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NOTRE
DAME FIGHTING IRISH
2012
College Football Early Preview
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| OFFENSE
- 8 |
------RETURNING
STARTERS------ |
DEFENSE
- 7 |
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| KEY
LOSSES |
| OFFENSE:
Jonas Gray-RB, Michael Floyd-WR,
Trevor Robinson-OG, Taylor Dever-OT,
David Ruffer-K, Dayne Crist-QB
(transferred) |
| DEFENSE:
Ethan
Johnson-DE, Darius Fleming-OLB,
Robert Blanton-CB, Gary Gray-CB,
Harrison Smith-S |
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Offensive
Skill Positions / Linebacker |
| The
only significant
loss on offense
in regards to who
handles the football
is receiver Michael
Floyd. Coach Brian
Kelly is an offensive
mind who will be
working with a wealth
of experience at
QB, RB, WR and TE.
All-American linebacker
Manti Te'o has decided
to stay for his
senior year. |
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| Secondary
/ QB Controversy |
| The
secondary is the
unit that takes
the biggest hit.
Three fulltime starters
will move on. The
same issues in the
defensive backfield
that haunted the
Irish for the last
15 years is still
an issue. Coaches
like the explosiveness
Andrew Hendrix brings
to the table. He
is now sharing time
with Tommy Rees
at the most scrutinized
position in all
of college football…Notre
Dame QB. |
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LB
Manti Te'o |
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DEPTH CHARTS were only designed
as a simplistic gauge for listing
players that departed and players
that received the most playing
experience (consistent starters).
NationalChamps.net recognizes
the importance of missing personnel
data not listed such as redshirts,
transfers, injuries, incoming
recruits, back ups and alternates.
Their coverage will begin with
our full 2012 Preseason Preview
due out this coming spring. |
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| NOTRE
DAME 2012 DEPTH CHART
Returning
Starters/Key
Players |
| OFFENSE |
| QB |
Tommy
Rees-Jr |
Andrew
Hendrix-So |
| RB |
Cierre
Wood-Jr |
George
Atkinson-So |
| WR |
T.J.
Jones-Jr |
John
Goodman-Sr |
| WR |
Theo
Riddick-Sr |
Robby
Toma-Sr |
| WR |
.. |
.. |
| TE |
Tyler
Eifert-Jr |
Ben
Koyack-So |
| OT |
Zack
Martin-Jr |
.. |
| OG |
Chris
Watt-Jr |
.. |
| C |
Braxston
Cave-Sr |
Mike
Golic-Sr |
| OG |
.. |
.. |
| OT |
.. |
.. |
| K |
.. |
.. |
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NOTRE
DAME 2012 DEPTH CHART
Returning
Starters/Key
Players |
|
DEFENSE |
| DE |
Aaron
Lynch-So |
.. |
| NG |
Louis
Nix-So |
Sean
Cwynar-Sr |
| DE |
Kapron
Lewis-Moore-Sr |
Stephon
Tuitt-So |
| OLB |
Troy
Niklas-So |
Ishaq
Williams-So |
| ILB |
Dan
Fox-Jr |
Carlo
Calabrese-Jr |
| ILB |
Manti
Te'o-Sr |
Kendall
Moore-So |
| OLB |
Prince
Shembo-Jr |
Danny
Spond-Jr |
| CB |
Lo
Wood-Jr |
.. |
| CB |
Bennett
Jackson-Jr |
.. |
| S |
Zeke
Motta-Sr |
Austin
Collinsworth-Jr |
| S |
Jamoris
Slaughter-Sr |
Dan
McCarthy-Sr |
| P |
Ben
Turk-Sr |
.. |
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| QUICK
ANALYSIS |
- The
Irish are not where
they need to be yet
under third year head
coach Brian Kelly. The
confidence required
to win the close games
is still missing and
the secondary appears
to be a hindrance again
in South Bend. Finding
someone to replace the
importance of Smith
and Blanton in this
defensive backfield
won't be easy.
- The
offense is getting closer
to developing that much-needed
running game with Cierre
Wood. They just need
to find a compliment
for Wood now that touchdown
maker Jonas Gray is
gone.
- Sophomore
QB Tommy Rees is on
pace to record the second-best
completion percentage
for a single season
in Notre Dame history.
Rees has shown he's
a winner. He wasn't
very good at Stanford
and Andrew Hendrix came
on and forced the Irish
into a genuine quarterback
controversy.
- No
question that losing
playmaking receiver
Michael Floyd will hurt.
With his absence Tyler
Eifert will become the
next ND playmaker and
the nation's best pass
catching tight end.
Eifert is a sure fire
pro prospect.
- Super
recruit Aaron Lynch
has already made a splash
in his first year at
defensive end. Outside
of Lynch, the top three
sack leaders were linebackers.
Getting four-year starter
Manti Te’o to
stay in school was a
huge coupe for this
defense.
- One
aspect never changes...the
schedule never gets
easier. Half (6) of
Notre Dame's 2012 opponents
are in this NationalChamps.net
Top 25 Early Preview.
Half (3) of those are
in our Top 10.
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NOTRE
DAME 2012 SCHEDULE
09/01
- Navy @Dublin, Ireland
09/08 - Purdue
09/15 - at Michigan State
09/22 - Michigan
10/06 - Miami FL @Chicago,
IL
10/13 - Stanford
10/20 - Brigham Young
10/27 - at Oklahoma
11/03 - Pittsburgh
11/10 - at Boston College
11/17 - Wake Forest
11/24 - at Southern California |
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