Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
USA TODAY Sports Media Group
ESPN: Receiver is Notre Dame's biggest question mark
By Geoffrey Clark,
8 hours ago
No matter how good a college football team is, there always is a weakness the opposition looks to exploit. Notre Dame is no exception.
ESPN has determined what it believes to be the biggest question mark for each team in its post-spring Top 25. Notre Dame was fifth on that list, and David Hale is the writer who listed receiver as the most pressing issue for the Irish. He elaborated this way:
“There’s room for optimism with this receivers corps, which includes the addition of transfers Beaux Collins (Clemson) and Kris Mitchell (FIU), along with holdovers Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse and Jayden Thomas. But last year’s leading wideouts, Chris Tyree and Rico Flores Jr., both transferred, and it was a unit that struggled often even with them. No wide receiver caught more than 27 passes in 2022 or 2023. Notre Dame hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Chase Claypool in 2019.
With Riley Leonard’s legs, a big O-line and a talented backfield (not to mention a burgeoning star in tight end Mitchell Evans), there’s not a ton of pressure on the receivers to put up earth-shattering numbers, but genuine progress will be critical to an Irish offense that lost three games last season – all scoring 23 points or less. In those three games, the wide receivers combined for just two touchdown grabs and none had more than four catches in any one game.”
It’s a fair assessment, and the Irish have taken steps to address receive with five freshman receivers new to the program in 2024, including Cam Williams and Micah Gilbert. Results might not happen right away, but at least the Irish were aware of this Achilles’ heel with their offense. It will be a fun group to watch develop.
Contact/Follow us@IrishWireNDon Twitter, and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0