Depth More Important Than Ever for Notre Dame in 2020
As days go by, there is nothing certain about when life will get back to normal. No one knows when sports will get back to normal either, which is why many people aren’t sure about this college football season.
Will it start on time?
Will it start at all?
Will there be a chance to make up for lost spring ball practices? (Probably not.)
Will players be able to get on campus this summer and start training to be ready for a normal college football season? (Let’s hope so.)
Brian Kelly went on ESPN and talked to Scott Van Pelt about having to get kids back on campus for July 1st to have a realistic shot at starting the season on time. That would give the players four weeks to train before fall camp started. It’s not the amount of time that anyone associated with a college football program would want, but the assumption is that it would be enough.
Maybe it will and maybe it won’t be for some players. A lot of that depends on how they are spending this time in isolation and whether or not they are continuing to train in some fashion.
That goes double for the players who are/were rehabilitating after an injury. If those individuals aren’t doing what is needed during this time, that window of time might not be enough to have them prepared for the start of the season.
Getting ready to start is one thing. Getting in good enough shape to get through a season is different. That could end up being the greatest challenge for Notre Dame and others in 2020, which is why depth is going to be more critical than any previous season under Kelly.
His staff can’t plan for good health. They should expect players to deal with injuries more due to the lack of preparation compared to every other one. The good news is that this year’s Notre Dame deep is deep at some important positions on the roster. The bad news is that the depth is unproven in a lot of spots as well.
Running back
The bodies aren’t an issue. They’ll have three backs with game experience and two more in addition to them who may be more talented. This isn’t a position that is loaded with elite options, though. This is going to be an area of worry even if a lead back emerges because the drop off to the next guy could be steep.
Offensive line
They are fortunate to have five starters returning and a sixth player with starting experience. Behind that, it’s a bit of mystery as to who will be the next guy. Unfortunately Notre Dame didn’t have the spring to figure out who that might be.
It will be something to monitor to see if the lack of training hurts the development of the young offensive linemen in terms of contributing this year. If Andrew Kristofic, Zeke Correll, and Quinn Carroll aren’t able to provide depth this fall, that could be a problem.
Tight end
Two players return, Tommy Tremble and Brock Wright, with a number of snaps under their belt and another who has shown flashes of being a contributor. Two freshmen enter the mix in the summer, whenever they might be able to report. Tight end is not a spot Notre Dame fans should worry about too much.
Quarterback
There is a lack of any experience behind Ian Book and that was going to be the case no matter what. No spring reps and no 7-on-7 reps in the summer for Brendon Clark and Drew Pyne is not a good thing for the two backing up Book.
Wide receiver
Now it looks more important than ever that the Irish took Ben Skowronek as a graduate transfer and if they can fit under the scholarship limit, Javon McKinley is another important player. With potential stars emerging in Kevin Austin and Braden Lenzy, receiver isn’t a massive concern.
Defensive line
The depth might not be proven in terms of production, but because of Mike Elston’s rotation there are so many players who have played a good amount of snaps and are ready to take on a bigger role.
Linebacker
They are looking for a new starter at Buck, but have two players with experience there competing. Both Shayne Simon and Jack Lamb are returning from injury, though. These are the types of players who may have a tougher time with the absence of training. At the very least it’s something to watch early on.
Even with those two dealing with injuries, the Irish have two starters returning and other young athletes with the potential to emerge. They should be fine at linebacker.
Safety
It’s rare that Notre Dame loses two starters and still has depth in the defensive backfield. That’s what they have with Kyle Hamilton returning and the combination of Houston Griffith, DJ Brown, and graduate transfer Isaiah Pryor. This is another case where taking a transfer with starting experience is going to benefit them greatly.
Cornerback
Corner would be a lot worse off if Shaun Crawford wasn’t returning, but with his injury history, it’s fair to be worried if he’ll make it through the season. TaRiq Bracy is the only other corner who has played a lot and the five young corners without experience needed to have those extra practices in spring working with new coach Mike Mickens.
Notre Dame could end up being okay if individuals like KJ Wallace and Isaiah Rutherford step up in 2020, but this might be the type of season that requires five quality corners. I’m not sure if they will have that. Mickens will not have an easy job given the circumstances.
If things progress slowly and they try to rush to get the season started on time, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it be a year of attrition. The back end of the roster could be more important than ever, which could work out fine for Notre Dame at some spots and be a lot trickier at others.