On offense Notre Dame lost their top 3 WR's, so I'll take our DB's in that match-up, because we have some pretty good CB's. Notre Dame will also break in a new starter at RB. Josh Adams did look good as a back-up, but we have Malik Jefferson and Anthony Wheeler at LB, so I'm not concerned...those boys are monsters. To add to that, I doubt Adams will duplicate his average yards per carry as a starter, because Notre Dame will have a huge drop off on the OL, with the departures of Stanley and Martin. We won't have a very good DL, but they will be decent, and I don't see anything on Notre Dame's OL, that will allow them to blow us off the ball, and take advantage of that situation. Notre Dame does have talent at QB, but who are his WR's. Maybe y'all know something I don't, because I think a few freshmen are going to show out for Texas, so I don't want to be a hypocrite here. But I don't see it.
With Sheldon Day gone, who is going to anchor that line for Notre Dame? You guys return two starters on the DL, and we are going to have a pretty good OL, even with a freshman at center. I don't see the match-up in the trenches, that are in Notre Dame's favor. At best, I'll call it a push. Then there is LB, where Notre Dame will be breaking in three new starters, no more Jaylon Smith. I look forward to Warren and Foreman giving them boys the blues. Notre Dame returns two starters in the secondary, but I think they are coming back from injuries. Regardless of that, I don't see those guys locking up Burt and Johnson. The NFL is already salivating over them. Now Texas does have a freshman QB, and I get that people have a wait and see approach with him. But I see a young, talented, mature QB, that knows the offense, and he is very accurate. He can get the ball into the hands of our playmakers, and we've been missing that key component. If Notre Dame had a lot of talent returning on defense, it would concern me, but they don't.
It's not that I think Texas has arrived, but I do believe that Notre Dame is overrated. Pay attention to detail fellas, Notre Dame is not that squad...Texas wins 30-23.
A few quick updates for you:
1. We actually return our starting RB (Folston) who tore his ACL on his 3rd carry against Texas last year. He'll probably be the starter again (looked solid in the spring) with Adams getting a lot of carries in rotation.
Adams set the Frosh record for rushing at ND, at 7+ YPC.
I know Texas is high on their new RBs, but NDs RBs are actually meow proven (more returning carries, yards, TDs, games, etc.) and ND is equally excited about them
2. For WRs, ND is in a similar place to Texas. Our leading returning WR is Torii Hunter, who was probably our "starter" in the slot more often than Carlisle last year. He returns with about the same stats as Burt.
For the rest of the of the WRs, we feel a lot like you do about Johnson/Foreman. We have a 6'5" STUD sophomore who led all receivers in the spring and the coaches have been raving about, as well as about 6 other 4* guys that were hearing really good things on.
Every team likes their players better, but most ND fans (including me) wouldn't even consider trading our WR vote for Texas's.
3. This is about as deep and talented as ND has been at TE since we had Eifert (1st Round), Rudolph (2nd Round), and Koyack (7th Round) on the team at once.
That position will make A LOT of plays for us this year.
4. Despite losing Stanley and Martin on the OL, the word out of spring practice is that we've upgraded the run blocking on our OL. Those two were strong pass blockers (especially Stanley), but neither wasoverly physical or a dominant run blocker.
The way we've stock piled talent on the OL is matched only by Bama and Ohio State
5. We actually retun 3-4 starters on the DL, depending on how you want to count "starters". That's partially due to getting our staring NT back from a knee injury that cost him the 2015 season.
We should be a much stronger DL, as far as playing the run is concerned. It's the pass rush that's our main issue.
6. Returning NT Jarron Jones will likely be the anchor of the DL, after missing 2015 with an injury. Along with 3rd year start Isaac Rochell and returning starter at DT Jerry Tillery (who is probably
Our most physically talented DL)
7. We actually only have 2 "new starters" at LB, as James Oneaulu started last year and returns. Replacing Jaylon will en tough, no question about it. However, out 2015 MLB (Joe Schmidt) graded out as the 3rd worst FBS LB my PFF and will be replaced by a kid who earned Frosh All-American honors (same as Vage and Williams
For Texas) in 2014 when replacing Schmidt after an injury. And we have a slew of 5*/4* studs vying for the open role.
Overall, pretty much all ND fans expect improvement at LB.
8. We return 2 true "starters" at DB (CB Cole Luke and FS Max Redfield)...and neither one is coming off an injury. We additionally return 2 more players who could be termed "starters" as the both were set to start in 2015 prior to ACL injuries (SS Drue Tranquil and CB Shaun Crawford). Both were healthy and played in the spring game.
9. Overall, or DBs should be sick against the run game, but our Safeties could definitely struggle in coverage (and aren't a deep group at all)
10. It's also with with noting that we return all significant players from our Special Teams (PK, P, KR, PR, LS, H) while coming off a pretty strong Special Teams year....and most of those roles were True Frosh in 2015
The 5-6 starters that ND has coming back from injuries that cost them most/all of 2015 have a pretty significant impact on the 2016 roster
