Claypool Looks To Lead Offense Against New Mexico

After losing Miles Boykin to the NFL, Irish coaches and fans alike turned to Chase Claypool, the 6’4”, 230 lb receiver from Abbottsville, British Columbia, to be the next big-bodied receiver for Notre Dame’s offense. Claypool couldn’t be more excited to be the focal point of the passing game this year.
 
“I always worked at boundary, even last season, but I know that’s where the offense moves through so I’m excited,” Claypool said.
 
The senior receiver noted the sloppiness from Notre Dame’s offense in the victory over Louisville and the need to improve. Fortunately, the Irish coaching staff recognized the mistakes and focused on them during the off week.
 
“I think we know what we have to work on and these past two weeks have helped with that," stated Claypool. "We’re trying to tighten things up so we can be perfect the next time we take the field.”
 
Despite the underwhelming offensive production from the Irish, Claypool did make one highlight catch-and-run last Monday. During the 31-yard scamper, Claypool ran through several Louisville defenders to gain the extra yardage. We can thank the Irish coaching staff for stressing the importance of yards after the catch for the impressive performance.
 
“Coach Long tells us to never run out of bounds, so I knew it wasn’t really an option,” Claypool explained. “I love when a lot of guys try to tackle me and I don’t go down, it really fires me up and gets the team fired up.”
 
Additionally, Claypool has already seen improvement over the bye week heading into the New Mexico game this Saturday.
 
“We need to execute more," said Claypool. "We had a few missed assignments and missed signals in the Louisville game that we’ve worked on. I think we’re more focused on the signals to make the whole play work. If one player isn’t doing the right thing, the whole play is off.”
 
As one of the tallest receivers on the Irish team, Claypool fits the mold of an NFL receiver. It turns out, he also models his play off one of the top receivers on the professional level.
 
“I look at Deandre Hopkins a lot, he’s just a physical dude and I watch his film a lot,” he stated. “I also watch Keenan Allen because he’s a great route runner.”
 
Although most Notre Dame fans are focused on his production this season, Chase Claypool has a bright NFL future ahead of him. However, he still recognizes the facets of his game he needs to improve before making the jump to the pros.
 
“Continuing long drives and playing the same speed on every route from beginning to the end of the drive are key in the NFL," said Claypool. "That comes with conditioning and endurance to make sure I can get yards after the catch.”
 
Finally, Claypool recognized that he and his teammates may have been too caught up in the Louisville game, and that the team has settled down and feels prepared for New Mexico.
 
“Maybe we got too caught up," said Claypool. "I think that’s what the narrative is on the game. I think we’re going to be more calm, cool and collected this game. We’re not focused on who the opponent is and what they have, we’re playing as if they just won a championship.”