Let us do the spring game dance. After 14 practices shut off from the media (still bitter about it), the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame will make a live public appearance inside Notre Dame Stadium to the cheers of several thousand socially-distanced fans this Saturday afternoon. If you got excited about a diving catch from a backup receiver in the university-approved highlight clips released this spring, just wait until you see an entire uninterrupted football game from your beloved team.

Blue (-3.5*) vs. Gold

Notre Dame Stadium
South Bend, Indiana
Date: Saturday, May 1, 2021
Time: 12:30 PM ET
TV: Peacock^

*Purely on the basis that blue is the superior color.

^The game will be streamed, for free, on NBC’s streaming service Peacock. You’ll need an account to watch but don’t need to sign up for the $4.99 per month premium fee. 

Of course, this is a spring game in which quarterbacks can’t be hit and the last 1/3 of the game is essentially useless action for walk-ons and players way, way down the depth chart.

As you know, this has been a particularly difficult spring to assess the team. Shaky and chaotic snippets of practice clips, Zoom interviews from staff and players with little follow up, with precious bread crumbs from the beat media has left us piecing together an early fabric of the 2021 Irish.

INJURY REPORT

#7 QB Brendon Clark (knee)
#4 WR Kevin Austin (foot)
#55 OL Jarrett Patterson (foot)
#54 NG Jacob Lacey (knee)
#48 DE Will Schweitzer (knee)
#13 LB Paul Moala (Achilles)
#14 S Kyle Hamilton (ankle)

I believe all of these players are out for Saturday and won’t be suiting up.

Quarterbacks

#17 Jack Coan
#10 Drew Pyne
#12 Tyler Buchner
#11 Ron Powlus, Jr.

It would seem the pleasantly mild winner (I won’t say big winner without more information) of spring on offense has been Drew Pyne who has flashed the most in the highlight videos and is drawing positive reviews for his compact delivery and perhaps surprising zip on his passes. For him, it seems like a job well done as he’ll head into fall camp later this year in a legit quarterback competition.

I don’t think this will be the high-water mark for Pyne but I still really doubt his ability to be a very good quarterback due to his size limitations. I know that’ll bug some people but some of the best nuggets this spring have revolved around Pyne and receivers Avery Davis and Lawrence Keys. That’s two 5’11” guys and one 5’10” guy–it’s just so hard to be Top 10 good when you’re that small and not freakishly athletic.

Pyne takes the field.

So, I think this is a big game for Pyne. A sharp passing performance likely keeps him in a healthy spot but a spotty performance could really have people worried about his long-term effectiveness.

At this point, it seems like Buchner’s throwing motion is just fine! It won’t be long before we get to see it out in the wild. Kelly did mention Buchner will get “live” reps without a red jersey in the first half which is good news that he’ll be playing freely and also not stuck playing just the second half.

Does anyone think Coan’s delivery may be the weirdest of the bunch? From the clips we’ve seen many of his throws have a bit of an elongated motion, but more so, he seems a little slow to get the ball out. Check out the 0:55 second mark of the 4/29 practice video below for a good look at what I mean. I’m anxious to see how his arm and throwing motion look as we adjust to a taller presence in the pocket.

This spring has appeared to be a very good one for the quarterbacks and I’m curious to see if that narrative shifts a little bit if we see Coan and Pyne perform just okay, or worse, and it’s clear Buchner isn’t going to be a Super Freshman.

Running Backs

#23 Kyren Williams
#25 Chris Tyree
#20 C’Bo Flemister

Aren’t there more running backs for spring? Actually, nope! I don’t have anything interesting to say about the tailbacks. I would hope we don’t give them the ball too much in a scrimmage but I also have a hard time seeing someone competitive like Williams carrying the ball 4 times and then taking a seat for the afternoon.

On the other hand, I’m not real excited about a second half with walk-on running backs behind a young offensive line as we try to evaluate Tyler Buchner.

Wide Receivers

#3 Avery Davis
#18 Joe Wilkins
#0 Braden Lenzy
#13 Lawrence Keys
#15 Jordan Johnson
#21 Lorenzo Styles
#82 Xavier Watts
#81 Jay Brunelle

Prior to the spring, I was one of the more positive voices regarding the receiving corps and the reports are that the veterans (our top 4 listed above) have put together a really strong set of practices. Somehow, I still feel a little down on this group, though.

So much hinges on the healthy return of Kevin Austin and that’s not something we’re going to see for a while. With him, things can begin to look good. Without him, am I too harsh to think that Davis-Wilkins-Lenzy-Keys doesn’t do much for me? I mentioned the lack of size (Wilkins exempted at 6’1″ 1/2) and that puts a hard ceiling on this group.

It’s a unit that can do some good things but if those are the top 4 rolling into Tallahassee and we don’t see Austin blowing up, or Johnson making a big jump, or Styles emerging in a big way I will be concerned.

Tight Ends

#87 Michael Mayer
#85 George Takacs
#84 Kevin Bauman
#80 Cane Berrong
#88 Mitchell Evans

What do we have behind Mayer? That’s all we’re looking at during this spring game. Takacs is by far the oldest of the group and should be ready to provide solid backup duties.

Also, will anyone show flashes of being a future starter out of the group?

Offensive Line

#79 Tosh Baker (LT)
#76 Dillan Gibbons (LG)
#52 Zeke Correll (C)
#75 Josh Lugg (RG)
#54 Blake Fisher (RT)

#68 Michael Carmody (LT)
#50 Rocco Spindler (LG)
#73 Andrew Kristofic (C)
#56 John Dirksen (RG)
#77 Quinn Carroll/#72 Caleb Johnson (RT)

The best and most intriguing topic of spring has brought us a lot of fruit. So, we rejoice in the amount of commentary available for us today.

1) Despite it supposedly being a lock that Jarrett Patterson was playing left tackle it’s apparently not set in stone anymore. It’s possible he comes back at guard, too. That probably says a lot about the development of other tackles but, as I believed, this seems like the smart thing to at least consider in order to get the best 5 linemen together instead of the 5 best linemen. Although, it was interesting to hear Liam Eichenberg recently say Patterson performed great as a true freshman at left tackle in practice, something I didn’t know about.

2) We’ve seen Baker and Fisher splitting reps at left tackle for most of spring. These are the 2 best healthy options so I’m hoping both get to start in the spring game.

3) Kelly mentioned Lugg was going to be a guard, then later said actually he’ll be a tackle. I personally don’t need to see Lugg at right tackle for the spring game instead of Fisher, so we’ll see.

4) I recently took to Twitter to chastise the world for doubting Blake Fisher but I really think Rocco Spindler has been one of the top stories for spring. I didn’t think he’d be this big (over 6’4″ and 315 lbs.) and so impressive early on. I think Fisher is so good that he might play guard (more on this below) but depending on how things shake out at tackle (let’s say Patterson at LT and Lugg at RT) it’s possible Spindler has a quicker route to the field as a true freshman.

5) The team really seems like it hasn’t found its guards yet. Dirksen appears to have fallen back and can Gibbons really hold on to a starting job? Either way, it certainly seems like anyone not-named Patterson is going to be looking over their shoulder at the guard position all year.

6) Let’s say Patterson and Lugg are the game 1 tackles, what happens with Baker and Fisher? This is the biggest predicament for the line because Baker and Fisher look ready to blossom. This could be why Patterson is being discussed at guard, or maybe Fisher gets time there, as well. I feel confident about Patterson and Correll holding down a spot on the line, but no one else. That includes Lugg who I can envision losing his tackle job to Baker or Fisher very early in 2021.

Jumbo End

#95 Myron Taoavailoa-Amosa
#19 Justin Ademilola
#98 Alex Ehrensberger
#18 Na-Na Osafo-Mensah

All indications are that if MTA hasn’t moved here full-time he’s certainly spending the bulk of his time on the edge. It’s an interesting move (MTA has better-than-you-think pass rushing skills) and I’m curious to see how he looks at this spot. I know he’s far heavier (282 lbs.) than we’re used to seeing at this position but remember Freeman likes a tackle body with pass-rushing skills at this spot when he’s in a 3-man front.

Either way, the team really needs Justin Ademilola to take a big step forward in 2021. He’s a sneaky important piece to the team this fall and could become a crucial player in the event MTA has some struggles adjusting.

Defensive Tackle

#57 Jayson Ademilola
#99 Rylie Mills
#97 Gabriel Rubio

His brother Jayson is crucial, too! With MTA leaving this spot (at least some or most of the time) it really changes the complexion of the interior. Ademilola has done some good things throughout his career but hasn’t yet realized his blue-chip potential coming out of high school.

Many are expecting Mills to jump out and become an impact backup. I have a feeling he’ll be one of the most talked about players coming out of the spring game. We just don’t want to feel like it was a mistake moving MTA away from this spot and quality depth needs to fill that vacuum.

Nose Guard

#41 Kurt Hinish
#56 Howard Cross
#92 Aidan Keanaaina

Without Lacey in the lineup this position looks a bit weaker for spring. Hinish has mentioned taking on the center more one-on-one (3-man fronts ya’ll) and we’ll see if this spot becomes a little bit more explosive and disruptive than in the past.

I’ll have my eyes on Keanaaina. He’s a big dude (6’3″ 312 lbs.) and I’m wondering if he has the burst to develop into the type of lineman Freeman prefers. This could be our first extended look at him since coming in last year.

Vyper

#7 Isaiah Foskey
#17 Jordan Botelho
#34 Osi Ekwonu
#44 Devin Aupiu

The Foskey-Botelho pairing should be a fun duo to watch and set up to do a lot of damage. Of course, they can’t hit the quarterbacks in the spring game but I’m focused on their aggression and impact stopping the run and in general getting into the backfield.

Further, it would seem like Foskey and Botelho should be used in different spots including being on the field together. On third and long this seems probable, although I’m excited to see if Botelho (who I think has the body-type of a linebacker/lineman combo) is used as a stand up player, effectively taking a true linebacker or defensive back off the field.

Ovie Oghoufo transferred to Texas this off-season and it would be nice to have him back. The depth here is not ideal as the staff has moved Ekwonu (formerly a Mike linebacker who spent some time at running back last year) to the edge while we should see our first look of early enrolled freshman Aupiu. Brian Kelly mentioned last Saturday that Will Schweitzer recently had surgery on a tendon in his leg.

Mike

#40 LB Drew White
#52 Bo Bauer
#27 JD Bertrand

White missed some practices this spring and should suit up for this weekend, although I wouldn’t expect him to play a ton. Kelly mentioned that White wants to play, usually the coach wins! Bauer has been progressing slowly from a good special teams players (2019) to solid backup (2020) and seems poised to offer much more this fall.

From the 4 linebacker class back in 2019 only Bertrand remains at Mike. Is he the long-term future?

Will

#35 Marist Liufau
#33 Shayne Simon

We haven’t received a straight update on this positional battle from Kelly or Freeman but based off the practice highlights it sure seems like Liufau either has command of this job or has already won it from the veteran Simon. If the Freeman defense really does stress aggressiveness from these inside linebacker positions it’ll be tough for Simon to match Liufau’s hair-on-fire style.

Rover

#24 Jack Kiser
#10 Isaiah Pryor

They’re calling the position Rover, so what does this player do and how is it different than Clark Lea’s approach? Perhaps we’ll learn a lot more during the spring game? I really like Kiser and hope he can flash a little bit during the Blue Gold Game. I’m not as high on Pryor, although we’ll see. With scheme and personnel issues at this spot without JOK, it could go a long way to have positive news from either of these players heading into the summer.

Corners

#26 Clarence Lewis
#5 Cam Hart
#28 TaRiq Bracy
#11 Ramon Henderson
#21 Caleb Offord
#25 Philip Riley

Judging by Kelly’s recent comments the freshmen in Offord and Riley are hanging in there but the veterans are the ones who have stepped up. Lewis is to be expected coming off starting as a freshman and now he’s the cagey vet of the group!

Fortune favors the bold: Will the nearly 6’3″ Hart work at corner?

I’m most interested in watching Cam Hart who apparently has risen to become someone who could grab a starting spot this season. This would be huge news, although I’m generally extremely skeptical of large corners and Hart is absolutely massive at 6’2″ 1/2 and 207 pounds. That’s the same height and 5 pounds lighter than Donte Vaughn (the biggest corner to ever play at Notre Dame by a wide margin) who made 8 starts across 4 seasons. Hart recently mentioned they are playing press coverage 90% of the time, and my goodness, this seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Either way, it’ll be exciting to watch!

Safeties

#12 DJ Brown
#3 Houston Griffith
#16 KJ Wallace
#23 Litchfield Ajavon
#20 Justin Walters

Without Kyle Hamilton lining up for the spring game we should get a good look at the other decidedly non-All-American safeties. I found it kind of revealing during recent Kelly comments while discussing the corners that he voluntarily revealed they are waiting to see what (incoming freshman) Khari Gee can do at safety and that this is a position of greater focus of building depth.

The rest of you safeties are on notice! And oh yeah, cover up for those corners in press coverage!

Let’s hope at least one of Brown or Griffith put in a good shift. Also, we’ll see if Wallace is used more in a traditional safety role or if he’s more of a nickel corner nowadays.

Predictions

Coan vs. Pyne Battle

My mind says take Coan if only because spring games typically favor pocket passers who don’t need to rely on their athleticism to escape the pocket in a set up that makes running quarterbacks’ ability awkward at best with 2-man touch rules. However, my heart thinks Pyne’s going to perform a little better and bring us a stiffer quarterback competition in the fall.

Annual Whoosh Award – Lawrence Keys

I originally had Watts for this award and Keys is a little too well-known to be the choice. However, these spring games are so short these days that Watts could get the bulk of his snaps with Powlus at quarterback.

Unexpected Player to Shine – JD Bertrand

I’m assuming Drew White is going to play minimally or not at all. This should open the door wide open to Bertrand to get a ton of snaps in the 2nd and 3rd quarters when a lot of plays will be there to clean up against largely backups.

Game MVP – Chris Tyree

I typically like impactful backups for the spring game MVP. You’re not going to sit down after a few series, you’re going to get plenty of snaps, and if my premonition is correct the defense is going to be stifling at times with the running backs getting a lot of dump-offs in the passing game. I’m thinking Tyree goes for something like 8 carries for 47 yards with 4 receptions for 39 yards and 1 touchdown.