Are you experienced...enough? | by Pat

Ivan Maisel's final pre-season article had an interesting mention in the sidebar about the cumulative starts of an offensive line as predictor of season success.

One of the best hidden statistics I have found for determining the success of a college football team is the number of cumulative starts among its offensive linemen. The magic number for success is somewhere around 75.

Maisel didn't really show his math on how he arrived at that number or how he exactly defines "success", but for the purposes of this post, we'll just take him at his word that good or better than expected teams have offensive lines that land on the plus side of 75 career starts.

So, the question that immediately springs to mind is, what is ND's OL cumulative starts number heading into 2008?

The answer is: 60.

Sam Young has the most experience with 25 career starts to his name. Mike Turkovich and Paul Duncan have 12 starts apiece while Eric Olsen and Dan Wenger have six and five starts under their belts, respectively.

If Maisel's "75 rule" holds true, then perhaps it's best to temper those increasingly optimistic season predictions. When you consider that Paul Duncan has moved to the second string, the career starts from those players who will actually start for ND in 2008 drops to a rather low 48.

If that doesn't scare you enough, the number of career starts at the position each player will play this fall is 17. (15 for Young at right tackle. 2 for Wenger at center.) But that's really splitting hairs. The idea behind this metric seems to be a quick and dirty approximation of game experience among the OL depth chart, not an in-depth look at how many snaps each starter has at his current position.

So how does 60 starts compare to previous lines? Here's a look at the last six years of ND football.

2002 - 77 career starts. Final record: 10-3
2003 - 21 career starts. Final record: 5-7
2004 - 45 career starts. Final record: 6-6
2005 - 102 career starts. Final record: 9-3
2006 - 91 career starts. Final record: 10-3
2007 - 46 career starts. Final record: 3-9

It's an extremely limited data set, but the record does tend to track with the number of OL starts. (yes, yes, pirates vs. global warming, I know...)

In the case of 2007, 33 of those 46 career starts belonged to one player, John Sullivan. The minuscule 21 career starts for the 2003 were tempered somewhat by the fact that ND didn't have to rely primarily on sophomores as in 2007. In 2003, two returning 5th year seniors (Sean Milligan, Jim Molinaro) as well as two juniors (Dan Stevenson, Mark LeVoir) helped the lone sophomore starter (Bob Morton), although it still wasn't enough to avoid a sub-.500 record.

What does it mean for the ND OL in 2008? Well, despite all of the positive press and stories of increased leadership, strength, bulk, and in-practice fights, expect a few hiccups during the year. The experience just isn't quite there yet. There is definitely the opportunity for the line to overachieve. But it's also very likely that the OL will struggle at times to be consistent.

Switching gears, here is the cumulative start numbers for the opponent offensive lines, put in order from highest to lowest. Consider this a supplement to the OL position preview. I included every career start for the current listed offensive linemen, even if they had a few career starts at defensive tackle or tight end. As mentioned earlier, the idea is a rough look at overall experience. And now, without further ado:

Washington - 83
Stanford - 82
North Carolina -73
Purdue - 66
Syracuse - 52
Pittsburgh - 51
Michigan State - 46
Boston College - 41
San Diego State - 36
Navy - 25
Southern Cal - 25
Michigan - 16

If you go by recruiting results, Southern Cal and Michigan are the two most talented teams ND will face. But when it comes to the experience of their offensive line, the Trojans and Wolverines likely will experience a few roadbumps during the season. Michigan's case is even worse when you consider that of the 16 career starts, 13 of them belong to right tackle Steven Schilling. On the other hand, Washington, Stanford, and North Carolina -- three teams that won four games last season apiece -- are in line to have solid seasons if Maisel's idea of 75 career starts holds true (and in one particular case, can overcome coaching incompetence).

Pick Six: 2008 | by Pat

We're really cutting it close this year, but here is the 2008 version of the BGS Pick Six.

Before we get started though, apologies for not properly closing out last year's contest. Here are the final results of the 2007 season. A hearty congratulations to co-champions mightyeskimo and Killian's Red. If you're still reading the blog, get in touch with us via email.

Now back to 2008. Long-time readers know how the poll works, but for you newer readers, here's the scoop:

1. The AP Top 25 is split into five different groups: 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25. Here are this year's groups.

A - Georgia, Ohio State, Southern Cal, Oklahoma, Florida
B - Missouri, LSU, West Virginia, Clemson, Auburn
C - Texas, Texas Tech, Wisconsin, Kansas, Arizona State
D - Brigham Young, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, South Florida, Illinois
E - Oregon, Penn State, Wake Forest, Alabama, Pittsburgh

2. You get to select one team from each group. You also select one unranked team. The idea is to pick the 6 teams you think will finish the highest in the final, post-bowl game AP Poll.

3. The scoring system works as follows. You get 25 points for having the #1 team, 24 points for the #2 team, on down to 1 point for the #25 team. Unranked teams get zero points.

4. The winner is the person at the end of the year with the most points, which translates to the most highly-ranked teams.

5. The winner will be sent some kitschy, awful, or hilarious piece of college football memorabilia, as selected by Team BGS. Unfortunately we don't have a prize picked out at this moment. Suggestions are welcome.

With games starting tonight, polling will close at some point this evening. So hurry up and don't delay. Click the link below and start picking.

2008 BGS Pick Six

Good luck!

Making a list, checking it twice | by Pat

Charlie knew that Irish fans were struggling having to deal with a BYE weekend right off the bat while all other college football fans got to start this season this weekend. So he was nice enough to give us all something to spend our time over-parsing in the form of a new depth chart. Follow the link for the in-depth list with heights, weights, and such. Here's the quickie version.

QB	Jimmy Clausen Evan Sharpley	DE	Mo Richardson OR Justin Brown Kapron Lewis-Moore
RB	Armando Allen OR Robert Hughes OR James Aldridge	NT	Ian Williams Paddy Mullen
FB	Asaph Schwapp OR Luke Schmidt Steve Paskorz	DE	Pat Kuntz Ethan Johnson
X	Duval Kamara Golden Tate	SAM	Harrison Smith Scott Smith
LT	Mike Turkovich Matt Romine	MIKE	Brian Smith Toryan Smith
LG	Eric Olsen Paul Duncan	JACK	Maurice Crum, Jr. Steve Quinn
C	Dan Wenger Thomas Bemenderfer OR Braxston Cave	WILL	John Ryan OR Kerry Neal Darius Fleming
RG	Chris Stewart Trevor Robinson	LCB	Raeshon McNeil Gary Gray
RT	Sam Young Taylor Dever	SS	Kyle McCarthy Ray Herring
TE	Kyle Rudolph Will Yeatman	FS	David Bruton Sergio Brown
Z	David Grimes Michael Floyd	RCB	Terrail Lambert Robert Blanton

Some quick thoughts....

If you're counting at home:

• 12 players in the starting lineup who started against Georgia Tech.
• 16 players in the starting lineup who started against Stanford.

Here's the breakdown by class of all players listed in this two (and three) deep:

• 5th Year - 3
• Senior - 11
• Junior - 13
• Sophomore - 13
• Freshman - 8

The biggest change from last season is at left tackle where last year's starting left guard Mike Turkovich beat out Paul Duncan. Honestly, it's usually a red flag when a guard goes to left tackle. Turkovich definitely improved as a run blocker last season, but how he does against pass rushers is going to be...interesting. Charlie, as you might expect, is confident Turk will be fine.

“(Turkovich had) originally been a tackle then he played guard and he was in at tackle. Going into camp, to be honest with you, I wasn’t so positive that he was going to win the job and he won it convincingly. He did everything well. He showed he can pass block, he showed he could block at the point of attack. He showed he wasn’t a liability when we put him on an island, that we didn’t have to chip help every time he was over there."

Over at the WILL linebacker spot, John Ryan has pulled back even with Kerry Neal. Sort of. In all likelihood, Ryan, who has about 20 pounds or so on Neal, will be the run stopper in the 4-3 look while Neal plays more of a pass rush role when ND works more from a 3-4 look. At the very least it's a sign that Ryan is finally healthy again after playing with a bum shoulder last season and missing the spring.

Your first freshman to crack the starting lineup is....tight end Kyle Rudolph. I think it goes without saying that Clausen is going to enjoy looking for #9 for the next few years.

I don't think it's fair that the SAM and MIKE spots get to hoard all the Smith linebackers. There go my dreams of the all-Smith linebacking corp.

That looks like the most athletic Irish secondary I can remember. It's also sounding like Robert Blanton, and not Gary Gray, is going to be the first CB off the bench.

The full depth chart at the link above lists the special teamers. Of note, Brandon Walker will be handling field goals while Ryan Burkhart will be the kickoff specialist. Armando Allen is the #1 punt returner and kick returner.

Finally, in today's presser, Charlie says the few words that all Irish fans wanted to hear, but won't fully believe until they see it with their own eyes.

“Not to be a hypocrite, but ever since I’ve been here I wanted to be able to pound the football and we haven’t yet, so we’re going to find out because we’re going to pound it. The only way of finding out is to take the big boys up front, to come off the ball and hand it off to those backs because I like all of them, I like all of those backs,” he said.

“You’ve got to keep fresh legs out there at back and keep pounding it and that will help everything get better. It will help the play-action pass, it’ll get guys open on intermediate routes and it’ll help pass protection because people are going to have to worry about stopping the run first.”

Hopefully this is not another case of "Four Horses Running Downhill!" and this year ND does play to their strength on offense. Only 11 more days until we start to find out.

2008 Opponent Position Preview: Tight End and Offensive Line | by Pat

Time to hit the trenches. If you're just coming up to speed, here are the QBs, RBs, and WRs.

This is a pretty long preview, so get comfy. One note for the offensive line preview, I tended not to repeat heights and weights very often as every team has guys that are around 6'4" and around 300 pounds. I tried to note those that were outliers on either side of that norm. As always, the number in parantheses next to a player's name is where Phil Steele ranked him compared to his position peers.

SAN DIEGO STATE

TE - Matthew Kawulok. RS Junior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 1 reception, 2 yards, 0 TDs.
Waika Spencer. RS Junior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 0 receptions, 0 yards, 0 TDs.

San Diego State frequently uses two tight ends so they technically have two starters. Redshirt junior Matthew Kawulok missed the final five games of the season last year due to injury but is healthy now and will look to improve upon last year's single catch. At 6'2" 235 pounds he's a relatively small tight end. Another redshirt junior Waika Spencer is listed as the co-starter and at 6'4" 265 pounds with no career receptions has the hallmarks of a blocking tight end. Depth: Tony DeMartinis was a defensive end who was switched over to tight end in the spring. He doesn't have any experience at the position, but has prototypical size at 6'5" 255 pounds. Sophomore Alston Umoulo caught 6 passes for 67 yards and 1 TD last season but has been slowed by injuries so far in fall camp.

LT - Peter Nelson. Junior. New Starter.
LG - Mike Schmidt. Senior. Returning Starter.
C - Trask Iosefa. Sophomore. Returning Starter.
RG - Ikaika Aken-Moleta. Junior. New Starter.
RT - Lance Louis. RS Senior. New Starter.

San Diego State lost likely starting left tackle Mike Matamua to injury early in fall camp and now the responsibility of protecting the Aztec blind side falls to junior Peter Nelson. A converted defensive tackle, Nelson started two games last year at DT before dropping back into a reserve role. He's now flipped to offense, where he most likely will have a few growing pains. On the other side of the line, senior Lance Louis came out as the winner in the practice battle to start at right tackle. The converted tight end played as a backup guard last season, but will now move out to the edge of the line. Center Trask Iosefa (right) started every game last season, but he lost his starting job during spring practice to redshirt freshman Tommie Draheim. Draheim was injured recently and will miss the ND game so Iosefa is back as the starter. Ikaika Aken-Moleta is the heaviest lineman of the five at 6'2" 320 pounds and moves into the starting lineup after seeing limited action as a backup last season. A former walk-on, Mike Schmidt has the most experience of any of the starters. He started last year at left guard but switched over to right guard in the middle of the year. Now he's back at left guard. Depth: There isn't much depth on this team as none of the second string offensive lineman have played a single snap in college. The backup at right tackle is redshirt freshman Kurtis Guenther who had the starting job coming out of spring practice, but lost it to Louis. If Louis struggles, Guenther will be right back into the mix. The two biggest linemen on the team are both redshirt freshmen and backups at guard in 6'7" 320 pound Kellen Farr and 6'4" 330 pound Emilio Rivera.

MICHIGAN

TE - Carson Butler. Senior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 20 receptions, 246 yards, 2 TDs.

How much the tight end is involved in the passing game in the new Michigan offense remains to be seen. But Carson Butler has a desirable mix of size, talent, and experience and will draw defensive attention whenever he's on the field. The 6'5" 250 pound senior has been earning accolades early in fall camp and will be a leader on a young and revamped offense. Depth: Michigan has another senior as the #2 tight end in Mike Massey. Injury cut his 2007 season short, but he's healthy now and will add more depth in 2008. Coach Rodriguez said he's looking for multiple starters which means that sophomore Martell Webb and freshmen Kevin Kroger and Brandon Moore have a shot at seeing the field in some capacity. Whichever one proves the most effective as a light on his feet blocker will probably get a head up on his teammates.

LT - Mark Ortmann. RS Junior. New Starter.
LG -Tim McAvoy. RS Junior. New Starter.
C -David Molk. RS Freshman. New Starter.
RG -David Moosman. RS Junior. New Starter.
RT - Steve Schilling. (#17 T) RS Sophomore. Returning Starter.

Last year's offensive line featured a number of veterans including #1 NFL Draft pick Jake Long. This year, inexperience and lack of depth highlight the Wolverine line. The lone returning starter is right tackle Steve Schilling (left) who started every game last year at that spot and will have to provide leadership for a young and inexperienced line. A recent injury to likely right guard starter Cory Zerbil during fall practice has forced new starting center David Moosman to slide over and start at guard instead. That means redshirt freshman David Molk moves up from the second string to the starting lineup with no college experience. He's listed at 6'2" 282 pounds which might be a bit generous height-wise. Redshirt junior Tim McAvoy has one career start to his name and backup experience at both guard and center. Like Molk, he checks in under 290 pounds. Michigan's new zone read option offense does stress quickness over bulk though, so a lighter line is somewhat by design. The newest left tackle is redshirt junior Mark Ortmann. A career backup to this point, Ortmann did start two games at right tackle last season. He has been the subject of positive reviews during fall practice, but he is still an inexperienced player at one of the most crucial spots on the offense. Depth: There just isn't much veteran depth at all for Michigan. Redshirt sophomore 6'4" 274 pound John Ferrara was a backup defensive tackle just a few days ago but now he's an offensive guard and pushing for a starting spot at guard. It goes without saying that it's not a good sign for the rest of the line's talent if he can crack the starting lineup with only two weeks worth of practice. Right tackle Perry Dorrstein is the only other non-freshman backing up the starters. Dann O'Neill is one of those freshman and has a bright future at either right or left tackle, but likely won't be ready to see extended action by the time Michigan plays ND. Another freshman, 6'5" 279 pound Rocko Khoury, is pushing for action at center guard and might spell Molk if he struggles.

MICHIGAN STATE

TE -Charlie Gantt. RS Sophomore. New Starter.
2007 stats: 0 receptions, 0 yards, 0 TDs.

New starter Charlie Gantt has big shoes to fill in place of departed starter Kellen Davis. He has been earning positive reviews so far in fall camp and although he's yet to catch a pass in a game, he should be moderately effective in the Spartan passing game. He's not an overly fast tight end and will likely do his damage catching short passes and trying to muscle for additional yardage. Depth: Redshirt freshman Garrett Clark has the size of a typical receiving tight end at 6'5" 240 pounds and could see plenty of passes thrown his way as well assuming he can handle the blocking duties required in MSU's pro-style offense.

LT Rocco Cironi. RS Junior. New Starter.
LG Mike Bacon. RS Junior. New Starter.
C Joel Nitchman. RS Junior. Returning Starter.
RG Roland Martin. (#13 G) RS Senior. Returning Starter.
RT Jesse Miller. RS Senior. Returning Starter.

The Spartan line is undergoing a bit of transition from last year's veteran line, but everyone starting this year has at least been in the program for four years. The strength of the line will be on the right where 5th year seniors Roland Martin (right) and Jesse Miller are back and provide strong run blocking. Redshirt junior Rocco Cironi is the new face at left tackle. He did start there twice as a redshirt freshman, but only saw limited action last season as a backup. Center Joel Nitchman started last year as a backup but injuries forced him into the starting lineup for eight games. RS juinor Mike Bacon so far is holding on to the starting left guard spot in a back and forth camp battle. He has seen some time as a backup, including one career start. Depth: Pushing Bacon for the starting spot is redshirt freshman Joel Foreman. He's earning plenty of praise and it's probably only a matter of time before he cracks the starting lineup. Redshirt junior Brendon Moss is the backup at left tackle but can also play some guard if needed. After that, there isn't much experienced depth on the team at all. Redshirt freshmen guard Jared McGaha and the incoming freshmen are being counted on to grow up in a hurry in case any of the starters go down for extended periods of time.

PURDUE

TE - Kyle Adams. Junior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 8 receptions, 109 yards, 2 TDs.

Like at Michigan State, the Boilermakers need to replace a prolific starter at tight end. Junior Kyle Adams did see the ball thrown his way a few times last year and even found the end zone. But he's not the athletic threat that Dustin Keller was last year. He'll still be a target in the redzone but in the middle of the field will be more of a second or third option in the passing game. He's big enough at 6'5" 251 pounds to be an effective blocker. Depth: Jerry Wasikowski only caught two passes last year, but one of them was for a touchdown.

LT - Zach Jones. RS Junior. Returning Starter.
LG - Zach Reckman. RS Junior. Returning Starter.
C - Cory Benton. RS Senior. New Starter.
RG - Justin Pierce. RS Sophomore. New Starter.
RT - Sean Sester. (#7 T) RS Senior. Returning Starter.

Purdue made a move similar to Notre Dame as last year's starting left tackle Sean Sester (left) moved back to his more natural right tackle. A big 6'7" 325 pound mauler, Sester is entering his fourth year as a starter and will be one of the more experienced and talented linemen that ND face in 2008. Sester did miss spring practice due to injury, which was a theme for Purdue as two other returning starters did as well. Former walk-on Zach Jones was out with a knee injury but last year's starting right tackle has now flipped to left tackle as he's slightly quicker than Sester. Redshirt senior Cory Benton moves from backup roles at center and guard to the new starter in the center. As Purdue operates out of the shotgun on nearly every play, he'll need to master the shotgun snap from the start. Zach Reckman moved from the defensive line and started every game last year. Now a veteran on the offensive side of the ball, he should be improved from last season. Redshirt sophmore Justin Pierce is the youngest starter on the line, but did start three games last year as an injury fill-in. Depth: Redshirt junior Eric Hedstrom missed the spring due to injury but might see some time at guard if he can stay healthy. Redshirt junior Jared Zwilling was moved from defensive tackle to the offensive line in the spring to provide more depth and now is listed as a backup guard.

STANFORD

TE - Austin Gunder. RS Senior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 10 receptions, 86 yards, 2 TDs.

Austin Gunder is the current starter for Stanford, but it might only be a temporary assignment. The redshirt senior started 2007 as a backup but when the starter Jim Dray went out with an injury, Gunder started the final six games. He missed spring practice with a hip injury, so he will have to come up to speed quickly during fall practice. Depth: Junior Jim Dray (#36) has started 17 games for Stanford, but tore his ACL last season and has been rehabbing ever since. He's expected to return to full contact practice soon, but will undoubtedly be rusty. How much he's used against Notre Dame in October will depend on how fast he returns to form and how effective Gunder is. A name familiar to Irish fans, Konrad Reuland will be eligible to play for Stanford after the fourth game of the season. ND is Stanford's sixth game so the Fighting Irish will very likely face off against their former teammate.

LT - Ben Muth. RS Senior. Returning Starter.
LG - Gustav Rystedt. RS Senior. New Starter.
C - Alex Fletcher. (#12 C) Senior. Returning Starter.
RG - Andrew Phillips. RS Sophomore. New Starter.
RT - Chris Marinelli. (#54 T) RS Junior. Returning Starter.

The good news is that most of Stanford's line is back from last year. The bad news is that only Arizona State, Syracuse, and ND let up more sacks last season. Senior Alex Fletcher (right) is the leader of the line and will be a four year starter for the Cardinal. He played guard all last season but is able to move back to center for his final year of eligibility. Ben Muth at left tackle rose to the starting ranks for the final nine games of the season when usual starter Allen Smith went down with a knee injury. Chris Marinelli has started 17 games at right tackle and was named honorable mention All Pac-10 last season. The two question marks are at guard as Gustav Rystedt moves to the offense from the defensive line for his final year in college. While he's new to both offense and being a starter, he has played in 35 straight games so he's at least not new to college level competition. Redshirt sophomore Andrew Philips has been hailed as one of the most improved linemen on the team the past few years and will finally get to show what he can do as a starter. Depth: Backing up Fletcher is Oklahoma transfer Chase Beeler who did start one game as a freshman for the Sooners. Depth at tackle is a major concern as junior Matt Kopa is the only one with game experience. Redshirt freshman Tyler Mabry is listed as the backup left tackle, but he hasn't played a snap in college yet. 5th year senior and 23 game starter Allen Smith is slowly recovering from a knee injury and it isn't clear if he'll be back in time for the Notre Dame game or not.

NORTH CAROLINA

TE Zach Pianalto. Sophomore. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 20 receptions, 204 yards, 0 TDs.

Sophomore Zach Pianalto was listed at tight end last year as a freshman, but was the size of a wide receiver at 6'4" 220 pounds. His speed was a major advantage, but he lacked the size to be an effective blocker. He's now up around 245 pounds and will be a more complete player for North Carolina. He started eight games last year and saw more snaps as the season wore on. Depth: Also starting eight games last season was redshirt junior Richard Quinn. He's much more of a traditional blocking tight end as he totaled 4 receptions for 27 yards and 1 touchdown. He's 6'4" 260 pounds so he definitely has the size to be a very effective blocker. Freshman Christian Wilson is a mobile tight end that might sneak in a few receptions in 2008.

LT - Kyle Jolly. RS Junior. Returning Starter.
LG - Bryon Bishop. RS Senior. New Starter.
C - Aaron Stahl. Senior. Returning Starter.
RG - Calvin Darity. (#33 G) RS Senior. Returning Starter.
RT Garrett Reynolds. (#29 T) Senior. Returning Starter.

North Carolina only needs to find one new starter for their offensive line. Right tackle Garrett Reynolds (left) returns with 19 career starts under his belt. According to the official UNC site he lead the team in knock down blocks and also graded out the highest. Left tackle Kyle Jolley is also a returning starter after cracking the starting lineup last season. He did miss all of spring practice with a broken foot, but is healthy now. Right guard Calvin Darity is the most experienced of the bunch having started 24 straight games at right guard. The left guard spot was manned by Aaron Stahl all last year, but he moved to center this season. There might be a bit of a transition period, but his overall experience shouldn't make the transition too hard. The only new starter on the line is redshirt senior Bryon Bishop. He's seen very limited action so far in his career due to a freshman year back injury and will be the weak link of the line, especially early in the season. Depth: Bishop's spot in the lineup isn't very secure as redshirt freshman Alan Pelc is pushing him for the starting left guard role. At 6'6" 325 pounds, Pelc is a bigger guard than Bishop, but so far Bishop has been able to hold onto the starting spot. Junior Lowell Dyer started six games last season at center and will provide decent depth at the position this season. Redshirt freshman Kevin Bryant will be in the mix somewhere if only for his massive 6'7" 350 pound size. Sophomore Mike Ingersoll is the likely successor to either Jolly or Reynolds at one of the tackle spots.

WASHINGTON

TE - Michael Gottlieb. RS Senior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 12 receptions, 136 yards, 0 TDs.

Former walk-on Michael Gottlieb started six games last season for Washington and is actually the team's leading returning receiver. He wasn't used much in the passing game last season, but given that he's the most experienced receiver on the team now, he should be a pass target more often. Depth: Gottlieb has missed a few practices during fall camp due to a hamstring injury. Moving up to the first team in his stead is 5th year senior Walt Winter. Winter played in 12 games last year as a backup and special teams player, but hasn't recorded a reception yet at Washington. Two freshman will compete with Winter for playing time. Redshirt freshman Chris Izbicki and true freshman Kavario Middleton were two highly rated recruits. Both are athletic and expectations are high for both with Middleton the one most assume will quickly work his way into the offensive rotation.

LT - Ben Ossai. RS Junior. Returning Starter.
LG - Ryan Tolar. RS Sophomore. Returning Starter.
C - Juan Garcia. (#26 C) RS Senior. Returning Starter.
RG - Casey Bulcya. (#48 G) RS Senior. Returning Starter.
RT - Cody Habben. RS Sophomore. New Starter.

There might be bigger offensive lines in college football than Washington's, but there aren't many. If we're to believe the offical roster, left tackle Ben Ossai tips the scales at 6'6" 332 pounds. The left and right guards, Ryan Tolar and Casey Bulyca, check in at 6'5" 321 pounds and 6'6" 340 pounds respectively. Right tackle Cody Habben is 6'6", 316 pounds while sixth year senior center Juan Garcia (right) is the lightweight of the group at 6'3", 305 pounds. Garcia is the best player on the line though and has started every game the past two seasons. He's making his way back from a foot injury that threatened to knock him out for the season. Habben is the only new starter of the group, but even he started three games last year out of a backup role. Depth: While Garcia was rehabbing, 6'3" 320 pound center Matt Sedillo worked with the first team and gained valuable practice experience. He will likely rotate in with Garcia during the year if Garcia's foot starts to bother him. Adding even more size to the OL rotation is redshirt senior Jordan White-Frisbee at an enormous 6'6" 368 pounds. He's not the biggest lineman on the team though. That honor goes to 6'6" 382 pound backup guard Morgan Rosborough. Redshirt freshman Mark Armelin seems tiny in comparison at 6'5" 304 pounds, but is the backup left tackle.

PITTSBURGH

TE - Nate Byham. (#19) Junior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 15 receptions, 210 yards, 1 TD.

Pitt returns a 12 game starter in Nate Byham. More receiver than blocker, his 14.00 yards per catch average last season is impressive for a tight end. Entering the second half of his college career, his experience and size will make him an attractive target for QB Bill Stull. Depth: Almost considered co-starters, junior Dorin Dickerson and redshirt junior John Pelusi will see time along with Byham in two tight end sets. Pelusi started three games last season and caught 5 passes for 46 yards but is better as a blocker on the line. Dickerson, a very highly recruited player, was on defense last season at linebacker but returns to offense for 2008 where he should make an impact as a tight end, especially in the receiving game.

LT - Jason Pinkston. (#46 T) RS Sophomore. New Starter.
LG - C.J. Davis. (#31 G) Senior. Returning Starter.
C - Robb Houser. Junior. New Starter.
RG - John Malecki. Junior. New Starter.
RT - Joe Thomas. (#50 T) Junior. Returning Starter.

Pitt is in a bit of a rebuilding mode after losing three starters, including first rounder Jeff Otah. A stabilizing force will be returning starter C.J. Davis who has started 30 games and is entering his fourth year as a starter. New center Robb Houser is a highly rated junior college transfer, but will need to quickly adapt to the increase in competition and hiking to a new QB. Right guard John Malecki will need to get used to new surroundings as well after being a backup defensive tackle last season. He's a bit undersized at 6'3" 280 pounds, so it will be interesting to see how he holds up over the course of a game. The big question marks for Pitt are at the tackle spots. Redshirt sophomore Jason Pinkston began last season as the starter at right tackle, but injured his shoulder in Pitt's third game and missed the rest of the season and spring ball. He's back now, but making the transition to left tackle where he'll need to prove he can be quick on his feet in addition to showing that the shoulder is fully healthy. At right tackle, Joe Thomas is attempting to transition from right guard, where he has started 15 games. Moving from guard to tackle is a harder transition due to the added athleticism needed at tackle. Depth: Thomas has had a few struggles during fall camp, which is why true freshman and former 5-star recruit Lucas Nix might beat him out for the starting job. At the very least he'll see playing time in relief of Thomas during the year. There isn't experienced depth at left tackle either as redshirt freshman Greg Gaskins is the second in line behind Pinkston. Walk-on sophomore Alex Karabin is competing with redshirt freshman Wayne Jones to back up Houser at center so there is more inexperience there.


BOSTON COLLEGE

TE - Ryan Purvis. (#5) RS Senior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 54 receptions, 553 yards, 4 TDs.

Redshirt senior Ryan Purvis was a frequent target in BC's pass happy offense last season, eclipsing the 500 yard receiving mark. He's the second leading returning receiver and will be a major part of the offense in 2008, similar to what John Carlson was for ND last season. A 1st team All-ACC player last season, Purvis will be on the short list for more postseason honors this season. Depth: There isn't any experienced depth behind Purvis though as his backup is redshirt freshman Lars Anderson. Redshirt sophomore Jordan McMicheal adds a lot of size to the tight end depth chart at 6'5" 262 pounds. When BC needs more heft on the line, McMicheal might be the one getting call.

LT Anthony Castonzo. Sophomore. Returning Starter.
LG - Clif Ramsey. Senior. Returning Starter.
C - Matt Tennant. (#21 C) Junior. Returning Starter.
RG - Thomas Claiborne. RS Sophomore. New Starter.
RT - Rich Lapham. RS Sophomore. New Starter.

Just like Pitt, Boston College is looking to replace a high draft pick at left tackle by moving over a former right tackle. Anthony Castonzo started every game last year at right tackle as a true freshman. He's added weight but is still a bit undersized at 6'7" 285 pounds. There will be some adjustments as he now faces the best speed rusher of the opposing team, but he's athletic and has a bright future. Helping out Castonzo is senior Clif Ramsey who moved to left guard after starting every game in 2007 at right guard. Matt Tennant went from the bench to full-time starter last year and performed admirably. He's back and will aid in the transition from the Matt Ryan era at QB. The biggest starter of the bunch is 6'3" 330 pound Thomas Claiborne. He's a rookie on the offensive side of the ball as he was switched over from defensive tackle midway through last season. Another slightly inexperienced player will slide into Castonzo's old right tackle spot. Redshirt sophomore Rich Lapham is 6'8" 320 pounds but has only seen limited action as a backup last season. Depth: There's no experience backing up Castonzo at left tackle as redshirt freshman Nathan Richman is the current #2 on the depth chart. One time ND recruit Pat Sheil is backing up Lapham at right tackle while another redshirt freshman, John Elliot, is behind Ramsey at left guard.


NAVY

TE - N/A

Still the easiest position to preview as Navy doesn't have a tight end on the roster.

LT - Jeff Battipaglia. Sophomore. New Starter.
LG - Anthony Gaskins. Senior. Returning Starter.
C - Ricky Moore. Senior. New Starter.
RG - Curtis Bass. Junior. New Starter.
RT - Andrew McGinn. Senior. Returning Starter.

As usual, Navy features the smallest offensive line that ND will face. There has been turnover from last year's line and so far in fall camp the story has been how the DL has been getting the better of the OL frequently. Left guard Anthony Gaskins (left) is the most experienced player on the line with 13 starts under his belt and also one of the strongest players on the team. Right tackle Andrew McGinn is back after an ankle injury limited him to only seven starts. Only listed at 255 pounds, he's extremely quick for an offensive tackle which definitely helps in Navy's option attack offense. Center Ricky Moore has plenty of size at 6'4" 295, but is new to the offensive line after switching over from defensive tackle this spring. Sophomore Jeff Battipaglia has been a surprise at camp jumping from third team to first team. Only 6'4" 260 pounds, he's light and hasn't played a snap in college yet. New right guard Curtis Bass did play some last year, but like Battipaglia he's smaller than average at 6'1", 266 pounds. Depth: 6'3" 260 pound junior Austin Mike was the starter at left tackle heading out of the spring, but as of the last depth chart was slotted as third string left guard. If Battipaglia struggles, Mike might find his way back to playing time at left tackle. Junior Andy Lark was moved over from defensive tackle in the spring like Moore and is pushing for backup guard status behind Bass.

SYRACUSE

TE - Mike Owen. RS Junior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 5 receptions, 51 yards, 0 TDs.

Redshirt junior Mike Owen was moved over from linebacker at the start of the 2007 and started three games as the backup tight end. He was more blocker than receiver last season, but that will need to change if he is to help out the struggling 'Cuse offense. Depth: Redshirt senior Ben Maljovec has also switched from linebacker where he started six games last season. He will have a significant learning curve after playing defense for four years. At a listed 6'3" 223 pounds, he's also going to be relatively undersize for a tight end.

LT - Tucker Baumbach. RS Sophomore. New Starter.
LG -Ryan Bartholomew. RS Sophomore. New Starter.
C - Jim McKenzie. RS Sophomore. Returning Starter.
RG - Ryan Durand. (#36 G) Senior. Returning Starter.
RT - Corey Chavers. RS Junior. Returning Starter.

The big push in the off-season for the Syracuse line was to lose weight and gain quickness. After being second only to Notre Dame in sacks allowed in 2007, the priority for the 'Cuse line was to improve against opposing pass rushers. New left tackle Tucker Baumbach is one of those players who dropped close to 30 pounds and now checks in at 6'5" 305 pounds. He only played in one game last year though, so while lighter on his feet he's still pretty inexperienced. There is experience on the right side of the line as both right guard Ryan Durand (right) and right tackle Corey Chavers are back with 24 and 18 career starts respectively to their name. As part of the OL last year that was actually worse running the ball than Notre Dame, they will need to turn that experience into better production in 2008. Center Jim McKenzie started the final 10 games of 2007 in his first year of action. He's relatively light at 280 pounds, but coming into the season as a veteran now, he should have a better idea of what to do on the field. The battle for the starting left guard spot is still ongoing in fall camp. Redshirt sophomore Ryan Bartholomew is currently listed as the starter after only seeing minimal time in two games last season. Depth: Pushing Bartholomew for the 1st team gig is sophomore Adam Rosner, who played in eight games last year as a backup. Jonathan Meldrum is penciled in as the backup right tackle after playing in seven games as a true freshman last season.

SOUTHERN CAL

TE -Anthony McCoy. Junior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 2 receptions, 18 yards, 1 TD.

Fred Davis was Southern Cal's leading receiver last year from the tight end spot. Replacing his production will be a tall task for junior Anthony McCoy. He only saw two passes last year and had been somewhat inconsistent in fall camp so he might start the season blocking or as a decoy more than receiving. Depth: Redshirt freshman Rhett Ellison has been having a strong fall so far and might push McCoy for playing time. When SC goes with two tight ends, Ellison might be the passing target while McCoy blocks. 5th year senior Jimmy Miller provides depth off the bench but the one to watch is freshman Blake Ayles. He'll definitely see the field and might even work his way into the starting lineup before the end of the season.

LT - Charles Brown. RS Junior. New Starter.
LG - Jeff Byers. (#18 G) RS Senior. Returning Starter.
C - Kristofer O'Dowd. (#18 C) Sophomore. New Starter.
RG - Zach Herberer. RS Sophomore. New Starter.
RT - Butch Lewis. (#53 T) RS Sophomore. New Starter.

The Southern Cal line will need to replace a number of departed NFL draft picks including left tackle stalwart Sam Baker. Redshirt junior Charles Brown is the new starter at left tackle after being a backup last season. He did start the 2007 opener at right tackle, but slid back to the second team. The graybeard of the SC line is redshirt junior Jeff Byers (left) who has battled all manners of injuries in his time with the Trojans. He was finally healthy last year and started every game. New to college and the starting lineup last year, Kristofer O'Dowd had a strong debut as a true freshman starting at center in three of the first four games before missing six games with a dislocated kneecap. He's now the #1 guy at center and will be a force for the next three years. Redshirt sophomore Butch Lewis will get the start at right tackle. Next to him at right guard is a bit of a fall camp battle. Redshirt sophomore Zach Herberer has a slight edge for now as he builds off of his two starts last season. Depth: Pushing Herberer is redshirt junior Thomas Herring (#49 G). Herring has failed to make an impact at tackle and is now fighting to start at guard. Alex Parsons came to SC as a defensive tackle but switched to the offensive line last season. He played sparingly and now is the backup center. Highly regarded freshman Tyron Smith is the backup at left tackle.


2008 Opponent Tight End Analysis and Ranking

After allowing two passing touchdowns to tight ends in 2006, that number doubled in 2007. The good news is that none of the tight ends that caught one (Kellen Davis -2, Dustin Keller, Fred Davis) return for 2008. How the Irish perform against tight ends in the passing game will depend largely on the play of new starter Harrison Smith. He'll be blitzing a lot, but also will drop into coverage and likely be covering the opposing tight end. If you don't hear the tight ends name a lot, then Harrison Smith is probably having a good game.

The biggest offensive weapons appear to be BC's Ryan Purvis, Pitt's Nate Byham (and Dorin Dickerson), UNC's Zach Pianalto, and Michgian's Carson Butler. Of course, it remains to be seen how much Michigan's new offense will feature Butler. Byham and Pianalto are solid targets in offenses with a number of very good receivers so odds are they will be open plenty. Purvis will be a much bigger source of defensive attention as BC is bringing in a number of new receivers.

As extra blockers, it's hard to really say much about this year's crop. There are no 280 pounders who are basically offensive linemen wearing a tight end number. But each team has a few guys over 250 who will have the size and strength to help out in the rush game. Will ND's still young linebackering corp be able to shed the TE blocks and tackle the running back?

Here's my best guess at how to rank them. There just aren't a lot of no-doubt All-American tight ends facing ND this season. But there are a number of guys who have experience either as a returning starter or a backup who cut his teeth last year as a blocker.

1. Pittsburgh - Byham is a solid tight end and Dickerson has a lot of potential.
2. Boston College - Purvis is the best tight end ND will face. Not too much depth after him though.
3. North Carolina - Pianalto will make teams pay if they forget about him. Solid team depth.
4. Michigan - Carson Bulter is extremely athletic. How much will Michigan use him?
5. Stanford - Once Dray is healthy and Reuland is eligble, Stanford will have two solid tight ends.
6. Southern Cal - A bit of a rebuilding year for the Trojans at tight end. Watch out for Ayles.
7. Purdue - A down year for Purdue at the tight end spot.
8. Washington - The starter isn't much of a threat, but there are some decent freshmen.
9. Michigan State - Not much experience trying to fill Kellen Davis's shoes.
10. San Diego State - Some new faces will need to prove they can help the Aztec offense.
11. Syracuse - Two inexperienced converted defensive players isn't an ideal TE depth chart.
12. Navy - No tight end. No way to avoid 12th place.

2008 Opponent Offensive Line Analysis and Ranking

The Notre Dame offensive line is getting a lot of attention, but the play of the defensive line is what will make or break the ND season. Last year the Irish couldn't stop the run all season and now they have to improve while losing star Trevor Laws. The DL will be young and inexperienced with a completely different starting lineup than the one that began 2007. It's not a recipe for obvious success.

To complete the picture though, we need to look at the type of lines that ND will face. Are they filled with veterans and All-America candidates, or, are they mostly as inexperienced as ND's D-line? As always, reality is somewhere in the murky middle, but this year it's leaning more toward inexperience than veteran stars. No team on the schedule returns all five starters from last year. Only two teams (UNC, UW) return four starters. Before taking an overall look though, I want to focus on the left tackles that will try to slow the Irish pass rush.

Last season, Notre Dame faced nine returning starters at left tackle. The number this season drops to five. Last season, Phil Steele ranked seven opposing left tackles, including three in his Top 10. This season, he only ranked one, Pitt's Jason Pinkston, a new starter, at #46. In other words, there is a big dropoff in talent and experience at the opponent left tackle spot from last season.

Taking it a step further, Stanford, North Carolina, and Washington are the only teams that return a starting left tackle who actually played left tackle last season. Boston College and Purdue are moving a right tackle over to left tackle, which isn't always a successful move. Mo Richardson will be the defensive end most often facing off against the opposing left tackles. It will be very interesting to see how he performs as the number of inexperienced tackles should translate into increased Irish pass pressure and sacks. If not, then it will be another long season.

Looking at the running game, there is some good news and bad news. The good news is that the likely two toughest opponents, Southern Cal and Michigan, also have some of the least experienced offensive lines. With the case of the Trojans they will have the entire season to develop before facing ND, but they still aren't quite up to the levels of previous years. The bad news for ND is that what could be considered the so-called "swing games", those make or break the season type games against programs that are on the upswing like North Carolina, Michigan State, and Pitt, feature plenty of returning staters. Even Washington, while maybe not as talented as others on the schedule, returns a very veteran line. That could pose a problem for the ND run defense, especially against the Tarheels and Spartans as they have a quality running backs at their disposal. Pitt also has a star RB, but their line seems to be somewhat of a work in progress. The Irish defense will need to take advantage of lines like these and not be pushed around by them. If they can do so, whether by scheme or brute strength, then ND will surprise. If teams continue to get four to five yards a carry against the somewhat undersized ND line, it might be a second disappointing season.

On to the rankings, and I have to be honest. This is probably the least sure I've been in ranking a position unit in the three years I've been doing this. There are no clear cut dominant units. There are very few terrible ones that obviously belong at the bottom. You could say that teams 1 through 9 could be reordered in just about any configuration. In the end, I leaned heavily on returning experience, game-ready quality backups, and the oh-so-vague "gut feeling". Criticisms and alternate suggestions are certainly welcome in the comment section.

1. North Carolina - A nice mix of returning veterans, depth, and size.
2. Washington - A huge OL that needs Garcia to stay healthy to keep this ranking.
3. Michigan State - A few new faces, but no starter younger than redshirt junior.
4. Southern Cal - A step back for a normally dominant line. How good will they be by November?
5. Boston College - The returning starters will keep the new guys in line.
6. Pittsburgh - A bit of a wild card. When a freshman pushes for a starting job, that's not a great sign.
7. Purdue - Should be solid at tackle. The interior might be weaker than the last few iterations.
8. Stanford - Plenty of returning players, but returning from a team that struggled last season.
9. Michigan - A ton of new faces and inexperience. And not all of the new guys were top recruits.
10. Syracuse - A skinnier version of last season's porous line.
11. Navy - A bit of a rebuilding job will be needed on the Navy line.
12. San Diego State - Injuries have hurt what was already a so-so line.

Destructive Summer | by Pat

Bad news from the Irish practice fields as sophomore starting tight end Mike Ragone will officially miss the 2008 season with a torn ACL. The tear occurred during the summer while running passing routes, but Ragone tried to see if he could play on it anyways.

"His two options were to have the knee fixed immediately or to brace it and try to play," Weis said. "He understood that eventually the knee would have to be fixed and he was hoping to do it at the conclusion of the 2008 season.

"Mike had continued to practice but felt his progress had deteriorated."

Ragone came to Weis on Thursday and told him of his decision to have surgery, the coach said.

"The surgery was successful and Mike will spend the 2008 season rehabbing to be ready for the 2009 season," Weis said.

Since Ragone played last year as a true freshman, he can use 2008 as his medical redshirt and not lose a year of eligiblity. Still, with Ragone's injury and Konrad Reuland working for a starting job at Stanford, Notre Dame's once deep depth chart at tight end all of sudden is anything but.

The pessimistic view is that now Notre Dame will run its tight end friendly offense with three scholarship tight ends. One is a junior with limited experience who missed all of spring practice and the other two are true freshmen. The glass half-full version is that ND still has plenty of talent available at the tight end spot.

Will Yeatman is back from his semester suspension and up to 260 pounds. He isn't as fast as Ragone, but is bigger and an excellent blocker. He probably won't be running as many seam routes as Ragone would have, but should be very effective in the short passing game. Freshman Kyle Rudolph has been impressing everyone so far this fall and probably would have seen the field even if Ragone was healthy. He will add some of that speed back to the tight end spot and be an excellent complement to Yeatman. There's always the possibility that he'll take the #1 tight end spot at some point this season and not give it back until he graduates. The buzz on him has been pretty high so far. He was practicing with the first string today, but it's probably best not to read too much into that already.

Fullback Luke Schmidt also cross-trained as a tight end this past spring which adds to the team depth. According to Weis he'll be playing more of a "move TE" or H-back role this season than a pure fullback or tight end. (Think of when Carlson lined up in the backfield last season, occasionally going in motion before the snap.) Finally, freshman Joseph Fauria would benefit from a year in the weight room, but might be needed at some point this season. He's already 6'7" and all of 245 pounds, but would make a better occasional red zone target than consistent in-line blocker at this point.

Losing Ragone is a blow, but ND does have some very talented options. Inexperience is really the biggest hurdle at this point, which was still true when Ragone was considered the starter. Irish Illustrated focused on the remaining tight ends today at practice in this video report for those who want to give the remaining TE candidates the ol' eyeball test.

Koooontz | by Pat

If you're a bit tired with the mostly predictable and scripted player responses to mostly predictable and scripted media questions, the latest Irish Insights interview of Pat Kuntz is a welcome respite. It avoids the standard cliches and gets to the heart of the kind of inside scoop we all hope to learn.

II: You have your quirks. What's the quirk people don't know?

PK: "Hmm. Quirkiest thing about me people don't know? I can probably burp longer than any person, human being, I've ever met."

II: Wow. How long?

PK: "I can do the ABC's twice before in one burp. I can do it without drinking anything. I can do it right now, yeah."

II: Go for it.

PK: "Go for it? Ha. Hey (Brian Hardin, Notre Dame's director of football media relations), do you think I can burp in an interview?"

Brian Hardin: "(Shakes head, saying no.)

PK: "Nope, probably not going to have to do that. But just imagine, it can get pretty long."

Awesome. But not even the best exchange in the interview.

II: Your last name, obviously, what's the worst mispronounciation (it's pronounced Koo-NTZ) you've had?

PK: "(Laughs uncontrollably) Let's just say people call the house, the telemarketers, and they pronounce it, I don't know if I should say it but people can probably think about it. They are always like 'Mr. Blank.' I'm like 'Nope, none of that here.' And I hang up the phone."

SkyWriting: attrition edition | by Pat

• Starting things off, the junior class lost another player when backup wide receiver Richard Jackson decided to leave the program and transfer to a new school closer to his Florida hometown.

"I talked with Richard Thursday night and again (Friday) morning to make sure he had thoroughly thought this decision through," Irish head coach Charlie Weis said in a statement. "He informed me this morning that he intended to part ways with the program and transfer to a school closer to home. We thank him for his time and wish him well in the future."

Jackson sat out all of last season with a hand injury and, while he appears to be healthy now, has been stuck behind sophomore Duval Kamara and junior George West on this fall's depth chart. With classmate Robby Parris and young players like Golden Tate, Michael Floyd, Deion Walker, and John Goodman pressing for more playing time, Jackson's chances to see the field weren't great.

Jackson is the 6th player to leave ND from the junior class. Bartley Webb is no longer playing due to injury, but is still in school and helping out with the program. Darrin Walls is not in school this semester, but it is expected to return in January (more on this later). With the number of players leaving, there is a worry that ND will again face the lack of upperclassmen numbers that has affected the team the past two seasons. However the junior class was a large one with 28 players and added one in starting punter Eric Maust making the class still 22 players strong heading into their junior year. Of course, it's never good to see players leave. Hopefully the attrition from this particular class is over and good luck to Jackson in the future.

• As for Darrin Walls, if you were worried about him not coming back to ND, don't be.

“I wouldn’t let Darrin transfer to Pitt even if he wanted to,” the father added. “I want him to graduate from Notre Dame. He’s not going anywhere and he’ll be back in January.”

The whole need to clarify the situation arose when the sight of Darrin's father at a Pitt practice -- he's friends with the coaching staff -- turned into an internet wildfire rumor of Darrin being at practice and considering a transfer. The good news is that he's not planning on any transfer and the even better news is that the family expects Darrin to return for the spring 2009 semester.

• ESPN has started a new set of college football blogs and so far the results are pretty positive. Graham Watson is covering ND and in a bit about Sam Young's off-season training in Florida mentioned a foot injury in addition to the wrist injury that prompted his move to left tackle.

Working at Perfect Competition this summer was really the first time Young felt healthy. During the season, he'd suffered a right wrist injury and a chronic foot injury that limited his mobility.

It's debatable how much the foot injury affected his quickness and technique last year, but it couldn't have helped. Hopefully a healthy foot and wrist, combined with the return to right tackle and the oft-mentioned off-season weight gains will combine to present a much improved Young for 2008.

• As for Watson's coverage of ND, she's doing a solid job so far. She's also noting the difference between covering ND and her previous assignment covering Missouri.

• About 900 "reporters" cover Notre Dame. Really, I think it's 50 reporters, 25 TV people, 75 sit-on-the-couch bloggers, and 750 alumni who all wear Notre Dame shirts and have questions about the team.

• I heard more stories about fans ripping journalists for negative stories than I've ever heard in my life. I thought Missouri was passionate, but I had no idea.

If she thinks the journalists get it bad, she should see the kind of mail I can only imagine Charlie got during last season.

• Back on the scheduling front, it appears the 10 year ND and Syracuse deal is closer to being official.

The five designated "home" games for Syracuse against Notre Dame that will be moved to the Meadowlands/Giants Stadium will only be slotted in years the Orange has at least six other home games lined up at the Carrier Dome.

Later in the article, Donnie Webb clarifies that odd years are the likely away games for ND with even year matchups being played at Notre Dame. When the contract starts isn't clear yet. 2010, 2011, or 2012 are mentioned as possibilities. It should be noted that if the deal with UConn has been finalized, then ND is already playing three Big East teams in 2011 (Pitt, UConn, South Florida) and Syracuse would be the fourth. Either than means 2012 is a more likely start date or ND is going to contend for the Big East conference championship in 2011.

(I've got a) Golden Ticket | by Pat

Once again, reader Trace H. comes through with a scan of this season's home game tickets.


The theme of the tickets will have significance during the season. Each home game after the San Diego State game will honor one of ND's five national championship winning coaches starting with Holtz against Michigan and ending with Rockne at the Syracuse game.

The championship coaches (or family representatives) will take part in the ceremonial pre-game coin toss, using a specially produced commemorative coin that features the likenesses of all five coaches. Holtz and Parseghian will be present, while approximately 20 Devine family members, 15 members of the Leahy family and six Rockne family members are expected to return for the weekend.

Holtz's recognition at the Sept. 13 game against Michigan coincides with the dedication of the Holtz sculpture that same morning in Notre Dame Stadium, as well as the 1988 national championship team's 20th reunion that same weekend. He also will be honored at halftime that afternoon for his '08 College Football Hall of Fame induction.

...that name again is Mr. Plow | by Pat

One of the few feel good stories of the past year has been the development of junior OL Chris Stewart. It wasn't even a year ago that Notre Dame tried just about everything to slow down Michigan's pass rush. The ND coaches grab-bagged with 11 different offensive line configurations during the game to no avail. But while freshmen and walk-on transfers were being sent out onto the field, Chris Stewart stayed on the sideline, the only scholarship offensive lineman who made the trip to do so. Humiliation on top of the humiliation taking place on the field.

It wasn't long after that game that he took the mid-season trip back to Texas to contemplate a transfer. But his dad kicked him in the butt, Stewart returned to ND, and since then he's been a completely different player. I was thinking of his evolution from tubby 396 pound freshman to failed defensive tackle in the spring of 2007 to current 330 pound starting offensive lineman while watching him fold Toryan Smith in half and bury him into the turf during yesterday's spirited Irish Eyes Drill (read: Oklahoma drill). Watching him maul defenders as the newest starting member of the offensive line is not only a good thing for ND's offense, but a great story coming off a year that hasn't had many of them.

Und.com has video of the entire Irish Eyes drill up on the website and if it doesn't get you excited and make the wait until September 6th even more excruciating, well, you just don't have a soul. I can't recommend watching this over and over enough. Frank from UHND has the entire play by play for those who are still in pre-season form and haven't memorized the roster.

There is plenty more video goodness to take up your time today. The main fall video page on und.com lists out the rest of the videos from yesterday including the full speed, full contact, first team vs. first team scrimmage and energy and emotion-filled goalline do or die that ended practice. (We hear und.com will unveil a new media player very soon that will let any browser watch the practices video. Until then you'll have to use Internet Explorer.) If you're still having trouble with und.com video's, BGI has nice video of the WRs and CB working on press coverage while II's practice videos is up on youtube.

Enjoy, because this is probably the most video of the team we're going to get until San Diego State rolls into town. 24 long, long days to go....

2008 Opponent Position Preview: Wide Receivers | by Pat

Passers here. Runners here. Here are the catchers.

SAN DIEGO STATE

Darren Mougey. Senior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 32 receptions, 368 yards, 2 TDs.
Vincent Brown. Sophomore. New Starter.
2007 stats: 31 receptions, 349 yards, 2 TDs.

The Aztecs lost their top two receivers to graduation and will break in a pair of new starters. Senior Darren Mougey is one of the tallest receivers the Irish will have to face at 6'6" 230 pounds which will certainly help in the redzone. As a converted quarterback who started six games under center in 2005, he should be well-versed in reading the defense and spotting blitzes. He also started six games at WR so he has experience at his new position as well. 6'0" 175 pound Vincent Brown (right) was right behind Mougey in terms of production last year, finishing fourth on the team in receptions. Back for his sophomore year he should be even more comfortable in the offense and could see more deep balls thrown his way as last season's deep threats graduated. Depth: Junior Mikell Wesley only caught one pass last year, but led the team in kickoff returns and even returned one for a touchdown. It's a safe bet his speed will be put to increased use in the Aztec offense. At 6'4", junior Roberto Wallace is another tall receiver that will see a few passes a game thrown his way.

MICHIGAN

Greg Matthews. (#22) Junior. Returning Stater.
2007 stats: 39 receptions, 366 yards, 3 TDs.
Junior Hemmingway. Sophomore. New Starter.
2007 stats: 4 receptions, 37 yards, 0 TDs.
Toney Clemons. Sophomore. New Starter.
2007 stats: 1 reception, 5 yards, 0 TDs.

Like San Diego State, Michigan has to replace their two most productive receivers from last year. The shift in offensive philosophy changes the roles and responsibilities of the receivers somewhat, but they will still be used frequently and will need a set of new faces to pick up where last year's leaders left off. Junior Greg Matthews (left) was reasonably productive last season but as the leader of the receivers he will now face the other team's top cover corner. He has the size to be effective at 6'3" 207 pounds and with eight starts under his belt he has the experience to make in instant impact. There are high expectations for sophomore Junior Hemmingway. He made one start last year in addition to playing in ten games. Like Matthews he will be on the outside and work to stretch the defense. Toney Clemons will also start, most likely in the slot position, a key part of Michigan's new offense. Clemons doesn't have much experience but like Hemmingway earned very positive reviews in spring practice. Depth: Freshman Darryl Stonum enrolled early so that he could participate in spring practice. Tall at 6'3" and exceptionally fast, it's only a matter of time until he becomes a potent threat for Michigan. He might not be fully up to speed by the time they face the Irish, but will be a pain in the years to come. Pushing Clemons for playing time at the slot are a trio of shorter, but exceptionally fast freshmen. Terrence Robinson, Martavious Odoms, and Michael Shaw were all recruited with the slot position in mind and at least one of them will see time there early in the season.

MICHIGAN STATE

Mark Dell. Sophomore. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 20 receptions, 220 yards, 2 TDs.
Deon Curry. Senior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 24 receptions, 200 yards, 1 TD.

Although only a sophomore, Mark Dell (right) is Michigan State's leading returning receiver aside from running back Javon Ringer. An exceptional athlete, Dell will be counted on to replace last year's star Devin Thomas. He was hyped recruit and now that he's the #1 receiver he will be the target of most of Brian Hoyer's passes. Senior Deon Curry started a handful of games last year and at this point is more of a complimentary player. Not overly fast or tall, he will need to produce early if he wants to hold off some of the talented younger players on the roster. Depth: Redshirt freshman B.J. Cunningham had a strong spring and showed an ability to make be effective on jump balls. He will push Curry for playing time from the start. Freshman Fred Smith is being hailed as the next big Spartan receiver star, but even though he's physically ready for college football, there will be some adjustment period. His classmate Keshawn Martin is having a strong start to fall camp and might work his way into the mix as well. Unlike Cunningham, Smith, and Martin, redshirt junior walk-on Blair White has a few college receptions to his name and will provide some experience off the bench.

PURDUE

Greg Orton. (#27) Senior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 67 receptions, 752 yards, 3 TDs.
Aaron Valentin. Sophomore. New Starter.
2007 stats: At Junior College
Joe Whitest. Senior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 0 receptions, 0 yards, 0 TDs.

Another team that will have to replace departed leaders, Purdue lost four of their five top receivers from last year. Senior Greg Orton (left) is the lone holdover and last year's #3 receiver is the new top target. At 6'3", 200 pounds, he uses his size well to fight for the ball in the air. Not exactly a deep threat, he still is fast enough to help stretch the defense. JUCO transfer Aaron Valentin will help replace the departed Dorien Bryant. His impact will be determined by how fast he can pick up the offense. He was with the team for spring practice so at least he's not starting from scratch. Fifth-year senior Joe Whitest has been mainly a special teams player with only one reception to his name over the past two seasons. Depth: Senior Desmond Tardy caught 10 passes last season and very likely could move into the starting lineup by the ND game, but an injury kept him out of spring practice and set him back a bit in his quest to supplant Valentin or Whitest. Converted quarterback Kevin Smith is a big target at 6'2" 225 pounds and if Whitest can't get the job done, Smith could move into the starting lineup as well.

STANFORD

Richard Sherman. Junior. Returning Stater.
2007 stats: 39 receptions, 651 yards, 4 TDs.
Doug Baldwin. Sophomore. New Starter.
2007 stats: 11 receptions, 93 yards, 0 TDs.

Longtime starters Mark Bradford and Evan Moore have finally graduated, but it was actually junior Richard Sherman (right) who led the Cardinal in receiving yards last season. He will certainly be counted on to produce in 2008 as he's the only returning receiver who caught a touchdown pass in 2007. Sophomore Doug Baldwin is a smaller receiver at 5'11", but he's the second most experienced receiver on the roster. He isn't a speedy deep threat, but will use his quickness to try and shake defenders. Depth: Sophomore walk-on Ryan Whalen is probably next in line for attention from the Stanford QB. He only hauled in one reception last year but that still makes him the third most productive returning receiver. Converted safety Marcus Rance is listed as third string on the depth chart right behind Whalen. Behind Baldwin is fifth year senior and former walk-on Nate Wilcox-Fogel who has yet to catch a pass.

NORTH CAROLINA

Hakeem Nicks (#26) Junior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 74 receptions, 958 yards, 5 TDs.
Brandon Tate. Senior Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 25 receptions, 479 yards, 5 TDs.
Brooks Foster. RS Junior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 29 receptions, 417 yards, 2 TDs.

The North Carolina receiving corp will be a talented one in 2008. Headlining is junior Hakeem Nicks (left), a returning All-ACC receiver with 22 career starts to his credit. He already breaking school records with two seasons left to play. ND fans might remember his 171 receiving yards against ND as a freshman in 2006. A big, physical receiver he will be one of the better receivers the Irish face. Senior Brandon Tate is a breakaway threat who's 19.16 yards per reception was good for 9th in the nation last season. He also led the ACC in all-purpose yards per game. Redshirt junior Brooks Foster is an experienced player and at 6'3" can be trouble for shorter corners. Depth: An NCAA mistake was corrected and former 5-star WR recruit Dwight Jones has left DII Valdosta State and joined the Tarheel team. At 6'4" 217 pounds he is physically ready to play right away and should definitely make an impact this season assuming he can pick up the offense. Another sizable backup is 6'4" 23o pound junior Kenton Thorton who caught 8 passes last season.

WASHINGTON

D'Andre Goodwin. Junior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 6 receptions, 29 yards, 0 TDs.
Alvin Logan. RS Freshman. New Starter.
2007 stats: redshirted.

After losing nearly their entire receiving corp, junior D'Andre Goodwin (right) is the leading returning receiver even though he only caught 6 passes last season. He's quick and has potential, but it's going to be a big step up in responsibility for him this season. He's on the smaller side at 6'0" 170 pounds so he won't be able to get away with just muscling defenders. Redshirt freshman Alvin Logan is a bigger receiver at 6'2" and he'll have to not let his inexperience slow him down so he can take some of the attention off Goodwin. Depth: Sophomore Curtis Shaw was switched over to receiver during last season and hauled in four passes. However, he left the team today and isn't expected be a part of the 2008 receiver rotation. Talented freshman Chris Polk is still practicing at running back, but could be switched to receiver if his speed is needed there. Senior Chancellor Young has rejoined the team after focusing on academics the past two seasons. Freshman Devin Augilar, Anthony Boyles, Cody Bruns, Jermaine Kearse, and Vince Taylor are all competing for a shot at catching the ball and it's likely one or two of them will make a move up the depth chart. Augilar and Boyles are actually a year older but failed to qualify for 2007. There is some talent among the young five receivers, but like with all freshman, mastering the playbook will be their biggest challenge.

PITTSBURGH

Derek Kinder. (#20) RS Junior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: out with torn ACL.
Oderick turner. (#31) Junior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 36 receptions, 496 yards, 5 TDs.

Pittsbugh welcomes back Derek Kinder (left), who missed all of 2007 with a ACL injury. In 2006 he was a 1st Team All-Big East player and finished the season with 57 receptions for 847 yards and 6 touchdowns. All that should hold him back from another all-conference year is how well he bounces back from his knee injury. Junior Oderick Turner led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns last season and while he will see the ball less with Kinder back, he should find a bit more room to run now that he's not getting most of the defensive attention. Depth: Junior T.J. Porter was second on the team in yards with 37 receptions for 329 yards. He didn't catch a touchdown pass though and although he had one more reception than Turner, he had 167 fewer receiving yards. Star recruit Jonathan Baldwin may only be a freshman this season, but he's 6'6" 225 pounds with a 40" vertical, so he won't sit on the sidelines for long. Watch out for him in the red zone. Junior Cedric McGee caught 8 passes last season and will provide some experience and special teams support coming off the bench.

BOSTON COLLEGE

Rich Gunnell. Junior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 64 receptions, 931 yards, 7 TDs.
Brandon Robinson. (#41) Senior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 56 receptions, 793 yards, 5 TDs.

While BC lost a lot of starters from last year's squad, they returned their top two receivers. After only 8 catches his freshman year, junior Rich Gunnel (right) led the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 2007. Gunnell isn't tall at 5'11", but is fast enough to be a deep threat and has the experience to continue being a productive receiver even without Matt Ryan. Brandon Robinson is another sub-six footer but has plenty of experience with over 100 career receptions. Like Gunnell he also averaged over 14 yards per reception last year which hints at an ability to get behind the defense. Depth: Junior Clarence Megwa has the physical size to compliment Gunnell and Robinson and in BC's pass-happy offense hauled in 30 receptions, 353 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Sophomore Billy Flutie had a strong spring and Ifeanyi Momah is an interesting option with his 6'6" 225 pound size. 6'3", 196 pound freshman Colin Larmond came in with expectations that he should be able to see the field sooner rather than later.

NAVY

Tyree Barnes. Senior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 10 receptions, 168 yards, 1 TD.
Curtis Sharp. Senior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 0 receptions, 0 yards, 0 TDs.

Navy's offense rarely highlights their receivers in the passing game, but they tend to make the most of their opportunities when defenses key too much on the run. Tyree Barnes (left) is a heady veteran who started every game last year and is going to be counted on as a leader of a young corp this season. He has battled knee injuries in the past and now is healthy. Curtis Sharp hasn't recorded a reception yet, but, in contrast to the usual undersized Navy players, he will be one of the biggest wide receivers that the Irish will face at 6'4", 247 pounds. As Navy receivers spend a lot of their time blocking for the running game, he should be extremely effective once he gets his hands on a defender. Depth: Competing with Sharp is senior T.J. Theil who likewise hasn't recorded a collegiate reception. Backing up Barnes is sophomore Mario Washington, a smaller and quicker receiver like so many that have been extremely effective in Navy's offense.

SYRACUSE

Lavar Lobdell. Junior. New Starter.
2007 stats: 8 receptions, 86 yards, 0 TDs.
Donte Davis. RS Sophomore. New Starter.
2007 stats: out with broken thumb.

Syracuse took a major hit in the off-season when their best returning player, receiver Mike Williams, was kicked out of school. That means the team's leading returning receiver is Lavar Lodbell (right) with only 8 receptions. Lobdell was a highly regarded recruit but hasn't had much production so far for Syracuse. He's 6'3" 200 pounds so at the very least he has the size to fight off defenders and carry tacklers for a few extra yards. Donte Davis missed all of last season with a broken thumb, but he did catch 9 passes his freshman year. Listed at 6'0" 169 pounds he's on the slight side and might have trouble with more physical corners. Depth: Dan Sheeran is the only other receiver with game experience on the roster, but he broke his leg early in fall camp and will be out until November. He likely will be back for the Notre Dame game, but how effective he'll be remains to be seen. Junior Daniel Bailey and senior Bruce Williams were moved to receiver from running back and free safety respectively. Williams was expected to be the starting free safety this year, so that's a sign of the desperation of Syracuse to get more receivers who have at least played somewhere on the field.

SOUTHERN CAL

Patrick Turner. (#10) Senior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 48 receptions, 569 yards, 3 TDs.
Vidal Hazelton. (#21) Junior. Returning Starter.
2007 stats: 50 receptions, 540 yards, 4 TDs.

Senior Patrick Turner was expected to break out last year but despite a productive season he didn't have the impact many expected. He has all of the tools to be a dominant receiver and even if he doesn't live up to his lofty expectations he still will be an extremely tough receiver to cover. Like Turner, junior Vidal Hazelton is entering his second season as a starter and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him become SC's go-to receiver. Extremely quick and shifty for a 6'3" 210 pounder, Hazelton is coming off a strong spring and could very likely become one of the better receivers in the nation in 2008. Depth: Like at running back, SC is stacked with former 4 and 5 star recruits. Redshirt sophomore David Ausberry (#58) is a big target at 6'4" 225 pounds and started five games last season. As he becomes more comfortable with the offense, he will be harder to keep off the field. Arkansas transfer Damian Williams (#61) kept earning accolades during spring practice and will give the Trojans yet another experienced and speedy receiver. Sophomore Ronald Johnson quickly became SC's deep threat and is the fastest of the Trojan receivers. He only had 7 receptions, but averaged nearly 16 yards per catch. Redshirt sophomore Jordan Cameron is a tall target at 6'5" 220, which makes sense since he was on the basketball team at BYU before transferring to Southern Cal to play football. Brice Butler and D.J. Shoemate are two freshmen with plenty of recruiting accolades but might have to wait their turn.

2008 Opponent Wide Receiver Analysis and Ranking

The first thing I noticed is that Notre Dame isn't facing a single receiver who cracked the thousand yard receiving mark last season. Even more striking, of the 27 starters listed here, only 9 had more receiving yards than John Carlson did on last year's NCAA-worst Irish offense. There just isn't a lot of experience and proven production facing ND this season. The lack of veteran receivers is even more apparent early in the season. In the first five games, ND only will line up against four returning starters. All told there are only four senior receivers who are returning starters.

With the loss of Darrin Walls putting a question mark on how Raeshon McNeil will step into his starting corner spot, no doubt so many inexperienced receivers will make the transition slightly easier. And it's not just about McNeil either. Inexperience among the starters mean the third and fourth receivers for many teams are seeing the field for the first time. As second-string CB Gary Gray is in a similar situation for the Irish, his lack of experience won't be a huge determent as he will be facing many similarly inexperienced receivers.

If the front seven are able to generate some sort of pass rush, the experience and talent of the Irish secondary combined with the inexperience of the opposing receiver could and should lead to an increase over last year's 11 interceptions.

With experience also comes improved blocking skills. As ND looks for ways to slow down the run, the possiblity of weaker run blocking from the receivers is a positive in ND's favor. Likewise, the ability to recognize a blitz and run the correct hot route might be the same kind of issue for opponents in 2008 as it was for ND receivers in 2007.

But while the experience isn't there, there are a number of talented young players with the talent to go from little previous production to royal pain to cover. In this category I would place most of Michigan's WR depth chart, Dell, Cunningham, and Smith from Michigan State, Baldwin from Pitt, Jones from North Carolina, and of course Southern Cal's treasure trove of talent. As with last year, it's likely ND will add a third safety like Sergio Brown or an extra corner like Gary Gray when teams run out multiple receivers. Both Irish players are extremely athletic, but have little experience and will let up a few big plays from time to time.

Looking at the rankings, I think there is a bit of a break from the top three or four teams to the rest below. After that it's a mix of young talent with only a few decent but not spectacular experienced players.

1. Southern Cal - A deep and talented bunch poised to breakout.
2. North Carolina - Nicks headlines an experienced group. Getting Jones eligible is a bonus.
3. Pittsburgh - If Kinder's knee is fully healed, this might be a spot low.
4. Boston College - Not much star power, but nearly everyone is back from last year.
5. Michigan -Matthews and a lot of highly regarded recruits might be underestimated by many.
6. Michigan State - Will need either Dell or one of the talented freshmen to step up.
7. Purdue - Orton is a proven player, but beyond that are a lot of question marks.
8. Stanford - Someone will need to help take the pressure off Sherman.
9. San Diego State - Two new starters, but they did see the ball fairly often last season.
10. Navy - Barnes is the only experienced player back. The new faces will need to acclimate quickly.
11. Washington - Barely any experience at all, but a number of reasonably talented freshmen.
12. Syracuse -Expulsions and injuries have decimated this unit.

Interest in the Irish | by Pat

Pennsylvania defensive back E.J. Banks made the start of fall practice even better by calling up Coach Weis on Friday and becoming the 14th member of the recruiting class of 2009.

"It means a lot to me to be going to Notre Dame," Banks said. "I know that, when I graduate from there, a lot of doors will be opened for me that wouldn't have been opened if I had chosen to go somewhere else. For football, it is a great place, but it is a lot more than that, and all of that weighed into my decision."

Banks has an extremely impressive offer list that includes finalist Ohio State as well as LSU, Georgia, Florida State, Nebraska, Tennessee, Miami, Clemson, Pitt, Virginia Tech, and many others. It's usually a good sign when teams from the SEC look north for skill position players and that is the case with Banks. On the other hand, Banks is also one of those recruits where his offer list doesn't exactly match up with his ranking on the recruiting sites. After starting the year in the Top 100 on Rivals, Banks dropped into the Top 250 and then out of that list as well. He's currently a 3-star recruit on Rivals and listed as the #42nd overall recruit in the "athlete" category. Scout.com has him as a 3-star as well and the 26th best safety. ESPN is slightly more impressed with Banks and lists him as #131 overall recruit in the nation and #16 "athlete".

The lower rankings on Rivals and Scout are somewhat understandable as neither site seems sure where he will wind up in college. Safety? Cornerback? Wide Receiver? ND has told him that he is being brought in as a corner and will get a chance to see the field at that position first. Banks certainly fits ND's recent trend towards taller and bigger cornerbacks. His highlight clips are heavy on his work as his high school team's starting quarterback, but also include plays out of the free safety position.



Banks is also likely to enroll early at ND along with Tyler Stockton. Combined with Marlon Pollard, Banks already gives ND a strong defensive back recruiting class with the Irish looking to add a safety to complete the DB recruiting.

As mentioned earlier, ESPN has finally released their Top 150 list and player rankings. For posterity, here is where they rank the currently committed Irish players and the rating each player gets out of 100.

Cierre Wood - #3 Athlete, #23 Overall, 84 rating
Tyler Stockton - #2 DT, #32 Overall, 83 rating
Chris Watt - #5 OG, #5 #68 Overall, 82 rating
Zach Martin - #11 OG, 105 Overall, 81 rating
E.J. Banks - #16 Athlete, 131 Overall, 81 rating
Tyler Eifert - #13 TE, 79 rating
Theo Riddick - #48 Athlete, 78 rating
Carlo Calabrese - #12 ILB, 78 rating
Marlon Pollard - #21 CB, 78 rating
Jake Golic - #34 TE, 77 rating
Alex Bullard - #35 OG, 77 rating
Dan Fox - #61 OLB, 76 rating
Nick Tausch - #20 K, 74 rating
Ben Turk - unranked as of now

Sneak Peak | by Pat

ND fan RocketShark emailed us a link to some photos he took of yesterday's open practice. If anyone else wants to add in their pictures, videos, or observations, throw a link in the comment section or email us.

It's wise not to get too excited or depressed based on what you can see at a practice that doesn't even feature full pads. But you can tell which players had a productive off-season in the weight room, who is lining up where, and which ones are showing leadership on the practice field.

Let's Dive Right In | by Pat

Guess what? Football's started!

This past Friday Charlie sat down with the media and ran through his thoughts on the start of fall camp. After that was the first practice of the new 2008 season. By NCAA rules, the first five practices can't have full pads, so we're still in the so-called acclimation period.

UND.com has a whole host of video as usual. Make sure to bookmark this link as it is the collection point for all fall camp video. If you're looking for just the audio, here is an mp3 of Charlie's press conference. The transcript can be found here. As usual, it's chock full of good stuff. Here are some highlights:

On off-season conditioning...

And for the first time in history, Chris Stewart is no longer the heaviest lineman. He weighed in at a svelte 329, which is quite a drop from a couple pounds under four bills when he got here. He looks wonderful.

As a matter of fact, now you can call Sam Young Tubby, because he now outweighs Chris. But it's nice to see Chris coming in in such great shape.

With the running backs, we weren't worried about their weight as much as their strength, and all three of the guys that are in contention all raised their bench press 100 pounds from last year to this year. That is a significant upgrade in strength.

Our interior defensive linemen, the guys that lineup in the nose, we wanted them all to get to at least a 600 pound squat. Ian (Williams) got there, Paddy Mullen got there, Brandon Newman's there, and Pat Kuntz, though we have him listed defensive end, if we slid him inside, he's there, too.

It was important that we didn't just get 300 pounders in there, but we have guys that have very strong legs and be able to hold the point inside on the run game.

On ND's running back situation...

I think let's split it into two and one. Okay, let's think about Armando (Allen) on one side and then Robert (Hughes) and James (Aldridge) on the other side, because really Robert and James are very similar players. So I think that they're kind of competing against each other to see who would get more reps.

Because Armando's more that change of pace guy, so he's almost like his own separate entity. Like he's 1 A already, and then we'll see from the other two guys who gets more reps based off of performance.

On Corwin Brown and Jon Tenuta working together...

Throw Jappy (Oliver) in there, too. I think game planning is going to be intertwined. I think getting Jon in there has been invaluable for the progress of our defensive staff. Corwin is welcome. The three of them have gotten along wonderfully.

I probably wouldn't be able to say that if I hadn't been able to watch them so much in spring time. But I think that in the grand scheme of things, we get in the games, Jon's going to be upstairs, Corwin's going to be downstairs.

I think having been in both spots to call games, if you are calling games from the field, which Corwin's going to do, having a guy like that to be able to feed you information, it doesn't get much better than that.

On the development of the OL...

I think the first thing is they're much bigger and they're much stronger, which allows you to play much more physical at the point of attack.

The one thing you have to do is let them play physical at the point of attack. So I think that we have to make sure that we're not passive, and we let them do that. Then you adjust based off of what you see.

So I'm interested to see how much the strength, the size and strength correlates to performance on the field. You know, for that, I can't give you an answer yet, because we haven't even been out there yet.

On the players replacing Darrin Walls while he's out...

Raeshon and Darrin came in at the same time. I think experience and playing, I think that is definitely true. I think that you lose playing experience. But I have to reiterate, not to give just the political answer, I have a lot of confidence in Raeshon McNeil. I'm a big fan of Raeshon McNeil.

And I'm also a big fan of Gary Gray. The difference is he's not played in a game because he was coming off that shoulder last year. He really doesn't have game playing experience, where Raeshon does have game playing experience.

On moving Brian Smith to middle linebacker...

The one guy that stood out for the coaching staff the whole spring. We always knew about Mo Crum. He's like an old reliable. I think he'll be here for the next five years.

But the one guy who made plays all spring all over the field all the time was Brian Smith. And in this defense, the guy who is in position to do that all the time, is the middle linebacker. So now Toryan (Smith)'s going to have his work cut out to get there ahead of Brian. But Brian is the one guy who stood out for the coaching staff every day, every play.

On expectations for Michael Floyd...

You know, the feedback on Michael Floyd from Jimmy has been through the roof. It's been very, very, very good, very, very, very positive.

You know, look at him physically, he doesn't, once again, I don't know but when you see him out there in practice, he doesn't look like a freshman. He looks like an upperclassman that's been around a long time. You look at him and say that's what I'm talking about.

---

If you're looking for more, there are assistant coach transcripts, player transcripts, and a whole host of features and stories on Irish Eyes, Blue and Gold Illustrated, and Irish Illustrated. A few other random thoughts...

• The pre-fall camp depth chart is out. As noted earlier, one of the biggest changes is at linebacker. Brian Smith has been moved from last season's outside linebacker to starting middle 'backer, pushing Toryan Smith to second string. Replacing Brian is Harrison Smith, who is also listed as the backup free safety. The moves put an awful lot of speed on the field for the Irish. Stopping the run will remain a concern, but it's going to be fun watching them blitz, blitz, blitz.

• Pat Kuntz is back and has been moved to defensive end. More importantly, the mohawk is gone. In its place is, well, this.

• A few number notes. With D.J. Hord transferring, Deion Walker has taken over the #1 jersey. Walk-on Nate Montana isn't ducking any silly comparison by taking his dad's pro number, #16. Good for him. Duval Kamara was running around with a #60 jersey. The story is that since he failed to hit his goal weight, Charlie gave him a non-receiver jersey number to wear until he loses those few final pounds.

• Glancing through the various practice videos and photo galleries, the OL does look a lot bigger. Maybe it's the work in the weight room, or maybe it's just the fact that the majority of them are past the midway point of their college careers. Either way, no more excuses for the line. They are experienced, they have put in the time in the weight room, they have the size, they have solid depth at every position (although left tackle is still worrisome). Time to start shoving people around.

• Fresman defensive tackle Brandon Newman is a big boy. Actually, a lot of the freshmen are listed on the roster noticeably heavier than listed the signing day roster and they look it too. OC Braxston Cave is already the third heaviest OL on the team at 315 pounds. DE Kapron Lewis-Moore put on 30 pounds and is listed at 6'4" 257 pounds. TE Kyle Ruldoph is up over 250 as well and still looks skinny. Ditto DE Ethan Johnson at 275 pounds. RB Jonas Gray is, as Charlie put it, a "rocked up unit". (That means he's strong) It's unrealistic to expect too much from the freshmen right off the bat, but it's great to see so many of them already physically capable of seeing the field.

Plenty more in the coming days, starting with tomorrow's Fan Appreciation Day practice. All those who attend are invited to leave their thoughts, observations, and concerns in the comment section.

Back to the Future | by Michael

Say, how do the freshmen look?

Now there's a question you'll hear repeatedly at every fall camp. And more naturally follow, especially if the incoming recruit was a highly-rated prospect.

Is he as good as advertised? Do you think he'll play this year? Can he beat out [insert scapegoat]? Doesn't he remind you of [insert former gridiron hero]?

Meanwhile, the 5-star recruits from the previous year who haven't lived up to the hype, regardless of the situation, are often pushed aside in favor of the newer, shinier toys -- and they're even sometimes labeled as outright busts. It's an exercise that has been exacerbated by the increased spotlight given to high school all star games, the gradual transformation of top 100 lists into top 250 lists, and the proliferation of highlight videos on the internet. As a result, many fans (and especially recruiting analysts) take only a superficial look at a team's recruiting efforts, focusing on the number of 5-stars and top 50 recruits, while glossing over how the recruited players fits needs and address weaknesses.

Since the summer of 2005, we've been doing an annual study of the top 50 consensus players coming out of high school as they enter their senior year of college. We wanted to see who became a bona fide star, who flamed out, who disappeared, and above all, if the "Top 50" emblem actually predicted anything. Here are our 2005, 2006, and 2007 studies.

Let's review the scoring system at work here, and how we came up with the consensus top 50:

• Final top 100 lists were gathered from Rivals.com and Scout.com
• The rankings were converted into points by giving a recruit (101-x) points, where x represented his ranking. The #1 recruit would therefore receive 100 points, and the #100 recruit would receive 1 point.
• Players who were not ranked on a list were automatically assigned a 125th place ranking, which converted to negative points.
• The total points for each recruit were compared, and ties were broken by the highest ranking on any individual list.
• In the parentheses following each player's name are his individual list rankings (Rivals, Scout).

We also added a color code to the list to classify the booms and the busts. Blue means the guy at the minimum is an all-conference level multi-year contributor, bordering on being one of the better players in college. Yellow (or as yellow as easy reading dictates) means the jury's still out; for whatever reason -- maybe because of an injury, a talented veteran player ahead of him, an academic issue, or time spent at a JUCO -- the guy hasn't made the expected impact yet, but still has some eligibility left to redeem his ranking. Red means the player had his chance, but simply hasn't panned out. Lastly, the higher the ranking, the greater the expectations: two players may have similar statistics, but the higher ranked player may be yellow while the lower ranked one is blue.

Herewith, the top 50 players coming out of high school in 2005...

#1 Patrick Turner, WR - Southern Cal (2,4)

The 6’5, 220 lb receiver had his best season in ’07, but he has failed to live up to the expectations left behind by previous Trojan receivers like Mike Williams, Steve Smith, and Dwayne Jarrett. Turner had 48 catches for 569 yards and three touchdowns last year; prior to that he had 41 receptions and 442 yards in his first two seasons in Los Angeles. These may be good numbers, but they're below what is expected of such a premiere talent, especially when you consider that last year's top two consisted of Adrian Peterson and Ted Ginn, Jr.

#2 Eugene Monroe, OL - Virginia (3,3)

Monroe backed up and learned behind D’Brickashaw Ferguson during his freshman year, and then moved into the starting line-up in ’06. Last year he did not give up a single sack in 12 games, but was only an honorable mention All-ACC performer. He heads into his senior season as a likely first day draft pick, although other tackles may have moved ahead of him on draft boards.

#3 Mark Sanchez, QB - Southern Cal (7,1)

Many Trojan fans have clamored for Sanchez to supplant John David Booty in the starting line-up over the last two years, but it never happened. Sanchez has eight career games under his belt, and he started three games last year against Arizona, Notre Dame, and Oregon. In those games, Sanchez threw seven touchdowns versus four interceptions. He completed 66 of 110 passes for 642 yards in those starts. He enters 2008 as the starter, having beaten out Mitch Mustain in the spring.

#4 Derrick Williams, WR - Penn State (1,8)

Williams started his Nittany Lion career with a bang, but he needs a strong 2008 season to ensure it doesn’t end with a whimper. Although his yards and reception totals have increased each year he’s played, he averaged a paltry 9.6 yards per catch last year on 55 receptions. That’s hardly the explosiveness that many expected based upon his high school numbers and the first seven games of his career, when Williams scored four touchdowns. Since that game, Williams has only found the endzone six more times in two years on offense. He also owns two punt scores, including a 78-yarder against the Irish last year. The bottom line on Williams is that, thus far, his career has been successful rather than spectacular. Perhaps the departure of quarterback Anthony Morelli and the return of a spread offense will help him. Speaking of the spread, Urban Meyer pushed hard to land Williams when he took over at Florida; personally, I think his career arc would look a lot different now if he had followed Meyer to Gainesville.

#5 Fred Rouse, WR - Florida State to UTEP to ? (6,6)

Rouse was kicked out of Florida State after his involvement with AJ Nicholson in stealing electronic equipment from teammate Lorenzo Booker. In his only year there, he caught six passes for 114 yards in eleven games as a back-up. He then transferred to UTEP, where he caught 25 balls for 379 yards and two touchdowns in ’07. However, he decided not to return to El Paso for the upcoming season, and rumors have circulated that he will return to his homestate of Florida, possibly to join Florida A&M.

#6 Ryan Perrilloux, QB - LSU to Jacksonsville State (16,2)

The SEC Championship MVP is no longer a Tiger. Numerous suspensions and off the field issues finally earned him a dismissal from the team, and he has since transferred to Jacksonville State. Last year he completed 51 of 75 passes for 694 yards, with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran 52 times for 207 yards and two more scores. Prior to that, he only saw a few snaps in mop-up duty backing up Jamarcus Russell.

#7 DeMarcus Granger, DT - Oklahoma (11,9)

After redshirting his freshman year, Granger moved into the defensive linemen rotation in ’06 and became a starter last year. In making the 2nd team All Big 12, he posted 35 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. His year didn’t end well, however, as head coach Bob Stoops sent him home before the bowl game because of shoplifting charges. If Granger can curb his kleptomania, he could find his name on some All-American lists after this year.

#8 Reginald Youngblood, OT - Miami (9,13)

The big left tackle earned playing time as a freshman, backing up Eric Winston. He then stepped into a starting position as a sophomore, although separate knee and ankle injuries limited his playing time. Last year Youngblood got too many holding penalties and was in the doghouse among fans, although a strong senior campaign could easily make him an early round NFL draft pick.

#9 Kenny Phillips, DB - Miami (12,10)

Phillips came in as a freshman and immediately won the starting free safety spot. Three years and 33 starts later – at both strong and free safety – the New York Giants selected him with their first round draft pick. Phillips was a first team All ACC and second team All American player for both his sophomore and junior seasons. He finished his career with an impressive 269 tackles and 15 interceptions.

#10 Rey Maualuga, LB - Southern Cal (5,18)

Maualuga won immediate playing time as a back-up middle linebacker during his freshman year, and made the most of it with 37 tackles. He followed that up by moving into the starting line-up and earning two consecutive first team All Pac Ten selections. Over the last two years he has made 157 tackles, with 15.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and nine sacks. He capped his ’07 season with a dominating three sack performance that garnered him the Rose Bowl Defensive MVP award. He is a leading candidate for this year’s Butkus Award, given to the most outstanding linebacker, although one of biggest competitors will be teammate Brian Cushing.

#11 Tray Blackmon, LB - Auburn (17,7)

Blackmon redshirted his freshman year, and then found himself suspended for the first six games of the ’06 season. He returned and played well through the last six games of the season, picking up 18 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries. However, he picked up another suspension and missed the Cotton Bowl. Last year Blackmon missed some time due to injury; he played In nine games he tallied just 45 tackles. Furthermore, only one of them occurred behind the line of scrimmage. Blackmon has shown flashes of stardom, but he has failed to put it all together.

#12 Jonathan Stewart, RB - Oregon (10,16)

The 13th pick in the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers, Stewart first came to prominence as a returner for the Ducks before he moved into the starting line-up last year. As a freshman, Stewart returned two kick-offs for touchdowns, and in doing so, he became the first Oregon player to ever register more than one in a career. During his sophomore year he ran for nearly 1,000 yards, a mark he easily topped in ’07. Last year he gained 1,722 yards at a clip of 6.2 yards per carry and found the endzone ten times.

#13 Demetrice Morley, SS - Tennessee (21,5)

Morley first caught notoriety for being involved in a “diploma mill” coming out of high school that enabled him to meet NCAA academic standards. He played as a back-up that year, and then earned a starting spot his sophomore year. After making 51 tackles and intercepting two passes, Morley was dismissed from Tennessee because of low grades. He spent what would have been his junior year living in his car and then working part time to pay for classes at a community college. His hard work has paid off, as he has earned a second chance in Knoxville this fall.

#14 Marlon Lucky, RB - Nebraska (13,14)

Lucky finally took over the starting spot last year after being 1/4th of Nebraska’s tailback by committee approach in ’06. He finished 2nd on the team in rushing with 728 yards, with 259 of those coming against cream puffs Nicholls State and Troy. Last year, Lucky was a bigger threat catching the ball than running it. He caught a school record 75 passes from the backfield for 705 yards. Meanwhile, he rushed 206 times for 1,019 yards. Again, though, one huge game against Nevada (233 yards) padded his stats. The glimpses of why he was ranked so high (111 yards against Texas) need to become the norm.

#15 Justin King, CB - Penn State (19,12)

The top-rated cornerback on the list actually spent his first year with Derrick Williams as a wide receiver. He made five starts and played in every game, but he was moved to the defense during the off-season and never looked back. Over two years as the Nittany Lions’ best cover corner, King made 79 tackles but intercepted only three passes. Then again, teams were too busy throwing to the other side of the field. The St. Louis Rams selected him in the 4th round of last year’s NFL draft.

#16 Martellus Bennett, TE - Texas A&M (8,26)

Bennett played football and basketball for the Aggies, but eventually dropped the latter to focus on the gridiron. He went from a freshman All-American (18 catches, 162 yards, three scores) to a second team All Big 12 performer (38, 497, 3) to a first team All Big 12 and NFL early entrant (49, 587, 4). The Dallas Cowboys selected him in the second round.

#17 Alex Boone, OT - Ohio State (20,15)

The second team All Big Ten performer decided to return to the Buckeyes despite being projected as a second round draft pick in last year’s NFL. As a freshman, he earned valuable playing time as a back-up, and he even started three games down the stretch. He moved into the starting line-up his sophomore season, and solidified himself as one of the nation’s best tackles in ’07. A strong senior campaign will likely result in a first round draft pick.

#18 Callahan Bright, DT - Florida State to Shaw University (14,22)

Bright never qualified, went to Hargrave Military School, and eventually became a garbage man. Then he was arrested on marijuana possession last year. This fall he has enrolled at Shaw University, a Division II program, where he is expected to start as a 21-year old freshman.

#19 Antone Smith, RB - Florida State (25,11)

Last year was Smith’s first as a starter, although he earned valuable back-up playing time behind Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington during his first two years in Tallahassee. He ran the ball 192 times for 819 yards and caught 22 passes for another 203 yards. He would have likely crossed the 1,000 plateau had he not missed some time late in the season due to an injury.

#20 Melvin Alaeze, DE - Maryland to Illinois to Prison (4,40)

Alaeze originally failed to qualify, and by June of ‘06, Ralph Friedgen told Alaeze to take a hike because of some concerns he had. Ron Zook then took a flyer on him, but after playing in one game and missing several classes, he left the Illini program on his own volition. He hadn’t hit bottom yet. In early January ’07, Alaeze was charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, armed robbery, car theft and use of a hand gun in the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.

#21 Kevin Grady, RB - Michigan (22,23)

Playing behind Mike Hart and a torn ACL will make carries hard to come by, but Grady hasn’t helped his cause in limited playing time or because of off-the-field incidents, including his recent DUI. His best season came as a freshman replacing the injured Hart; he carried 121 times for 483 yards. Unfortunately, his numbers since then don’t even add up to those rushing stats. How he will fit into the spread offense remains to be seen.

#22 DeSean Jackson, WR - Cal (18,29)

This All-American receiver and punt returner was drafted in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles. He led the Bears in receiving his freshman year, then went on to be one of the elite performers in the Pac Ten. Over his three year career, he caught 162 passes for 2,423 yards and 22 touchdowns. He added another six punt returns for scores, and averaged a whopping 16.7 yards per return over his career.


#23 Jamario O'Neal, DB - Ohio State (31,17)

O’Neal earned playing time as a freshman, took over the starting strong safety position halfway through his sophomore year, and just when it appeared he had entrenched himself in the starting line-up, he lost the starting spot to Kurt Coleman. Entering his senior year, the thought is that, at best, O’Neal will win the starting nickel position, though nothing is written in stone.

#24 Jerrell Powe, DT - Ole Miss (24,33)

Powe may finally step on the field this fall after various academic issues prevented him from qualifying. He even filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, but he eventually dropped it. Now the only thing left to discover is what weight Powe will come in as…the 380+ behemoth of last fall, or the leaner, meaner 340 lb version that head coach Houston Nutt is counting on to help him turn things around. Powe is the one player who could likely go from bust to boom in the span of a season; it's only his backstory and not his talent that has him pegged as a bust.

#25 Jason Gwaltney, RB - West Virginia (15,43)

Gwaltney didn’t last too long as a back-up in Morgantown before transferring as a freshman to a JUCO in New York. He is supposedly trying to win a roster spot with the Mountaineers this fall.

#26 Toney Baker, RB - NC State (39,21)

After rushing for 546 yards as a freshman, Baker started nine games in ’06 and led the Wolfpack in rushing with 688 yards. As a result of these accomplishments, expectations soared entering last season. However, Baker suffered a season ending knee injury in last year’s opener against Central Florida. That injury kept him out of spring drills.

#27 Luther Brown, LB - Southern Cal (32,31)

The Trojans have been loaded at linebacker, and while teammates Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga have earned starting spots over older players, Brown has had a more difficult climb to the top of the depth chart. For the last two years while battling some injuries he has played a back-up role; he has amassed 30 tackles in 24 career games. This spring he dueled more productive back-up Kaluka Maiava for the starting weakside linebacker position. Heading into fall practice, the position is still up for grabs.

#28 Kade Weston, DT - Georgia (33,30)

Despite a massive 6’5, 315 lb frame, Weston appears to be relegated to back-up duty again this year. In his place, the Bulldogs will start two sub-300 lb DTs. Weston has had his fair share of playing time over the last two years. After a redshirt season in ’05, Weston has played in 26 games while starting in eleven of those contests. For his career, he has 32 tackles with two sacks. Some are still touting that he has NFL potential, but it appears that his weight has been an issue for him in Athens.

#29 Roy Miller, DT - Texas (34,34)

Miller came in as a freshman and immediately began contributing as a stout run defender in the middle. Miller has played in 36 games, though he has only started six because of some of the older, equally talented players Mack Brown had brought in. Last year he earned All Big 12 Honorable Mention honors despite a back-up role, and this year he will slide into the starting line-up. For his career he has 89 tackles, 14 TFL, and 4.5 sacks.

#30 Anthony Moeaki, TE - Iowa (52,20)

After two years of backing up future pro Scott Chandler, Moeaki was primed for a big ’07 campaign. As the starter, he caught 14 balls for 170 yards and three touchdowns in just three games before an injury against Wisconsin ended his season. He redshirted the rest of the year, and is listed as the co-starter heading into the fall.

#31 Brian Cushing, LB - Southern Cal (53,19)

Remarkably, the Trojans landed three of the top four linebackers in the country, and Cushing has lived up to the hype. Over three years at defensive end and outside linebacker, Cushing has amassed 105 tackles; a whopping 16.5 of those have been for negative yardage. He also has scored one touchdown, when he returned an onside kick for a score against the Irish. He enters the ’08 season on many preseason All-American and award watch lists.

#32 Darren McFadden, RB - Arkansas (23,51)

The first sophomore to win the Doak Walker Award for best running back was also only the second player (besides Ricky Williams) to win the award twice. Unlike Williams, however, he was unable to win the Heisman Trophy, as he finished second two years running. The second-leading rusher in SEC history, McFadden rushed for 4590 yards on 785 carries for a gaudy 5.8 average. The Oakland Raiders picked McFadden with the fourth overall selection in this year’s NFL Draft.

#33 Dan Doering, OG - Iowa (27,48)

Originally projected as an offensive tackle, Doering has since moved inside. Although he only played in one game as a back-up OT in ’06, last year he played in ten games, and started the last five games. Heading into the ‘08 season, he’s only listed as a co-starter.

#34 Marques Slocum, DT - Michigan (37,38)

Didn’t qualify in ’05. Didn’t qualify in ’06. Finally qualified last year and managed a few tackles in back-up duty. Became more well-known for his Facebook profile than his football abilities. Now he’s not even on Michigan’s roster.

#35 Derek Pegues, DB - Mississippi St (35,41)

Over his three year career, which has seen him move from cornerback to free safety, Pegues has ten interceptions, including three that he’s returned for touchdowns. He’s not only a great free safety, but he’s also a terrific returner; this year he should break the current SEC record for most kick return yards in a career. Last year’s All SEC first team free safety is also one of the leading candidates to win the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s best defensive back.

#36 Dace Richardson, OT - Iowa (54,25)

Only his health has prevented Richardson from becoming a national commodity. Richardson came in right away and contributed as a back-up left tackle for the Hawkeyes in ‘05. The following year he was a preseason All Big Ten selection, but an injury hampered him for much of the second half of the season, causing him to miss key contests down the stretch. Last year wasn’t much better, as a knee injury has sidelined him since October, and he wasn’t able to participate in spring practice.

#37 Dajileon Farr, TE - Miami to Memphis (55,28)

The highly sought after tight end was stuck behind Gregg Olsen for two years, and during that time, he played in 18 games, catching four balls for 30 yards. Olsen’s departure for the NFL didn’t improve his statistics, however. Last year he caught just six passes for 104 yards, numbers that put him behind blocking tight end Chris Zellner. As a result, Farr transferred to Memphis during the off-season.

#38 Michael Oher, OT - Ole Miss (48,37)

The subject of Michael Lewis’s book The Blind Side surprised many when he chose to return to Ole Miss for his senior season despite the fact that he was projected as a first round draft pick. Oher will be a four-year starter for the Rebels, and only during his freshman year did he not protect the quarterback’s blind side. Last year he was an All SEC first teamer, and this year he finds himself on many preseason All American lists.

#39 Victor "Macho" Harris, CB - Virginia Tech (28,60)

The first team All ACC cornerback was all set to leave after three productive seasons and enter the NFL draft, but he had a change of heart and will return for his senior season. “Macho” has nine interceptions in his career.

#40 Averell Spicer, DT - Southern Cal (43,45)(11,9)

Despite his lofty ranking, Spicer has had trouble breaking into the Trojans’ star-studded defense, but this fall is his best chance. Relegated to mop-up duty over the last two years, he has amassed just 12 tackles and four tackles for loss. An injury prevented Spicer from nailing down the starting job in the spring; time is running out, and every recruiting class that Pete Carroll has signed includes similarly talented nose tackles.

#41 Travis Beckum, TE - Wisconsin (56,32)

Beckum began his career as a reserve defensive end, but moved over to the other side of the ball in ’06. Last year he emerged as one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the country after reeling in 75 passes for 982 yards and six TDs. If there’s an area of improvement that’s needed before he moves on to the NFL, it’s his blocking skills. At 6’4 and 235 lbs, he’s sometimes overpowered at the point of attack.

#42 Derek Nicholson, LB - Florida St (30,59)

An injury cut Nicholson’s sophomore season short after an impressive freshman year where he played in all 13 Seminole contests. He bounced back in ’07 and made 86 tackles. Now he’s left to anchor the defense since Geno Hayes left for the NFL. Most importantly, he hasn’t possessed any of the same baggage that cut his brother A.J.’s time short at FSU.

#43 Geno Hayes, LB - Florida St (36,54)

One of only two freshmen to play all thirteen games his first year, this two-year starter jumped to the NFL and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 6th round. Made All ACC first team with 80 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and five sacks. That followed a sophomore season where he contributed 59 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and three sacks.

#44 Reggie Smith, DB - Oklahoma (64,27)

Three-year starter at Oklahoma at both strong safety and cornerback, and a first team All Big 12 performer in ’06 and ‘07. Made 166 tackles and intercepted eight passes during his stay in Norman. Also made some electrifying kick and punt returns. Drafted in the third round by the San Francisco 49ers.

#45 Rico McCoy, LB - Tennessee (38,57)

After being stuck behind first round draft pick Jerod Mayo in ’06, the dynamic McCoy played beside him in ’07 and enjoyed a productive campaign with 108 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. Viewed as one of the leaders of the Vols’ defense, McCoy is primed for an even bigger ’08, although he has lost four of his six teammates in Tennessee’s front seven.

#46 Ryan Reynolds, LB - Oklahoma (26,77)

Reynolds has suffered some ups and downs but appears on the upswing heading into this season. He played as a freshman on special teams, but was redshirted the following year due to an injury. By the end of last season, he had earned a starting spot at weakside LB and totaled 60 tackles with eight for loss and two sacks while in the shadow of All-American Curtis Lofton. Now that Lofton and former Irish recruit Lewis Baker have moved on, Reynolds is expected to be the leader of the Sooners’ linebacker corps.

#47 Ndamukong Suh, DT - Nebraska (51,52)

An early season injury forced him to redshirt his freshman season, but since then it’s been hard to keep Suh off the field. Two years ago he was a valuable back-up for the Cornhuskers, and last year he started eleven games and racked up 34 tackles, including six for negative yardage.

#48 LaMarcus Coker, RB - Tennessee (71,35)

Head coach Philip Fulmer kicked Coker off the Vols after his third suspension of the year. Scuttlebutt suggested it was a drug problem. Coker had led the team in rushing in ’06 with 694 yards and a 6.4 yards per carry average. His numbers were down in ’07 prior to his dismissal, but with his explosive speed, he was still a threat to score from anywhere on the field.

#49 Selwyn Lymon, WR - Purdue (72,36)

Kicked off the Boilermakers after drunk driving and resisting arrest. Signed as a free agent by the Miami Dolphins. Set a record for ND opponents with a historic 8 catch, 238 yard, 2 TD performance against the Irish in ’06. Otherwise, his numbers were rather pedestrian, though he had to share the football with Dorien Bryant and Dustin Keller. Caught 33 balls for 580 yards in ’06, and 40 balls for 450 yards last year before Tiller dropped him.

#50 Mario Manningham, WR - Michigan (45,64)

First team AP All-American last year caught 72 passes for 1,174 yards and 12 scores. Was on a similar pace during the first six games of ’06 before a knee injury limited him. Destroyed ND in ’06 with a four catch, 137-yard, three TD performance. That said, alleged marijuana use dampened his NFL draft stock, and the New York Giants selected him in the 3rd round.

---

Conclusions

For the second straight year, there are no Irish recruits in the top 50. On the bright side, the next three classes enjoyed their share of top 100 recruits, some of whom belong to their respective top 50.

Taking a look at this year's list and the three previous years, there are some generalized points that can be made with a certain amount of confidence:

1. The consensus Top 50 has a pretty high success rate.

Nine players (18%) made the jump to the NFL after three years. That number would have been higher if several players, like Michael Oher and Macho Harris, didn't choose to return for their senior season. Overall, there were 21 players in the top tier.

It will be interesting to see how many players move up from the second tier. There are plenty of worthy candidates from the group of 14 who could find themselves among college football's elite by the end of the season. It's also worth noting that half of the "jury is still out players" come from the top 14 on the list. What that might suggest is that in this class there is less difference between the players in the top 50 than some might expect.

Likewise, of the 15 players with a red label, only six (12%) have avoided major injuries or off-the-field issues, but still didn't pan out. The remaining nine could have panned out if they had had the grades or stayed out of trouble

Overall, the top 50 is a solid indicator of future success. However, breaking it down into the top 25 is entirely a different story. The top 25 would have eight busts (32%) and eight (32%) borderline players. That means just 36% of the top 25 have become college football's elite after three years.

2. Get good grades, stay out of trouble, and make the big bucks.

Players continue to make poor decisions that affect their long-term future. Of the busts, players like Coker, Rouse, Lymon, and Perrilloux all showed the potential that deservedly placed them in the top 50. The players who have never qualified, well, the public may never know. Given the growing list of players who fall under this umbrella, we may need to create a separate color code for them next year. They are busts in one way, but in another, some of them could easily elevate themselves to all conference or better status with a stellar senior year.

3. The hardest position to evaluate is...wide receiver?

Over the past three years, it appeared that offensive line and cornerback were the hardest positions to evaluate. That certainly wasn't the case this year. Only Dan Doering has failed to pan out; every other offensive lineman on the list is a starting left tackle for his team. Meanwhile, every cornerback is a multiple-year starter or in the NFL. In fact, safety Jamario O'Neal is the only defensive back who failed to pan out.

Looking at this incarnation of the top 50, one can't help but notice the misses at wide receiver. Only Mario Manningham and Desean Jackson were bona fide stars; meanwhile Fred Rouse, Patrick Turner, Derrick Williams, and Selwyn Lymon have failed to break out. Considering that Rouse, Turner, and Williams were top five players, this is even more disappointing.

This actually leads to a bigger question...are recruiting analysts overrating offensive skill talent because their highlight reels tend to be flashier than others? There are fifteen running backs and wide receivers on the list with only four elite players. This might be worth another, more expansive look down the road.

4. If you're Purdue and you land a Top 50 recruit, don't be surprised if he can't finish his career there.

The Boilermakers have gone 0 for 3 with top 50 talent. Selwyn Lymon is no longer a member of the Purdue football program, like his top 50 predecessors Doug van Dyke and Kyle Williams. Recruits must have picked up on this trend since Purdue hasn't landed anyone in the top 50 since Lymon.

5. The middle class is being squeezed out.

Rating	2005	2006	2007	2008
Blue	17	19	18	21
Yellow	21	22	15	14
Red	12	9	14	15

At first glance, it appears that the recruiting analysts are getting more right...and more wrong. However, this year there were far more off-the-field issues for players than in years past. If those players had kept their noses clean, it's quite conceivable that the analysts would have celebrated a banner season of prognostication.

Over the last two years, the number of borderline players has decreased dramatically as busts have increased and bona fide stars peaked this year. It makes sense that given the increased exposure to recruits that analysts have been given over the last few years, their predictions would become more accurate. Now, if only they could figure out who the troublemakers will be...

SkyWriting: Almost there edition | by Pat

Here are a number of stories from the past week or so as we all count down until Friday's kickoff to the 2008 season.

• Sad news to start with the passing of Notre Dame player and legendary assistant coach Joe Yonto.

An Orrville, Ohio, native, Yonto served as the Irish defensive line coach starting in Parseghian's first season at Notre Dame in 1964 and held that role throughout Parseghian's 11 seasons, as well as six more (1975-80) under Devine, the last four as defensive coordinator.

During that period, he was a part of three Notre Dame national championship staffs (1966, 1973 and 1977) and he coached a dozen All-America defensive linemen. That list included Alan Page, Kevin Hardy, Mike McCoy, Walt Patulski, Mike Kadish, Mike Fanning, Steve Niehaus and Ross Browner - all of whom went on to be selected in the first round of the National Football League draft. Browner won the Lombardi, Outland and Maxwell Awards, and Patulski also won the Lombardi.

On 12 occasions, Yonto's defensive line ranked among the top 10 teams in the country in terms of rushing defense. Eight of those Irish teams gave up less than 100 rushing yards per game, and the '74 Notre Dame ranked first nationally in both rushing defense and total defense (195.2 yards per game).

Even more impressive than his legacy of pro players and statistical rankings is how he is regarded by those that worked with him.

“Joe didn’t know the coaching realm at the collegiate level,” said former fellow Parseghian staff assistant Tom Pagna, “but he learned it and was intense and had a great sense of humor. And never, on or off the field, do you ever hear one swear word from him. He was a very religious man and a family man. He just had a love affair with Notre Dame. I think everybody who knew the guy loved him because he was the epitome of what being a good man really means.”

Rest in peace, Joe.

• ND has added another opponent to the 2010 schedule.

Besides playing at Michigan this season (Aug. 30), Utah will play at Notre Dame for the first time in history on Nov. 13, 2010, in South Bend, Ind. The deal was finalized on Monday, a couple of months after word first leaked out about about a possible Ute-Fighting Irish game.

We've been a bit quiet with our criticism of ND's lackluster scheduling philosophy as of late, including the fact that many of ND's most recently named opponents (Washington State and Baylor for example) feature lower level BCS teams who happen to be run by former co-workers and friends of Kevin White. The Utah game doesn't seem to be any different.

The game came to fruition because of [Utah athletic director Chris] Hill's friendship with former Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White, who recently left for Duke. Ute and Irish officials went back and forth before completing the deal Monday. Utah will receive a guarantee of $950,000 for the game.

Still, with new Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick just moving into his office, perhaps it's best to consider many of our complaints about White water under the bridge and see what Swarbrick does with the few available open slots left in the coming years. If I may be so forward, Jack, call Miami.

• The Post-Tribune has a nice interview with long time Notre Dame announcing legend Tony O'Hara. If you're wondering just who this O'Hara guy is, it's probably because you, like me, had no idea that Tony Roberts wasn't always known as Tony Roberts.

• Not a big surprise here, but Notre Dame comes out near the top of programs when it comes to spending money on recruiting. Given the national reach of ND recruiting, and this list includes all sports, just getting to the home of the recruit is probably a big source of the expenditure. Flying out to visit Manti Teo isn't cheap.

• Finally, we might as well address the whole "ND players might have been around beer" issue that popped up on Monday because someone is going to ask about it during Media Day on Friday. I'm probably giving the situation more attention than it really deserves, but here goes.

My first reaction to reading Brian Hamilton and Michael Rothstein's journo-blog reports on the photos that popped up on The Big Lead was surprise. I figured ND beat writers would have been able to identify Armando Allen as the fourth player in the pictures. As for actually writing about it in the first place, their decision to run the pictures highlights the uncharted waters of the rapidly emerging newspaper-affiliated journalist blog. More and more papers are giving their writers an extra bit of internet real estate to stretch their legs and be more independent. But with that comes the decision of how to fill them up with content. From my reading, the various college football beat writer blogs range from the truly excellent to the truly trashy.

So when the photos popped up on The Big Lead, I can't say that I was surprised that both Hamilton and Rothstein linked the pics. After all, it's still technically the slow news off-season and, if we're being fair, Clausen is one of the most recognizable players in the country and he does have a previous incident with alcohol under his belt, no matter how archaic that particular Indiana blue law.

But at the same time, I do think Hamilton was a bit alarmist and sensationalistic, especially given his jokey manner in other posts and the glorified "no comment" Notre Dame gave him when he called for a response to the pictures. Rothstein did a much better job of dismissing the controversy and punishment angle and using the pictures to talk about the perils of being a high profile athlete in the current stalkarazzi web culture. That's about all the response the pictures warranted.

I generally like the trend of letting beat writers provide even more info and insight for the hardcore fan. I particularly like the effort that Rothstein and Ben Ford put into their blogs. However, I think those reporters writing the blog need to make the decision of if they are going to stick closer to the professional journalist side of the ledger or stray into the gossipy world of "check out this photo!" found on many sports blogs. Common sense would dictate that this particular incident isn't a story worth much effort unless Notre Dame decides to take action against the players or Jimmy starts to tassle his jersey in a similar manner to his Beer Olympics shirt.

As for ND, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and hoping they'll realize just how silly it would be to do anything to the players. ResLife's overly strict reputation is well-earned, but I have to think even they have the common sense to treat all the attention given the issue the same way Clarence Beeks treats someone who wants to use the pay phone. In the meantime, I'm just glad that cell phone cameras weren't around when Gipp and Paul Hornung were students.

I'm also glad that it's only a another day and change until we can talk actual football.

2008 Opponent Position Preview: Running Back | by Pat

QBs are done. Time for part two. Let's look at the running backs.

SAN DIEGO STATE - Brandon Sullivan. RS Sophomore. 2007 stats: 58 carries, 220 yards, 2 TDs. New Starter.

Not only does Brandon Sullivan have to replace last year's starting running back, he has to replace the production of last year's leading rusher, quarterback Kevin O'Connell. The 5'11", 220 pound Sullivan has the size to be a workhorse back, but even with three starts last year he only accumulated 58 carries. He should get first crack at starting, but probably doesn't have all that long of a leash. He did contribute in the passing game with 18 receptions coming out of the backfield. Depth: Complimenting Sullivan is Atiyyah Henderson who went through a bit of an injury-filled sophomore slump last season. After rushing for 764 yards in his redshirt freshman campaign, Henderson only totaled 183 yards last season. Like Sullivan he chipped in in the running game with 27 catches. A smaller, speedy back, Henderson has a quick first step and is a solid change of pace from Sullivan. Redshirt sophomore Davon Brown has only seen 12 carries as an Aztec, but is another smaller but faster style back who will likely work into the rotation after being the leading rusher in the Aztec spring game. At fullback for the Aztecs is 6'0 220 pound Tyler Campbell, son of Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell, who is strictly used as a blocker.

MICHIGAN - Brandon Minor. (#50) Junior. 2007 stats: 90 carries, 385 yards, 1 TD. New Starter.

The Michael Hart era at Michigan is over as is the pro-style offense that featured him. Junior Brandon Minor is the most likely to be named the official starter as Michigan moves to a spread option attack that will feature more rushers getting an opportunity to carry the ball. Minor has a solid mix of size (6'1" 215 pounds) and enough speed to be hard to catch in the open field. Depth: Likely to see carries along with Minor is junior Carlos Brown (#49) who averaged an impressive 5.1 yards per carry last year over 75 carries. He might see some of those carries while lining up at quarterback, but either way he's the kind of shifty and fast back that will have plenty of success in Michigan's new offense. He did miss a number of practices this past spring which might slow his involvement in the offense a bit. Kevin Grady (#56) has the size to run between the tackles at 230 pounds and is already back practicing with the team following an off-season DUI a few weeks ago. He did miss all of 2007 due to injuries so it might take some time for him to re-acclimate. Freshman and youtube star Sam McGuffie is a quick scatback with a penchant for hurdling and should start to see the ball a few times a game as soon as the first game of the season. There are still more options with speedy redshirt freshman Avery Horn and freshman Michael Cox. Heralded recruit Michael Shaw is also an option, but he might start his Michigan career as a receiver. Redshirt sophomore Mark Moundros is back at fullback and will likely be used as a blocker, rusher, and receiver in the new Michigan offense.

MICHIGAN STATE - Javon Ringer. (#6) Senior. 2007 stats: 245 carries, 1447 yards, 6 TDs. Returning Starter.

Like at quarterback, the Spartans present the first returning starter at running back on the ND schedule. Senior Javon Ringer has had a prolific career and is looking to see the ball even more in 2008 thanks to the graduation of bowling ball back Jehuu Caulcrick. This year those goalline carries will go to the 5'9" 202 pound Ringer who should see his rushing touchdowns jump up even if his stellar 5.9 yards per carry average from last season dips a bit. He did miss spring practice while healing from shoulder surgery, but with 453 carries to his name, it won't take him long to shake off the rust. Ringer also provides a receiving threat as his 295 receiving yards last season were good for third on the team. Depth: The Spartans present a trio of speedy backs this year as junior A.J. Jimmerson and redshirt freshman Andre Anderson are both in the Ringer mold of short and fast. There is an heir apparent to the bulky Caulcrick in 5'11" 230 pound redshirt freshman Ashton Leggett. It's possible he will see the ball in short yardage situations and give Ringer a breather.

PURDUE - Kory Sheets. (#32) Senior. 2007 stats: 168 carries, 859 yards, 11 TDs. Returning Starter.

In 2008 Purdue returns its solid running back by committee approach. Going by the team's depth chart, senior Kory Sheets is technically the backup, but he will probably see the majority of the carries once again. He has been sent to the bench for fumbling in the past, but his speed is hard to keep off the field for very long. Quick and shifty as a runner and receiver (30 receptions last season), Sheets should be in line for a solid final season with a great chance at breaking Mike Alstott's Purdue career record of 39 rushing touchdowns. Depth: Splitting carries with Sheets is senior Jaycen Taylor. He only missed four games last season after breaking a bone in his arm and totaled 107 carries for 560 yards and 4 touchdowns. Though smaller than Sheets, Taylor is a tough runner and even averaged slightly more yards per carry than Sheets last season (5.23 vs. 5.11). Like Sheets, he will provide the Purdue backfield with plenty of experience and production. Behind the two co-starters is sophomore Dan Dierking. Most of his 181 yards came in garbage time last season, but he did see the start against Michigan, even if he did finish that game with only 5 yards on 8 carries.

STANFORD - Anthony Kimble. RS Senior. 2007 stats: 115 carries 509 yards, 8 TDs. Returning Stater.

Even though he missed five games in 2007, Anthony Kimble was still the Cardinal's leading rusher for the second straight season. His 4.43 yards per carry average was certainly respectable considering the below average performance of the Stanford offensive line. When he can find some open field, Kimble has enough speed to be dangerous. He also has just enough size at 6'1" 210 pounds to lower his shoulder on occasion and fight for a few extra yards. Depth: Backing up Kimble is the promising junior Toby Gerhart. At 6'1" 230 pounds, Gerhart is a physical back capable of moving the pile. Expected to build upon his 2006 debut, Gerhart was lost for the 2007 season with an injury in the second game of the season against San Jose State. To that point he was averaging over 11 yards a carry against the Spartans with 140 yards on 12 carries. Sophomore Jeremy Stewart started four games last year as an injury replacement and wound up as the team's second leading rusher with 343 yards. 6'1" 235 pound sophomore Owen Maricic returns at fullback after starting every game last year and earning all-conference notice as a physical blocker.

NORTH CAROLINA - Greg Little. Sophomore. 2007 stats: 59 carries, 300 yards, 2 TDs. New Starter.

A familiar name tops the North Carolina running back depth chart. ND wide receiver commit Greg Little is now a running back for his hometown Tarheels. After being switched from receiver towards the end of the season, Little started the final two games and ran for over 100 yards each game at an impressive 5.5 yards per attempt pace. Taller than most backs at 6'3", Little is a powerful back that will take tacklers for a few extra yards once he builds up a head of steam. He's also surprisingly quick and nimble for his size and tough to catch if he's allowed to get to the corner. He's not as heralded as some of the other names on this list, but he is in line for a very productive 2008. Depth: In what is likely a record of some sort, North Carolina's leading four rushers last season were freshmen (two were RS freshman). Johnny White actually led the team in rushing but was moved to cornerback this spring. Anthony Elzy was the team's second leading rusher but will see his carries drop as he was moved to fullback. At 5'10" 210 he showed a nose for the endzone in goalline carries as his 5 rushing touchdowns led the team. He'll compete with returning starter fullback Bobby Rome who is more blocker than rusher. Sophomore Ryan Houston provides even more size at 6'2" 225 pounds, giving the Tarheels another big and physical running back on the depth chart.

WASHINGTON - Brandon Jonhson. Sophomore. 2007 stats: 51 carries, 196 yards, 2 TDs. New Starter.

While Jake Locker will probably lead the Huskies in rushing in 2008, sophomore Brandon Johnson is technically the starting running back. After seeing only 19 carries in the first 10 games of the season, Johnson got 23 carries against Cal when Locker was out with an injury. He responded with 121 yards and a touchdown, which translates to an impressive 5.26 yards per carry clip. He's still pretty inexperienced and will have to prove the Cal game was a sign of things to come and not a fluke if he's to make a serious impact on Washington's offense. Depth: Behind Johnson is even more inexperience with a pair of redshirt freshmen fighting for the 2nd string spot in Willie Griffen and Brandon Yakaboski. Freshman Chris Polk has the talent to make an immediate impact at running back, but it's unclear if Washington will keep him at running back or move him to receiver. At fullback Paul Homer and Luke Kravitz return and again should receive goalline carries; the two picked up 5 of Washington's 7 returning non-Locker scored rushing touchdowns.

PITTSBURGH - LeSean McCoy. (#11) Sophomore. 2007 stats: 276 carries, 1328 yards, 14 TDs. Returning Starter.

On the verge of becoming a college star, sophomore LeSean McCoy will compete for all-conference and All-America honors in only his second year as starter. There might not be a more dangerous running back on Notre Dame's schedule. Fast with excellent change of direction, McCoy will be tough to tackle and hard to catch in the open field. He also showed he can catch last year by hauling in 33 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown. Depth: Adding experience to Pitt's running back depth chart is senior LaRod Stephens-Howling. Stephens-Howling is an extremely quick scatback type who picked up 320 yards on 78 carries. He'll be more of a compliment to McCoy in 2008, but will be effective when defenses tire later in the game. Redshirt freshmen Shariff Harris reportedly had a strong spring and will push for carries as the season wears on. One of the better fullbacks ND will face is senior Conredge Collins (#1 FB), who has started 16 games in his career and can block and run out of the fullback position (33 carries, 110 yards, 1 TD in 2007).

BOSTON COLLEGE - Josh Haden. Freshman. 2007 stats: N/A. New Starter.

Not many programs in the country will be as young at running back as Boston College. Consider that none of the running backs on the roster have carried the ball a single time in college yet. Josh Haden enrolled early and is now penciled in as the team's starter heading into fall camp. A highly recruited prospect, the extremely quick Haden will have to learn quickly as the Eagles primary ball carrier. At 5'8" 190 pounds he's on the smaller side, which could limit his ability to be an every down back for BC. He should be effective if he can get to the corner, but running between the tackles won't be his strong suit. Depth: Looking to get carries when Haden needs a break are three other freshmen in Montel Harris, Eric Reynolds, and Jerry Kelly, and sophomore converted free safety Dan Mulrooney. Whichever one picks up pass blocking the fastest might have a leg up on his competition. Sophomore James McCluskey returns at fullback and is BC's leading returning rusher with a whooping 14 yards on 8 carries. He did pick up three touchdowns on those 8 carries and he should remain a goalline threat once again.

NAVY - Eric Kettani. (#12 FB) Senior. 2007 stats: 152 carries, 880 yards, 10 TDs. Returning Starter.

If there is one constant over the past few years, it is the tough, scrappy, and effective Navy fullback. Eric Kettani returns after leading Navy in rushing last year. His 5.79 yards per carry average is something you'd expect to see out of a speed back instead of a fullback. Depth: Navy will break in a few new starters at the slot back position. Quarterback Jarod Byrant will likely get some carries out of this position as will senior Greg Shinego. Shinego only saw 2 carries for 9 yards last year so he'll have to pick up the offense in a hurry. Senior Shun White did get more experience last year picking up 620 yards and 7 touchdowns on 78 carries. While he will see the ball more, with the increased attention he'll be hard-pressed to repeat his standout 7.97 yards per carry average. When White needs a break, quick sophomore Andre Byrd will get his chance to make an impact. Backing up Kettani at fullback is junior Kevin Campell, though he's rather undersized for fullback at 5'11" 193 pounds.

SYRACUSE- Delone Carter. RS Sophomore. 2007 stats: out with injury. New Starter.

One of the four teams to average fewer rushing yards per game than Notre Dame, Syracuse is banking on the improved health of its running back depth chart to see improvement in 2008. Delone Carter missed all of last season with a dislocated hip but is healthy now and hopes are high he can build on his debut 2006 season when he lead the team in rushing with 713 yards and four touchdowns and earned Freshman All-America honors. He only participated in non-contact drills this past spring so it might take him some time to get back into game shape, but he'll have nearly the entire season to do so before facing Notre Dame. Depth: Continuing with the injury theme, Curtis Brinkley was Syracuse's leading rusher this past season with 371 yards and 2 touchdowns on 111 carries, but also was knocked out the final four games of the year with a broken leg. Like Carter he was held out of contact drills this spring so there will be a period of readjustment. 6'2" 215 pound Doug Hogue saw action last year as a freshman with Carter and Brinkley out with injury and will likely continue to see the occasional carry. Tony Fiammetta returns at fullback where in addition to blocking he is the occasional receiver out of the backfield. He only had 3 rushing attempts last season but caught 12 passes for 75 yards.

SOUTHERN CAL - Stafon Johnson. (#13). Junior. 2007 stats: 98 carries, 673 yards, 5 TDs. New Starter.

The logjam of talented running backs continues at Southern Cal, although the numbers are a bit lower than last year. Stafon Johnson is the leading returning rusher and if he can avoid injuries like the pinched nerve in his foot that cost him a few games last season, he should have a spectacular season. Consider that the only non-Navy rushers who averaged more than Johnson's amazing 6.87 yards per carry were Florida's Percy Harvin, Arkansas's Felix Jones, and West Virginia's Noel Devine. That's pretty good company. Depth: The only thing that probably will hold Johnson back are the other talented running backs on the roster. Joe McKnight (#51) got plenty of hype as the "next Reggie Bush" and slowly started to show why as he picked up 540 yards and 3 TDs on 94 rushing attempts. His breakout game against Illinois in the Rose Bowl where he averaged 12.5 yards per carry on 10 rushes will only increase expectations for 2008. C.J. Gable (#23) only played in three games before an abdomen strain knocked him out for the rest of the season. He actually was the starter at the beginning of last season and he made the most of his 13 carries against Idaho, Nebraska, and Washington State, averaging 11.0 yards per rush. If he can stay healthy he will be another dangerous weapon for the Trojans. Allen Bradford has fought being moved to fullback, insisting he's a running back. The 6'0" 225 pounder may have worked himself into the rotation after an impressive spring practice where he was tough to bring down and faster than expected. Overlooked but crucial to the Trojan offense is returning starting fullback Stanley Havili (#3 FB). Effective as a blocker, rusher, and receiver, Havili is one of the best fullbacks in the country. In addition to 134 yards on 21 rushing attempts he had 34 receptions for 248 yards. His five receiving touchdowns were more than any wide receiver on the team.

2008 Opponent Running Back Analysis and Ranking

This was one of the previews I was most interested in completing. Almost even more important than the play of the offense line this season will be how the Irish defense stands up to the run. Last year teams could run at will on Notre Dame and that's just what they did. With that in mind, this year's crop of opponent running backs aren't overly scary. Technically, the Irish will only face four returning starters at running back, five if you count fullback Eric Kettani from Navy. However, included in the mix are a handful of extremely talented runners. Javon Ringer, LeSean McCoy, Stafon Johnson, and Joe McKnight are all likely candidates for post-season All-American teams and Kory Sheets has had plenty of success against ND over the past few seasons. If ND is going to have a better than expected year, they will need to find a way to slow down at least some of these talented backs.

Slow down is the operative word because this year's running back opposition is leaning heavily to the speed side of the equation. There aren't many big banger types like Jehuu Caulcrick or Robert Hughes. That's good news for an Irish defensive line that loses Trevor Laws and doesn't feature all that much heft. The obvious down side is that ND better not miss too many tackles when they have the chance because backs like Ringer, McCoy, Sheets, and McKnight aren't likely to be caught again in the open field. Even the newer faces like Brandon Minor, Greg Little, and Josh Haden are so-called home run threats. Tenuta was stresssing fundamentals and proper tackling all spring with the linebackers. Let's hope it pays off.

Some good news for the Irish is the opposing youth movement at running back means that pass blocking won't be an area of strength for many of them. Michigan State, Purdue, Stanford, and Navy are the only teams that start a senior running back. Meanwhile North Carolina, Washington, Boston College, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse feature backs that are only in their first or second year of playing. If ND is able to continually mask and disguise their blitzes, that will make things harder for the inexperienced running backs. That will either result in more QB sacks or opposing coaches being forced to play more veteran backups at the expense of the younger, more talented players (see ND using Junior Jabbie all last year as the 3rd down back because he was the best blocker).

On the other hand, it seems that just about every team that uses a fullback is returning a starter, so that will definitely help protect the opposing QB as well as present a veteran obstacle for the Irish linebackers on rushing downs. Other than Havili from USC, Kettani from Navy, and Collins from Pitt, most are strictly limited to blocking though and aren't much of a threat running the ball. Still, in those short yardage battles that often determine a game, whichever Smith winds up starting at middle linebacker for ND is going to have to win his fair share of battles against the opponents hard charging fullback.

I'd like to say that ND's road to improvement is going to be even easier given the lack of overall talent handling the rushing duties for the opposition. But that's just not true. Last year's running back crop was probably more talented top to bottom, but ND definitely has its work cut out for it in stopping the run against this year's young, but full of potential, group of backs. If you see ND consistently stopping backs for a loss or minimal gain early in the year, that is a great sign that the Irish will exceed expectations. Likewise, if teams keep finding ways to rush for first downs, it's going to be a long season.

Looking at the rankings, I think the top three are a class above the rest of the field. All feature All-American caliber backs and will present a major challenge for the Irish run defense. The next four teams lack the superstar element but feature experience, depth, speed, or all three. The third tier of backs probably starts at #8 with Stanford, but don't ignore the possibility that Kimble or Syracuse's Delone Carter could score points quickly with a few long runs.

1. Southern Cal - A ton of talent, superstar potential, and now experience.
2. Pittsburgh - McCoy is the star, but Stephens-Howling and Collins give the position depth.
3. Michigan State - It's now a one man show with Javon Ringer. If he can stay healthy, he'll deliver.
4. Purdue - Sheets and Tayor give Purdue the most experienced duo on this list.
5. Michigan - Lots of new faces in the post-Hart era, but a plenty of talent and speed as well.
6. Navy - Kettani leads a group that isn't as experienced as years past, but still effective.
7. North Carolina - This could be too low if Little has a breakout year, which he might.
8. Stanford - Gerhart adds more depth and gives Kimble some help finally.
9. Syracuse - There is some potential with Carter and Brinkley, but it's unproven as of now.
10. San Diego State - Sullivan, Henderson and Brown might develop into a solid trio of backs.
11. Washington - Not much experience or depth. Having Polk stay at RB will help.
12. Boston College - Haden will have some highlight plays, but he'll also make freshman mistakes.

Long Distance Operator | by Mike

Jeff Samardzija's recent major-league debut reminded me of some data I had looked at around this time last summer. I was looking for ways to measure Samardzija's importance to the offense and what we could reasonably expect his successors to produce. I was also interested in looking at his "quick-strike" capabilities. Even when things were going well for the Irish offense in 2005, I can recall posts on ND message boards longing for the "quick-strike offenses" of other top teams. While ND certainly lacked someone with the explosive ability of Reggie Bush in 2005, I was surprised by posts suggesting ND didn't have anyone in Dwayne Jarrett's league either.

For these reasons, I decided to look at the "quick-strike ability" of some elite college football offenses. I think of a "quick strike" as a touchdown scored from beyond field-goal range. I recalled that Mason Crosby's 58-yard field goal against the Hurricanes in 2005 was the longest FG in college at sea-level without a tee, so I figured that with almost any other kicker a touchdown play of 40 or more yards (at least a 57-yard field goal) would be from beyond field-goal range. Obviously, this is a somewhat arbitrary measure, but it seemed good enough. I then identified who I believed to be the premier receivers in college football for the two preceding years - Samardzija, Calvin Johnson, Ted Ginn, Dwayne Jarrett and Mario Manningham - and looked at how many touchdown receptions of 40 or more yards they each had. As with the distance threshold, this list represents my gut reaction rather than the product of extensive data review. Here are the numbers:

      Samardzija                   Ginn                   Johnson
Yards  Opponent  Year     Yards  Opponent  Year    Yards  Opponent  Year
80    Stanford  2005      73    Illinois  2005     66      UVa     2006
55     Purdue   2005      58    No. Ill.  2006     58      UVa     2006
52       UW     2005      57      BGSU    2006     53     VaTech   2006
51      AFA     2006      57      MSU     2005     48      WVU     2006
45      UCLA    2006      56       ND     2005     42      NCSU    2006
43      MSU     2006      42   Miami (OH) 2005     42     UConn    2005
42      UNC     2006

      Manningham                 Jarrett
Yards  Opponent  Year     Yards  Opponent  Year
69       ND     2006      62      Mich    2006
49      Wisc    2005      43       ND     2006
43      MSU     2005
41      Minn    2006
41      MSU     2006

What do these numbers tell us? Well, they certainly tell us Jeff was one of the most fun players in the country to watch during those two years. However, I certainly would not attempt to produce an ordinal ranking of the best deep threats based solely on these numbers. There are numerous caveats that should be applied to these numbers. First, they're largely a function of where I set the thresholds. If your threshold for a "quick strike touchdown" is 50 or more yards, then the numbers become Ginn 5, Samardzija 4, Johnson 3, Jarrett 1 and Manningham 1. Additionally, these numbers do not account for strength of schedule, quality of quarterback play (e.g., while Samardzija was catching passes from Brady Quinn, Calvin Johnson's quarterback was Reggie Ball), games missed due to injury, defenses accounting for a given player, etc. Finally, I only looked at touchdowns, but some of the biggest plays made by these receivers did not reach the endzone. Recall Samardzija's 73-yard reception against Tennessee in 2005 or Dwayne Jarrett's 4th and 9 reception against the Irish, easily as significant as any of the above touchdowns.

While these numbers are thus an imprecise measure of ability, they are (obviously) an accurate measure of production. Big passing plays are a key component of a functioning Weis offense. As SMQ noted following the 2005 season:

And there's the unreal 43 pass plays over 25 yards (and 100 over 15), which negates the notion of a short, safe, toss-and-pitch philosophy with no big play threats.

SMQ's comment mentions a disparity between stats and perception when it comes to Weis's first two Irish offenses. Despite the perception of a "short, safe, toss-and-pitch philosophy" designed to produce meticulous drives, Quinn & Co. frequently chewed up large swaths of yardage in single plays. And despite a widespread perception of Jeff Samardzija as a "young Ed McCaffery", he turned in more 40+ yard TD receptions during the '05 and '06 seasons than Ginn, Johnson, Manningham and Jarrett. Part of this perception is probably due to the importance of yards-after-catch to Samardzija's long touchdowns. When most football fans think of elite deep threats, they have visions of a receiver catching a ball from the quarterback after getting behind all the defensive backs and sauntering into the endzone. That certainly seemed to be the formula for the long TDs on the above list that came against the Irish defense (Ginn in the Fiesta Bowl, Manningham in South Bend). While Jeff's 52-yarder against Washington and 51-yarder against Air Force were of this variety, he created several of his long touchdowns with the ball in his hand, using his superior agility and balance to make cuts that left the defensive backs between him and the endzone stumbling to the turf. However, regardless of the form of Jeff's quick strikes, the numbers make clear that he was a playmaker at wide receiver by any credible definition of the term.

Why revisit these numbers at this point? On the list of reasons why Notre Dame's offense stunk in 2007, the lack of 40+ yard passing touchdowns ranks behind a multitude of other reasons. (For the record, the longest passing touchdowns the Irish offense produced in 2007 all covered 25 yards - Golden Tate against Purdue and David Grimes and Duval Kamara against Duke. Even David Grimes' dramatic and unjustly overturned grab against Stanford only covered 29 yards.) While thinking about these numbers, I realized how important having playmakers at wide receiver is to the Notre Dame offense under Weis. Weis's NFL reputation was burnished by his ability to construct a competent passing attack with a green quarterback and a wide receiver corps of Troy Brown, David Patten and some warm bodies, suggesting that elite WR talent was not a requirement for his offense. However, Samardzija and Stovall's ability to create big plays in the passing game was a key component in 2005's offensive explosion and the loss of Stovall accounted for much of the decline from 2005 to 2006. The Irish offense has several young receivers that could emerge as playmakers, including sophomores Kamara and Tate and freshmen Michael Floyd and Deion Walker. With a sophomore quarterback and lingering questions along the offensive line, it will be critical for one or more receiver to emerge as someone who can score from anywhere and reduce the need for Clausen and the line to sustain meticulous drives. In a few weeks, we'll find out if this will happen in 2008. Then again, the best aid for a young quarterback and an uncertain line is a strong commitment to the running game. Hopefully we'll see this as well.

On the outside looking in | by Pat

For the third time in four years, Notre Dame is starting the season out of the Top 25 in the pre-season USA Today Coaches poll. ND received 5 votes, which translates into 43rd place. It's the lowest starting point, rankings-wise, for the Fighting Irish under Charlie and the lowest for ND period since 2002, when ND was slotted in 46th place.

Here is a glimpse at the rankings of the 2008 ND opponents that received votes:

2. USC
24. Michigan
31. Boston College
33. Pittsburgh
40. Michigan State
48. North Carolina

Hardly a murderer's row this season. No clear cut favorite at the top either as Southern Cal was one of six teams to get first place votes. Of course, preseason polls aren't usually even worth the paper they are written on, even if Spurrier didn't vote for Duke this year to "keep the integrity of the poll alive".

Dipping back into a familiar routine, let's take a look at the biggest gainers and losers from last year's final poll to this brand spanking new pre-season version. I certainly agree with the theory that pre-season polls are more of a reflection of the results of the previous season than what we should all expect to see in the coming months. However, there are still a few teams that experience a sizable boost or drop in perception after the final whistle of last season sounds.

The final Coaches Poll from last season can be found here. Comparing the two, Boston College experienced the biggest change in votes of any team, reflecting the loss of Matt Ryan and the army of 5th year seniors on last year's team. Michigan lost a ton of talent as well, but Coach Rodriguez's reputation likely kept the drop from being too severe. Florida welcomes back Heisman winner Tim Tebow and sees the biggest boost in rankings.

biggest gainers team 08 07 final diff 5 Florida 1,293 567 +726 9 Clemson 999 319 +680 12 Wisconsin 747 333 +414 14 Texas Tech 644 242 +402 21 South Florida 350 6 +344 4 Oklahoma 1,329 1,016 +313 11 Auburn 888 624 +264 20 Oregon 399 192 +207 22 Penn State 313 127 +186 23 Wake Forest 203 53 +150

biggest losers team 08 07 final diff Boston College 47 898 -851 13 Kansas 714 1,217 -503 Hawaii 0 427 -427 15 Virginia Tech 568 979 -411 Cincinnati 13 376 -363 6 LSU 1,163 1,500 -337 18 Tennessee 506 826 -320 24 Michigan 112 413 -301 8 WVU 1,008 1,239 -231 7 Missouri 1,143 1,241 -98

Which teams do you think deserved their big swing and which do you think are still either overrated and underrated?