2014 Spring Practice Thread

[zelezo vlk]

I think all of usm cannot wait to see what that young man will do on the field next year.

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Scott Booker and his players take a lot of pride in the tradition of excellence their group has produced. But despite Tight End U facing more uncertainty at the position than in recent memory, Booker, the Notre Dame tight ends coach, does not find himself having to explain the legacy that this relatively young unit is trying to carry on.

[+] EnlargeBen Koyack
Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images
Ben Koyack emerged as a receiving option last season, setting himself up for a breakout season as a junior.
"When they come here and they get recruited, it's easy to know about Kyle Rudolph, John Carlson, Anthony Fasano, Mark Bavaro back in the day," Booker said. "And obviously now recently, Tyler (Eifert), Kyle and Troy (Niklas). That's easy. That's what you do in recruiting, you do your homework.

"And when you do your homework as a tight end, coming out of high school, if you want to be successful, if you want to be on national TV every day and you want to catch a lot of balls and you want to have an opportunity to go to the league, I don't know what place is better. So you don't have to tell them where they're at."

Niklas' surprising early departure to the NFL put the Fighting Irish's tight ends on a learning curve this spring. Ben Koyack was forced into the No. 1 spot, with redshirt freshmen Mike Heuerman and Durham Smythe behind him. Freshmen Nic Weishar and Tyler Luatua will arrive this summer.

Koyack has drawn plenty of praise for the way he has carried himself among the youngsters since assuming his new role atop the depth chart.

"I think just the way he's coming every day prepared, ready to go," Booker said. "Watching the film before we watch the film as a unit. Talking to the guys, talking to Mike Heuerman, going out and eating with those guys. And just showing them how to be Notre Dame football players, and specifically Notre Dame tight ends, and the expectations that are put on us on a day-in, day-out basis. In all those facets he's been doing a better job continuing to grow."

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Booker didn't want to compare Koyack to anyone before him, but the Oil City, Pa., native spoke with a renewed sense of confidence early in the spring, which can likely be attributed to his strong finish to the 2013 season. As a No. 2 tight end who was relegated to mostly blocking duties for much of last season, Koyack recorded 10 catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns, with all of those catches but a 19-yard scoring strike coming during the Irish's final six games.

Notre Dame is hoping that such improvement can have a trickle-down effect throughout the unit. Heuerman, who saw his redshirt all but confirmed early last season after having surgery to repair a hernia, is looking to add more weight, with the 225-pounder saying he sees himself adding 15 more pounds.

"It's all about making plays at the end of the day, and that's what I know I have to do," Heuerman said. "And now that Troy's gone, it kind of opens the door for someone to step in, so I'm excited to be able to be here now competing for that position and be here for summer and going to camp and (at the) end of the season still competing and making plays and doing what I do best, so I look forward to that."
Notre Dame Fighting Irish confident in young tight ends - ESPN

 

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When Mike Heuerman runs out of the Notre Dame Stadium tunnel on Aug. 30, he will be nearly two years removed from his most recent game action, a high school playoff loss that still stings. Since then, he’s been acclimating to life at Notre Dame while trying to bulk up to a size that can handle the physical demands of an Irish tight end.


Heuerman caught two passes in the Blue-Gold Game as one of three scholarship tight ends on the roster this spring.

At the start of spring practice, he checked in at 225 pounds, 12 heavier than his measurement when he arrived at Notre Dame. The Irish coaching staff wants him to add another 10 pounds to reach a more ideal size before fall camp.

“It’s not just chocolate donuts to say the least,” Heuerman said of the diet. “It’s healthy things. Every once in a while I’ll sneak in a pizza or something and not tell our nutritionist. It’s good things and protein and all the right things.”

Notre Dame planned on redshirting Heuerman even before sports hernia surgery was required in mid-October that shut him down for the remainder of the regular season. While it kept him off the practice field for two months, it also caused significant setbacks in his weight-gaining mission.

Heuerman said he has gained seven pounds since the end of the season. He had added five by the time he underwent surgery, a gain he lost quickly after the procedure.

“That was what kind of gave me a major setback was the surgery because I went eight weeks without being able to run or lift or do anything,” he said. “It was a pain in the [butt].”

With that ordeal behind him and the departures of Troy Niklas (NFL) and Alex Welch (fifth-year transfer), Heuerman and fellow sophomore Durham Smythe had an opportunity to impress during spring practice with senior Ben Koyack leading the group. Heuerman caught two passes for 24 yards in the Blue-Gold Game.

“I think Mike has a new appreciation for first of all, you get injured and you can’t do anything and you realize, ‘Man, I love playing football. When it’s taken away from me, I want to make sure I do everything I can to get back on the field and then take advantage of my opportunities,’” tight ends coach Scott Booker said. “Mike has seen that. There’s improvements to be made with him on the tight end position. We put a lot on our guys at tight end each and every play from the mental aspect and physical aspect, but he’s definitely improving and is starting to understand what it takes to be a tight end at Notre Dame.”

Both Booker and head coach Brian Kelly are quick to praise Heuerman for his strides this spring, but it only takes a few seconds for the weight issue to be mentioned. Not until the sophomore adds more strength to his repertoire will he be a threat to become the next in line at ‘Tight End U.’


“It’s a constant thing that I have to focus on,” he said. “I speak with the nutritionist every Friday and [Booker] comes in and checks with us as well and checks with me and put me on the scale himself. It’s always those surprises that are the best. It’s always a surprise when he grabs me and says, ‘Okay, let’s get on the scale.’”

Heuerman expects that anxiety to eventually dissipate. With Heuerman on track to contribute often in 2014, he’s ready to carry some of the weight him
Adding Weight Is Always On Mike Heuerman's Mind