I'm taking into account who I think will stay and what recuits will commit to ND.
Defense
Strong side DE
1-Justin Trattou
2-John Ryan
3-Justin Brown
Defensive Tackle
1-Trevor Laws
2-Paddy Mullen
3-Darrell Hand
Defensive Tackle
1-Will Blackwell
2-Patrick Kuntz
3-Jason Peters
Weak side DE
1-Ben Martin
2-Maurice Richardson
3-Kellen Wade
4-Kerry Neal
Strong side OLB
1-Maurice Crum
2-Chris Donald
3-Joe Brockington
4-Steve Quinn
MLB
1-Toryan Smith
2-Maurice Crum
3-Steve Paskorz
4-Steve Smith
Weak side OLB
1-Travis Thomas
2-Martez Wilson
3-Anthony Vernaglia
4-Aaron Nagel
5-Kevin Washington
CB
1-Darrin Walls
2-Ambrose Wooden
3-Gary Gray
CB
1-Terrel Lambert
2-Raeshon McNeil
3-Leo Ferrine
4-Golden Tate
SS
1-Sergio Brown
2-Ray Herring
3-Jashad Gaines
FS
1-Harrison Smith
2-David Bruton
3-Kyle McCarthy
4-Leonard Gordon
Offense
WR
1-Duval Kamara
2-David Grimes
3-DJ Hord
4-George West
WR
1-Robby Parris
2-Richard Jackson
3-Greg Little
4-Barry Gallup
TE
1-John Carlson
2-Konrad Rueland
3-Will Yeatman
4-Mike Ragone
LT
1-Sam Young
2-Michael Turkovich
3-Matt Romine
LG
1-Eric Olsen
2-Matt Carufel
3-Chris Little
C
1-John Sullivan
2-Dan Wegner
3-Matt Summers Gavin
RG
1-Chris Stewart
2-Matt Carufel
3-Emeka Nwankwo
RT
1-Paul Duncan
2-Bartley Webb
3-Andrew Nuss
Quarterback
1-Jimmy Clausen
2-Demetrius Jones
3-Evan Sharpley
4-Zach Frazer
FB
1-Asapp Schwapp
2-Luke Schmidt
3-Mike Ragone
RB
1-Darrius Walker
2-James Aldrige
3-Munir Prince
4-Armando Allen
5-Robert Hughes
Why not just start an All-Freshman Team?
Every year the guys in high school get projected to be starters ahead of older, bigger, stronger, more savvy (Div 1) guys. The upperclass ranks are thin but you want to throw the talented sophomores (last year's "next year's starters) aside as well. I like all the new recruits but let's be little bit pragmatic.
Do you really think starting a pair of undersized, understrengthed DE's make sense?
Somebody better rework the schedule in a hurry so the first 6 games are against Div1AA foes while these guys adjust to the speed and size of Div 1 players. Anybody remember Kory Minor's freshman year? USA TODAY Defensive Player Of THe Year! He was a gamer but the snot beat out of him all season by guys 4 years older, 4 years stronger, and 4 yeasrs more experieced then he was. Talent and desire only go so far.
Your pair of rookie bookends makes 3 freshman starters on the DL. And people worried about our pass rush last year. Laws could be triple teamed and the opposing QB would still wouldn't have to worry because he has a DIV 1 OLINE in front of him not a bunch of undersized, slow, pus gut HS OLs.
And which of these guys is run stopper material? Not in 3 years - now. If you're making them starters they better be able to play - now.
The folks that chimed in with Hand have a thought - except how much PT does he have this year. He's had a foot injury early in the year. Was listed as playing 2 or 3 plays in one game. Exactly how much PT has he logged in his college career? Is he practicing or riding the stationary bike?
Strange that Weis (he overrules Minter and any other coach as to who plays) had Herring and Bruton as the principal backup Safeties and McCarthy made a late push. You bury them on the Depth Chart behind yet another freshman and a highly touted guy that saw most of his play on Special Teams. Is your Depth Chart based on who the coaches are playing or how many Rivals Stars they had?
It would be nice to think Crum could be moved back Outside but while I recall Smith getting the most PT of the young LBs but I didn't see the dominating guy I read about in recruiting reports that was ready to step in. Smith had 7 minutes of PT against AF and 8 againt Army but then against those Option Attacks ND rotated LBs. Mitchell Thomas played 5 minutes at LB against Army. USC was the last game of the season. How much PT did Toryan get against the Trojans?
QB is a waste of rhetoric at this point. We've got nothing to work with besides HS clippings. Sharpley by default until someone does something in the Spring. May the best man win.
TE - If Carlson's back, don't be suprised to see Yeatman change position. Carlson and Reuland would get a lot of pass catching activity due to the dearth of experience at WR.
WR - Grimes is the only returning receiver with more than 3 catches. Hord if healed is a starter. Anastasio returns for a 5th year. Little is not #2 on the depth chart. Parris and a bunch of others guys will see the field ahead of him.
OLine - Sullivan returns for a 5th to polish his skills. He would be the only senior (4th or 5th year) on the OLine. A new OLine needs an experienced Line Chief to call the checks. Wenger will have to wait or go the Morton route and play at G. Young moves to LT and Duncan is RT. The Guards are Turkovich and Olsen. Stewart is big but how much PT did he get this year? I put Carufel ahead of Stewart and Turk ahead of both. He's older and more experienced. The other backup up OT is Will Yeatman. He was 265 as a freshman he'll be 285 next Fall. His fork and Medoza ensure that he's growing out of a TE and into a OT. Anybody notice Yeatman had more time at TE than Reuland? 25 minutes versus 15 minutes yet neither caught a pass. Yeatman played as a blocker.
P/K - Hope Price returns. His big foot may well be needed. Winning the battle of field position will be essential while breaking in a new QB, WRs, an OLine (and with all those rookie defenders starting). Hope Gioia is back too. While many of you whine, keep in mind he won ALL the kicking competitions from ALL the other kickers on the team. I don't see any Kicker being recruited.
