Slap the Sign
Fansided

Notre Dame Football: 3 Players Under The Radar For 2016

By Joshua Vowles

facebooktwitterreddit

What Notre Dame football players are being overlooked by the general public?

In this day and age, finding a player that is flying under the radar or one that is being overlooked is a hard thing to find. With message boards, blogs, social media- ah hell… the entire internet, there is discussion and theories and stories about every single one of these guys throughout the offseason. Sure, of course there are surprises but they are absolutely the ones that NO ONE talks about (kind of like how Josh Adams blew up).

Still, there are always a handful of players each year that I feel don’t get enough talk time. The ones we know about, but aren’t really projecting into the future (hopeful future) that we discuss.

Here are three of those players for Notre Dame in 2016:

Dexter Williams, Running Back

We all know about Dexter Williams. Dexter was a major recruiting win for the Irish towards the end of the last recruiting cycle, and he showed some flashes of his potential throughout the season. Before the season began, he was thought to be the “3rd” back, should Tarean Folston and CJ Prosise need a rest. He was the “3rd” back alright, but that was to CJ Prosise and fellow freshman Josh Adams.

Sep 26, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Dexter Williams (34) runs for a touchdown as Massachusetts Minutemen linebacker Shane Huber (8) defends in the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 62-27. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Dexter Williams (34) runs for a touchdown as Massachusetts Minutemen linebacker Shane Huber (8) defends in the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 62-27. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

In 2016, Dexter Williams is still looked upon as the “3rd” back after Folston and Adams, but as recent history has shown, none of that is set in stone. Anything can happen to vault running backs up the ladder. WITH THAT SAID… I feel Dexter Williams will become increasingly more important as the season rolls along. Important enough that games may hang in the balance.

Daniel Cage, Defensive Tackle

Daniel Cage saw plenty of time in 2015 after Jarron Jones went down with a season ending injury in fall camp. Cage played fairly well, and somewhat made a name for himself as a tough guy inside.

Fast forward to this upcoming season and I’m fairly certain most everyone has Jerry Tillery and Jarron Jones penciled in as the starters on the interior of the defensive line. While this is hopefully the case, and remains that way all season long, having that quality depth for the rotation is key- and Cage can provide that.

Drue Tranquill, Safety

This might be a bit of a stretch considering that Tranquill was an absolute monster before his freak knee injury sidelined him for the season. Tranquill has looked phenomenal at times in his first two seasons and he always comes off as the toughest guy on the field.

Sep 19, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Drue Tranquill (23) celebrates his tackle of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Qua Searcy (1) for a loss in the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 19, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Drue Tranquill (23) celebrates his tackle of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Qua Searcy (1) for a loss in the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports /

I’m confident that Tranquill has the edge on taking the safety spot opposite of Max Redfield, and in doing so, he will bring even more effectiveness than what Elijah Shumate brought. Just a hunch and one that I think people should talk more about.

Home/Notre Dame Football