C.J. Prosise May Key Notre Dame Running Game in 2015
By Andrew Hall
C.J. Prosise, the Senior from Petersburg, Virginia, made the longest play from scrimmage during Notre Dame’s full contact Saturday practice. Prosise (as seen in the video below) took a handoff from Quarterback and sprinted 70 yards into the end zone. What the Senior slot player showed to fans on WatchND.tv and to reporters in person is something that already showed itself in 2014.
Prosise showed his ability to make huge plays in 2014. Against Stanford, he took a “jet sweep” around the edge of the Cardinal defense for 26 yards. Against Navy, Prosise caught a pass from Everett Golson and scored 78 yards later. Finally, in the Music City Bowl against LSU, Prosise took another “jet sweep” and outran all Tiger defenders for a 50 yard touchdown.
These are examples that illustrate what Prosise’s 2014 statistics show. Prosise carried the ball 10 times for 126 yards. His 12.6 yard average dwarfed all players including fellow slot receiver Amir Carlisle who averaged 6.57 yards during the 2014 campaign. Additionally, Prosise caught 29 passes for 516 yards and 2 touchdowns. He averaged 17.79 yards per reception, the highest total on the team.
Although Prosise may have less touches than other players, he has shown an ability to make the huge game changing plays. Head Coach Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame coaching staff clearly have seen this ability and want to find more ways to get the Woodberry Forest High School product more touches.
Thus, the staff moved Prosise to Running Back this spring. Although the move was likely a depth move for spring practice, Prosise has demonstrated that he may be able to do significant damage from the backfield.
Where will Prosise make the majority of his plays this season? Most likely, he will make these plays from the slot position. However, Prosise will still take several “jet sweeps” and shift into the backfield. T.J. Jones was used in a similar fashion in 2013.
Regardless, C.J. Prosise has shown that he is one of the best playmakers on the team. He can join Wide Receiver Will Fuller and Running Back Greg Bryant as the “home run” threats of the team.
The Blue-Gold Game should be an indication of how C.J. Prosise will be used in the future. The game airs on Saturday, April 18th at 12:30 p.m.