible considering it lost two future NFL starters from last year in Ronnie Stanley and Nick Martin. Junior guard Quenton Nelson has been named a Sports Illustrated preseason All-American and senior tackle Mike McGlinchey is garnering elite status as the 64th best player in the nation – according to ESPN. These two woolly mammoths will anchor the left side of the offensive line, and the right side anticipates a battle between junior Alex Bars and seniors Hunter Bivin and Colin McGovern.

Tight end, once a surging position of depth, took a hit in the academic ineligibility ruling against Alize Jones. As reported, Jones will miss the entire 2016 season. The return of transferring/not transferring Tyler Luatua provides the group with a huge (255 lbs. pun intended) veteran h-back, and his decision to not transfer now proves to be vital to the position group. Nic Weishar and Durham Smythe are both capable and consistent targets from a three point stance and split wide – this groups presence and overall utility within the red zone should not be understated.

Credit: Matt Cashore

The wide receiver cupboard is full – yet unproven. The only shoe-in to start is senior Torii Hunter Jr. Behind him will be an intriguing battle between Equanimeous St. Brown, Corey Holmes, Miles Boykin, C.J. Sanders, and potentially true freshman/early enrollee Kevin Stepherson. Finishing on the offensive side of the ball, who could forget the quarterback situation, in which the Irish arguably have the most collective talent at the position in the entire nation (including Brandon Wimbush)? *Insert your own opinions about the QB situation* and find my own here.

The defensive line (also unfortunately known as the Irish’s Achilles heel in recent years) is loaded with talent and (FINALLY) depth. Isaac Rochell, Jarron Jones and Daniel Cage are battle tested veterans while Andrew Trumbetti, Jay Hayes, Jerry Tillery, Jonathan Bonner, Micah Dew-Treadway and Elijah Taylor all look to make significant impacts and potentially break out. Also, look for the word “sub packages” to be thrown around as highly talented true freshman defensive ends Daelin Hayes and Khalid Kareem could be utilized as pass rushers in such schemes.

Nyles Morgan (Credit: Chicago Tribune)

Nyles Morgan is an automatic upgrade at the Mike linebacker position, and while replacing the “once in a century” freakish athleticism of Jaylon Smith is no small task, the linebacker corps is well stocked with young talent. Te’von Coney saw limited action last year and is reported to be fully recovered from a shoulder injury suffered in the Fiesta Bowl. His classmates and other blue chip linebacker recruits, Asmar Bilal (2015 defensive scout team player of the year) and Josh Barajas redshirted last year. This young talent will push upperclassmen, Greer Martini and James Onwaulu for reps.

The secondary returns Jekyll and Hyde aka Max Redfield along with sixth year Cal transfer Avery Sebastian and fan favorite Drue Tranquil – all at safety. Garnering spring ball notoriety was true freshman and early enrollee Devin Studstill, who was my “most likely to make an immediate impact” of the 2016 recruiting class.

Rounding out the secondary at cornerback is senior multi year starter Cole Luke along with juniors Nick Watkins and Devin Butler. They are surrounded by younger talent in sophomore Nick Coleman and Shaun Crawford, who was slated to be the team’s starting nickel back last year until suffering a torn ACL in fall camp. Crawford drew incredibly high praise during the 2015 fall camp before his injury, and his return provides a massive athletic boost to the secondary.

Credit: UHND.com

Over the past few years the Notre Dame special teams have often been regarded as the “not-so-special teams.” Last year, however, the group made great strides and improvements. Returning “The Big Three” key specialists in kicker Justin Yoon, punter Tyler Newsome, and long snapper Scott Daly should pay dividends for the special teams in 2016. DeShone Kizer has been relieved of his holding duties and he will be replaced by Montgomery VanGorder. The Irish also have the luxury of Sanders’ electric and ever-elusive return skills. As a true freshman, Sanders returned both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown last season. The special teams should continue to build off of last year’s success.

With the well-rounded depth in place, #NDFB is primed for an entertaining fall. Don’t forget that it is your civic duty as a Domer to recite one Hail Mary each day of camp for the shake of keeping this vital depth healthy!

Cheers and Go Irish!

The post Analyzing the Fall Camp Depth Chart appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Courtesy: @BigPermU93 / Twitter

Sixteen Notre Dame football players signed autographs and met community members as part of a fundraiser Thursday for Prevent Child Abuse St. Joseph County.

The meet-and-greet was part of a four-day event called Roofsit, which is in its 20th year. It’s the brainchild of two U93 DJs who wanted to help abuse victims. This year, their on-air marathon and fundraiser is happening at Martin’s Super Market in Granger.

Players who participated were: QBs DeShone Kizer (#14), Montgomery VanGorder (#4) and Brandon Wimbush (#7); TE Nic Weishar (#82); P Tyler Newsome (#85); K John Chereson (#43); CB Jalen Elliott (#21) and Troy Pride Jr. (#18); S Drue Tranquill (#23); RBs Austin Ross (#28), Bailey Ross (#49) and Josh Anderson (#46); LB James Onwualu (#17), LS Scott Daly (#61); DE Isaac Rochell (#90, but not wearing a jersey). I’m not sure who #41 is, but it looks like WR Buster Sheridan. (It’s walk-on linebacker Jimmy Thompson, according to BGI’s Lou Somogyi.)

To my knowledge, this is Pride’s first reveal of his jersey number. Pride said in a May 19 interview with Blue & Gold Illustrated that he has a fondness for the number 17, which he first wore during Little League. The South Carolina speedster wore #5 in high school, but said he didn’t care what number he was assigned. “I could be a number 63, and I’ll go out there and be a lockdown 63,” he told the publication.

Today is the final day of the Roofsit fundraiser. You can donate in one of four ways:

• Visit Martin’s Super Market, 7355 Heritage Square, Granger.
• Visit the online donation page.
• Call the fundraising hotline: 1-800-853-KIDS (5437)
• Write a check, payable to Roofsit, and send it to P.O. Box 6535, South Bend, IN 46660

In its two decade history, Roofsit has raised more than $2 million funds. Last year’s grantees were agencies that assist survivors of abuse and educate the public about child violence. They included: CAPS of Elkhart County, CASA of St. Joseph County, The Center for the Homeless, Dunebrook, Kidspeace, St. Margaret’s House, Hannah’s House, The CASIE Center and Healthy Families of St Joseph County, among others.

The post ND Football Supports Fundraiser To Prevent Child Abuse appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

It’s a more-than-fair question, for it highlights a major problem with these postseason polls. Notre Dame lists its athletes by academic year. This seems to be held against them. Is this simply a case of the pollsters not being able to crack Notre Dame’s enigmatic code? Or, are they deliberately using Notre Dame’s practice against the Irish in a deliberate conspiracy to deny them their share of national recognition?

The truth is out there.

https://youtu.be/rbBX6aEzEz8

Consider the case of Justin Yoon.  To the outside world, this is what Justin looks like:

Justin is in his first year at Notre Dame. He is thus listed by the football team as a freshman. He finished the season with an eye-popping 89.47 field goal completion-percentage (15/17). This puts him like three one-somethings behind John Carney (17-19, .895, 1984) in the ND record books for field goal percentage for a season. His fifty-two yarder against Navy is the second-longest in ND history. On extra points, Justin was 46-for-48 for a 95.83 completion-percentage.

USA Today’s Freshman All-America place kicker, however, was Clemson’s Greg Huegel. To the outside world, this is what Greg looks like:

On the season, Huegel was 22-for-25 on field goals for a .880 completion average. On extra points, he was 49-for-54 or 90.7%. AND WHEN HE WAS A FRESHMAN AT CLEMSON, JUSTIN YOON WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.

Next, consider the case of Josh Adams. To the outside world, he looks like this:

After starting his collegiate career with a touchdown against Texas, and making us all gasp against Wake Forest, Josh put together a pretty remarkable season. He carried the ball 102 times for 760 yards, an average of 7.45 yards per carry. He scored five touchdowns and averaged 63.33 yards per game.

One of the USA Today All America running backs is Iowa State’s Mike Warren. To the outside world, Mike Warren looks like this:

Warren carried the ball 227 times for 1,339 yards, an average of 5.9 yards per carry. He, too, scored five touchdowns. He too was in college when the Notre Dame player was in high school.

So do Notre Dame “redshirts” get similar treatment? Consider the case of DeShone Kizer. Perhaps you’ve seen him on Showtime’s fantastic embed program A Season With. Or, perhaps you remember him from such Saturday thrillers as The Last Play of the Virginia Game or That Other Time He Hit Will Fuller In Stride. To the outside world, this is what DeShone looks like:

Because he is in his second academic year at Notre Dame, he is listed as a sophomore. On the season, his first according to the NCAA-eligibility rules, one in which he did not see action until the second half of the second game, Kizer finished with 2,596 yards passing (19 TDs, 9 INTs), 499 yards rushing (9 TDs), and a quarterback rating of 151.77. Kizer completed 188 of 297 passes for a 63.3 completion-percentage.

All-America honors went, instead, to an academic freshman at UCLA, Josh Rosen. Rosen finished the season with 3,350 yards passing (20 TDs, 9 INTs), 27 yards rushing, and a quarterback rating of 133.19. Rosen completed 266 of 447 passes for a 59.5 completion-percentage.

Finally, consider the case of Tyler Newsome. To the outside world, Tyler looks like this:

For real. That’s really his hair. Tonsorial criticisms aside, Tyler booted 79 kickoffs this year for 4,856 yards, an average of 61.47 yards per attempt. Nineteen went for touchbacks. Five went out-of-bounds. As a punter, he boomed 49 for 2,157 yards, an average of 44.02 yards per punt.

But the All-America award went to Missouri’s Corey Fatone, a true freshman. Corey kicked off 43 times for 2,700 yards, an average of 62.79 yards per attempt. Eighteen were touchbacks. One went out-of-bounds. He punted a remarkable 81 times for 3,477 yards, an average of 42.93 yards per punt.

These aren’t perfect comparisons. For example, Josh Adams was not the featured back in the way Mike Warren was. Tyler Newsome didn’t have to punt as much as Corey Fatone because Missouri was an offensive dumpster fire. Justin Yoon was… what? Korean?

Whatever the case, the pollsters seem to be having it both ways against the Irish.

The post Should Notre Dame’s Sophomores Be Redshirt Freshmen? The 2015 All-America Team appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Moons you need a good hook to draw readers in, then maintain your story arc and you’ll net a good story…if you keep it to 3 good points

I think he’s onto something here. If my placement is even slightly off, things could drift and get away from me in a hurry, so let’s jump right in to talking about kickers and punters:

The Irish: For Notre Dame to get a leg up on the competition in 2015, they’ll have to replace kicker/punter Kyle Brindza who was lost to graduation. The horror of graduating players. Despite a rough senior season which saw Brindza convert just 58% of his field goal attempts, he still ended his career as Notre Dame’s all-time leading kicker. Brindza also finished the season 3^rd nationally in touchbacks in 2014 and had a punt average of 41.4 yards. He was a one stop shop for all your kicking needs.

Enter…

Justin Yooooooooooooooooon.

HLS has spent a great deal of time discussing Yoon this offseason. Perhaps kickers are the staff’s Achilles heel, or perhaps we’re geniuses (only time will tell). Andrewwinn toed the line for Yoon naming him Notre Dame’s 9^th best player in his countdown of this year’s team. It’s obvious all the other writers who contributed to Keith Arnold’s countdown had cold feet about Yoon. I also set out my expectations for Justin Yoon and compared him to some other recent highly touted kicking recruits. If we split the uprights with these previous predictions, everyone in Notre Dame land should be happy.

There’s not a lot else to say about a kicker who’s never appeared in a collegiate game. He’s got all the tools. As importantly, he’s got an amazing name for kicking. This is where you Loyal Readers come in. There are many opportunities for some great name puns:

• Just-inside the uprights
• Yoon-ever know what’s going to happen when a kicker lines up.

4 years to improve and take advantage of this A+ kicking name. And with #HLSRecap set to return this weekend, you won’t have to wait long to try a few out. In the meantime, here are some highlights of Justin Yoon kicking odd shaped balls:

Punting duties will be handled by another player seeing his first ever game action: Tyler Newsome. Newsome, a sophomore, has two things going for him: 1) He’s from Georgia. I may be biased, but I find Georgians to be remarkably likeable, and they have a decent recent track record at ND (Stephon Tuitt, Darius Walker, TJ Jones to name a few). 2) Please take a look at Newsome’s profile at ND’s official site. The guy’s hair looks like it has some fantastic hang time. Let’s hope his punts follow suit.

The opponent: So…..speaking of amazing names for a kicker, ND will be exposed to some rarefied air of kicking names when they match up with Pitt’s prolific pedi-athlete: CHRIS BLEWITT. This may sound like a name out of a Matt Christopher book or a name made up for an Ashley Madison account, but nope, it’s real, and it’s spectacular. Don’t worry, Chris has already performed his Pitt duties by totally Pitt-ing a game versus Duke last season. If you click on that link, you can see a sampling of what the Internet had awaiting him. Again, Loyal Readers, this is on you…you have MONTHS to prepare for this opportunity. Please don’t (ahem) blow it Blewitt.

The thing you should know about Blewitt is that when his name’s not serving as Internet fodder for the worst of us punsters, he’s actually a pretty good kicker. For his career he’s converted 30/39 attempts with a long of 52. His 98 points tallied last season was 5 points ahead of Brindza’s tally.

As for punter…we’re going to give it to Navy’s Pablo Beltran as he had the best yards per punt average of any opponent kicker ND will see this year. Notre Dame might face 3 or 4 of the best quarterbacks in the nation, but they seem to have successfully tap danced around seeing the nation’s best punters. So who knows, maybe CJ Sanders and Will Fuller (named as the 2-deep at punt returner for Texas) will get a chance to work some Irish magic on the punt returns this year. Leave your snickering for the comments.

The post Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy: Kicker/Punter appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.