ISD Top 25 Players of the Brian Kelly Era: 5-1
ISD decided to rank the Top 25 players for the last five Irish head coaches---Brian Kelly, Charlie Weis, Tyrone Willingham, Bob Davie and Lou Holtz. This was quite an undertaking, but we thought we'd have fun as a staff doing it, and we felt our readers would enjoy it as well. We will start this week with our Top 25 for Brian Kelly, and throughout the spring and summer, we will be releasing the other Top 25 for the other coaches as well.
We met as a staff, and after a much-heated debate (I should've recorded it because you'd probably find that conversation even more interesting), we're releasing our Top 25 Irish players from the Brian Kelly era.
We know there will be a lot of debate about this moving forward, and that's great because everyone has different opinions.
Our first order of business was figuring out which players should be classified with each coach. We settled on each player had to play at least two years for the coach they're assigned to, and have their two best years playing at ND while playing for that coach, so that is how each player was classified.
We also ranked each player by how much impact they had on the teams they played for. It had nothing to do with NFL potential or overall talent...simply the results based on their performance while at Notre Dame.
Understanding that, here are ISD's rankings of the No. 5 through No. 1 players for the Brian Kelly era. We will release the rest as the week goes on finishing with our No. 5 through No. 1 on Friday.
Please feel free to discuss our rankings by posting your comments below. Feel free to discuss how you feel they should be ranked, and ask any questions you may have of our staff or our rankings.
Enjoy!
ISD Top 25: 25-21
ISD Top 25: 20-16
ISD Top 25: 15-11
ISD Top 25: 10-6
5. LB Manti Te’o
This almost feels wrong to have him at five considering how great he was in 2012. The off the field drama at the end of that season and the result of the Alabama game overshadowed how terrific he truly was. I have heard pundits say that CJ Mosley was the better linebacker that season and that's just not true. Maybe Mosley was more talented, but he was not better than Te'o.
It wasn't just the seven interceptions or the 113 tackles. It was when he made plays. He delivered in the biggest moments that year, especially against Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford, Oklahoma, and USC. That's something that we didn't see from Jaylon Smith.
He didn't have those massive moments before that season, but his tackle numbers and overall impact were still considerable. For those that watched him at Notre Dame, his legacy at linebacker is going to last for a long time.
Te’o played in 13 games and started 10 games as true freshman in 2009. He finished with 63 tackles, including 57 tackles over the last eight games of the season. In his first start, Te’o registered 10 tackles against Washington.
As a sophomore, Te’o led the Irish with 133 tackles and was second on the team with 9.5 tackles for loss. He topped 10 tackles in a game seven times with a high of 21 against Stanford.
In 2011, Te’o led the Irish with 128 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss. Te’o recorded double-digit stops in nine games and became the 10th Notre Dame player to eclipse 300 tackles.
Te’o racked up 113 tackles and seven interceptions for the Irish in 2012. He had a season-high 12 tackles at Michigan State. Te’o recorded 11 tackles against Oklahoma.
Stats
- 437 tackles
- 212 tackles
- 34.0 tackles for loss
- 8.5 sacks
- 7 interceptions
Honors and Awards
Heisman Trophy Finalist (2012)
Butkus Award (2012)
Lombardi Award (2012)
Walter Camp Award (2012)
Bednarik Award (2012)
Bronko Nagurski Trophy (2012)
Lott IMPACT Defensive Player of the Year (2012)
Lott IMPACT Player of the Week x3 (2012)
AP Second-Team All-American (2011)
Walter Camp Football Foundation Second-Team All-American (2011)
SI.com Second-Team All-American (2011)
Rivals.com Second-Team All-American (2011)
Phil Steele Second-Team All-American (2011)
Captial One Academic All-America Second-Team All-American (2011)
Rockne Student-Athlete of the Year (2011)
Butkus Award Finalist (2011)
Lott Award Finalist (2011)
Bednarik Award Semifinalist (2011)
Lombardi Award Finalist (2011)
4. WR Will Fuller
Easily the most exciting player to watch during the Kelly era, Fuller was an explosive play waiting to happen. There has not been a better deep ball receiver than him since I've been watching Notre Dame football in the last 25 seasons.
Him torching Adoree Jackson a couple of times in 2015 says it all about the kind of speed he possessed. His game-winning touchdowns against Virginia and Temple also showcased how he could come through when it mattered most.
How he wasn't a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award in 2015 is still perplexing to me. He deserved more recognition from people outside of Notre Dame circles.
The Philadelphia native played in 13 games and started three games as a freshman. Fuller had six catches for 160 yards and one touchdown in 2013.
Fuller started 13 games as a sophomore and led the Irish with receptions with 76, receiving yards (1,094) and receiving touchdowns with 15. He scored at least one touchdown in 11 of 13 games in 2014. Fuller’s first 100-yard receiving game came against Syracuse when he had 119 yards and two touchdowns.
Fuller’s final season at Notre Dame he had 62 catches for 1,258 yards and 14 touchdowns. Against Pittsburgh, Fuller caught seven balls for 152 yards and three scores.
Stats
- 144 catches
- 2,512 receiving yards
- 30 touchdowns
Honors and Awards
ESPN.com Midseason First-Team All-American (2015)
USA Today Midseason First-Team All-American (2015)
SI.com Midseason Second-Team All-American (2015)
Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist (2015)
Biletnikoff Award Watch List (2015)
Walter Camp Award Watch List (2015)
Athlon Sports Preseason Fourth Team All-American (2015)
College Sports Madness Independent Offensive Player of the Week (9/13/15) (2015)
Walter Camp Award "Player to Watch (2015)
AP Second-Team All-American (2015)
Sports Illustrated Honorable Mention All-American (2014)
Notre Dame Offensive Player of the Year (2014)
College Sports Madness Independent Offensive Player of the Week (10.12.2014)
3. WR Michael Floyd
I don't think Michael Floyd was always an automatic first down whenever the ball was thrown his way. It sure seemed that way, though. He managed to keep that reputation despite catching 179 balls in his last two years at Notre Dame.
He was the ultimate go-to receiver. The other team knew the ball was going to Floyd and it didn't matter 90% of the time. That's why I know he was at a different level than the other receivers during Kelly's time at Notre Dame. It was obvious he was the alpha-dog, and the other teams were forced to try and stop him.
If there was better quarterback play in those two years, I think his numbers would have been a lot better than they were. That's almost frightening to think about when you consider the numbers he put up in spite of the quarterback situation.
As a freshman, Floyd played in 11 of 13 games and broke the record for receiving touchdowns by a rookie with seven. Floyd’s 48 catches also set a Notre Dame freshman record as well as his 719 receiving yards set a freshman record. Floyd caught a 22-yard touchdown pass for his first catch.
Floyd started all seven games he played in and finished second on the team with 44 catches 44 for 795 yards and nine scores. He topped 100 receiving five times, which included four receptions for 189 yards and three touchdowns against Nevada.
In 2010, Floyd started 12 games and missed one game due to injury. He recorded 79 catches for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns. 55 of his 79 catches went for a first down or touchdown. Floyd had nine catches for 157 yards and three scores against Western Michigan.
Floyd tallied 100 catches for 1,147 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior. The season got a tremendous start to the season with 12 catches for 154 yards and two scores against South Florida, and he followed it up with 13 catches for 159 yards against Michigan the next week.
Stats
- 271 receptions
- 3,686 receiving yards
- 38 total touchdowns
- 13.6 yards per reception
Honors and Awards
C.M. Hendricks MVP of Hyundai Sun Bowl (2010)
2010 Notre Dame Monogram Club Most Valuable Player Award (2010)
2. OL Quenton Nelson
Nelson is an exceptional football player. It was a tough decision to put him second instead of at the top. Second place isn't exactly bad when you consider who is first, though.
He was the most dominating run-blocker I have seen at Notre Dame and embarrassed several players with the way he finished blocks. This wasn't him just doing it against bad competition either. It didn't matter who he faced. LSU's Devin White might have been the best inside linebacker the Irish played all of last season. That didn't stop him from appearing on Nelson's highlight reel when White was pancaked in the end zone.
If he didn't hurt his ankle in 2015, he could have been at the top. Instead, he narrowly gets beat out by another Irish offensive lineman.
Nelson spent his first year at Notre Dame on the scout team before starting 11 games at left guard in 2015. Helped the offensive line become a finalist for the Joe Moore Award as the Irish averaged 5.63 yards per rush.
In 2016, Nelson started 12 games at left guard and helped Josh Adams run for over 100 yards four times.
In 2017, Nelson helped the Irish rush for 6.37 yards per carry and 35 touchdowns. The Irish rushed for at least 300 yards in seven games. Nelson was the first offensive lineman to become a unanimous All-American since Aaron Taylor in 1993.
Stats
- 35 starts in 36 games
- Didn’t surrender or QB hit in 819 offensive snaps.
Honors and Awards
34th Unanimous All-American at Notre Dame
Outland Trophy Finalist (2017)
American Football Coaches Association First-Team All-American (2017)
Associated Press First-Team All-American (2017)
Football Writers Association of America First-Team All-American (2017)
Walter Camp Football Foundation First-Team All-American (2017)
The Sporting News First-Team All-American (2017)
Notre Dame Monogram Club Most Valuable Player
AP Second-Team All-American (2016)
Sports Illustrated Second-Team All-American (2016)
Notre Dame Offensive Lineman of the Year (2016)
1. OL Zack Martin
Martin is the standard. Not just for offensive linemen, but for players in general under Brian Kelly. He was exceptional as a freshman and extraordinary as a senior. The level of consistency he sustained for four years is incredible.
He was a great run-blocker and was equally great in pass protection. Stanford's Trent Murphy had 15 sacks in 2013. He didn't sniff the quarterback going up against Martin that season.
Thankfully, the NFL recognized right away how great he was regarding awards because he was amazingly overlooked by the people who vote for them in college football. I think when people go back and look at it, though, Martin will be seen as the best offensive lineman to play college football in 2012 and 2013. They should be kicking themselves for not recognizing how great Martin was at the time and Notre Dame should have done a better job promoting him for those awards.
Martin didn't play his freshman season at Notre Dame but started all 13 games as a sophomore. All but two of his starts were at left tackle in 2010.
In his junior season, Martin once again started all 13 games, and the offensive line only allowed 17 sacks during the season.
As a senior, Martin led the way for the Irish to run for at least 200 yards seven times and 5.3 yards per carry on the year.
Martin set a school record with 52 career starts as he started all 13 games in 2013 and finished third in Notre Dame history with 37 wins as a starter. Notre Dame allowed just eight sacks in 2013 which was second in the country.
Stats
- Started 52 games for Notre Dame
- Two-time Notre Dame captain
Honors and Awards
New Era Pinstripe Bowl Most Valuable Player (2013)
ESPN.com All-Bowl Team (2013-14)
Participated in the 2014 Senior Bowl Game
College Sports Madness Third Team All-American (2013)
Phil Steele Fourth Team All-American (2013)
Phil Steele Preseason Third Team All-American (2013)
Walter Camp Second Team All-American (2012)
Notre Dame Guardian Life Insurance Guardian of the Year (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Lombardi Award Watch List (2011, 2012, 2013)
Outland Trophy Watch List (2011, 2012, 2013)
Phil Steele Fourth Team All-American (2012)
ISD Top 25 of the Brian Kelly Era
25. CB KeiVarae Russell
24. RB CJ Prosise
23. DL Louis Nix III
22. K Justin Yoon
21. RB Cierre Wood
20. DL Kapron Lewis-Moore
19. OL Nick Martin
18. WR TJ Jones
17. QB DeShone Kizer
16. OL Mike McGlinchey
15. CB Robert Blanton
14. RB Theo Riddick
13. DL Stephon Tuitt
12. RB Josh Adams
11. OL Chris Watt
10. DL Sheldon Day
9. OL Ronnie Stanley
8. S Harrison Smith
7. LB Jaylon Smith
6. TE Tyler Eifert
5. LB Manti Te'o
4. WR Will Fuller
3. WR Michael Floyd
2. OL Quenton Nelson
1. OL Zack Martin