<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Spring Preview: Tight End <a href="http://t.co/XnlpzTa7XN">http://t.co/XnlpzTa7XN</a> <a href="http://t.co/SUXwzBW2SB">pic.twitter.com/SUXwzBW2SB</a></p>— Evan Sharpley (@EvanSharpley) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanSharpley/status/573841607524532224">March 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Soon after Notre Dame topped Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl to complete 2013, Brian Kelly’s depth chart at tight end fluctuated from what he expected entering 2014.
Ben Koyack was bumped into the starting role for the first time when junior Troy Niklas declared for the NFL draft following the 2013 season. With 14 career receptions, he became the most experienced tight end on a team that’s produced five pros in that position over the last decade.
Production dropped off severely from a season earlier when Koyack served as Niklas’ backup. In 2013 the two combined for 669 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, while only contributing 324 yards and two touchdowns to Notre Dame’s offense last fall. One of those scores, a 23-yard strike from Everett Golson to Koyack with a minute to play, gave Notre Dame a come-from-behind win over Stanford.
Beyond the two-deep depth chart, there weren’t many options for Kelly. Redshirt freshman Mike Heuerman, who was expected to compete with Durham Smythe for Koyack’s backup role, missed fall camp due to hernia surgery. Freshman Tyler Luatua saw time on special teams and started the Music City Bowl, but the extent of his use was for blocking purposes.
Aside from Koyack, Durham Smythe was the only other tight end to catch a pass all season. It was an underwhelming year at the position for Notre Dame, but despite losing Koyack, 2015 may see a step up in productivity.
A Look Ahead
To say Notre Dame has little experience at tight end entering the fall is an understatement.
A 7-yard reception by Smythe at Arizona State last fall is the only catch logged by any of the four returning tight ends. In fact, it’s the only time a Notre Dame tight end on the current roster was targeted by Everett Golson.
With that said, it wouldn’t be surprising if Notre Dame received more production from its tight ends this fall than in 2014.
If he remains healthy through the offseason, Heuerman could factor into the equation. He’ll spend time split-out wide as a receiving threat more than he will block. Smythe, at 6-foot-4½ and 245 pounds, provides a bigger target than Heuerman.
And one of the most valuable recruits Notre Dame picked up from the 2015 class, Aliz’e Jones, will see time split-out wide as well. Irish coach Brian Kelly and his staff believe Jones was the country’s best tight end prospect in the class and thinks the freshman can have an immediate impact on Saturdays.
“We think he's the finest tight end in the country, and we think that we've had some great tight ends here and we think he's going to be another one of the great tight ends that have played here at Notre Dame,” Kelly said.
Though Jones will have to bulk up, his future as a pass catching threat is bright in Kelly’s eyes.
“(…) He will be a threat catching the football,” said Kelly. “You will not be able to put a linebacker on him. You're going to have to use a safety to cover Jones.”
Rising sophomores Luatua and Nic Weishar round out the crop of young tight ends at Notre Dame. At 6-foot-2½, 260 pounds, Luatua remains more likely to be used as a blocker than in the passing game, like he was against LSU. Weishar, like Heuerman, returns without having seen the field. But between the two rising sophomores, rising juniors and Jones, Notre Dame has plenty of talent mixed in with its lack of experience at tight end.
Questions in 2015
1.Who Becomes The No. 1 Target?
Smythe has great size and picked up valuable game experience last season. His blocking ability could lead to him seeing the field more than any of Notre Dame’s other tight ends.
Jones will join Smythe on the field. How frequently the freshman lines up will depend on how quickly he digests the offense. Most of Notre Dame’s production at tight end probably comes from these two.
2. How Prominent Is Aliz’e Jones’ Role?
Jones is the highest-rated prospect at tight end Notre Dame has secured since Kyle Rudolph joined the Irish. (Rudolph became the first freshman tight end to start in Notre Dame’s season opener in 2008.)
Rudolph replaced John Carlson in a season when his main competition for the role was redshirt freshman Mike Ragone. Jones finds himself in a spot where he can become Notre Dame’s go-to tight end by the season finale. Kelly’s excited about what the Bishop Gorman (Nev.) star can be in blue and gold. It’s likely his role will increase sooner rather than later in a group without a true No. 1 tight end.
3. More Production Than In 2014?
This is a necessary area of improvement from 2014.
There wasn’t just a drop in production at tight end over the last two seasons. One has to go back to Charlie Weis’ final season at Notre Dame (2009) to find another season where the tight ends only caught 31 passes for less than 350 yards and hauled in just two touchdown passes. Plainly, even lower numbers from tight ends this fall would bring the Irish back to a lack of production at the position that hasn’t been seen since the pre-Weis era.
Koyack wasn’t one of Notre Dame’s big-time pass catching threats. Unlike Tyler Eifert and Kyle Rudolph before him, Koyack was a good, but not great target. In Jones, the Irish have another tight end who can make a major contribution in the passing game.
Early Depth Chart Prediction
1-Smythe.
2-Jones.
3-Luatua.
4-Heuerman.
5-Weishar.
Returning Experience
(Games Played At Tight End-Games Started)
Smythe – 13-0.
Luatua – 1-1.
Heuerman – None.
Weishar – None.
2014 Statistics
(REC-YDS-TD)
Smythe – 1-7-0.
Luatua – None.
Heuerman – None.
Weishar – None.
