An In-Depth Look At The Notre Dame Passing Game In 2017.

Let’s talk about what Notre Dame’s passing game will look like this year.

The Irish offense is put together in a way that make it hard to imagine them not being highly productive. In ’16, they had a considerable lack of experience in the receiving core, inconsistencies from their quarterback and their best receiving tight end was on the sidelines.

This year, both the W and X wide receiver positions are loaded with talent, C.J. Sanders and Chris Finke have proven themselves to be successful out of the slot and their tight end unit has more options than any other Power 5 program in the country.

Of course, they need solid play and leadership from their quarterback, Brandon Wimbush. Although the Jersey kid hasn’t started a game at the college level, he’s been in the program for two years and shows that he’s a mature passer and has prepared himself for what he’s up against.

Chip Long is now in the wheel house. The consensus is that the base offense will stay the same but some of Long’s wrinkles will be added along with a touch of his philosophy.

Kelly has stated that he has passed full control of play calling duties over to his new offensive coordinator so I expect to see that happen. The 3-headed approach to calling plays clearly wasn’t working out last year as the Irish offense didn’t play close to their potential.

Having a true #1 wide receiver is important for any offense and the Irish definitely have their guy in Equanimeous St. Brown. He made huge strides from his freshman to sophomore year. If he makes similar progress going into his junior season, there’s no reason why he can’t eclipse the 1,000 yard mark.

The situation at X isn’t quite as clear, but the talent is most certainly there. There have been rumors that Kevin Stepherson has had some issues off the field that have put him behind in the staff’s plans. Whether the issue is related to his off the field incident with Max Redfield last August remains to be seen.

Regardless, he showed last year that he can be counted on to get separation and make big plays. The Irish also have Javon McKinley coming back from a leg fracture. It’s uncertain how ready he will be for spring practice but his high school numbers are hard to forget about.

Chase Claypool is sort of the X factor. The super athletic and physically imposing true sophomore is simply too good to keep off the field. He should get many opportunities to make plays this year as a mismatch out of the slot and in other innovative sets that Long likes to use to get players like him the football.

Expect to see trips and bunch formations where he is lined up with Alize Mack and/or Equanimeous St. Brown. The combination of height and play-making ability with those three is exactly the kind of thing that Long needs to make his scheme work.

The slot position is going to be a different situation this season. With more multiple tight end sets and innovative formations being used under the new scheme, the slot position may be less relevant.

That’s not to say that Sanders and Finke won’t get on the field. For instance, C.J. Sanders lined up with the first team at the X position with Claypool in the slot. This is a perfect example of the type of look that Long likes to use in an attempt to put defenses in difficult situations.

Click here to read about how Chris Finke became a player for the Irish, at NDinsider.com

Another new wrinkle we’ll see in the pass game is the inclusion of the backs. Long likes to cause more confusion by getting his backs moving around in the backfield and on the perimeter. Expect to see more balls thrown to Josh Adams, and if Tony Jones Jr. gets on the field much, he can also catch the ball well out of the backfield as well.

With all 6 tight ends on Notre Dame’s roster having the ability to make plays, it’ll be difficult to get them all involved. Alize Mack looked outstanding during the first spring practice. He may end up being the focal point of the offense.

Durham Smythe will likely be most definitely be their first option as the inline tight end. He showed up at 256 pounds and mobile. It’ll be interesting to see if Tyler Luatua gets on the field much, as he certainly has worth as a blocker.

The Irish also have the number 1 tight end in the nation from the ’17 recruiting class, Brock Wright, currently on campus. His All-American counterpart, Cole Kmet, will also be joining the team this summer. It’ll be very interesting to see if, and how often, they are thrown into action.

Physically, Brock Wright looks like an upperclassmen and shows great blocking ability. He is more of an inline blocking type, but he’s also no slouch in the pass game. Cole Kmet is a very talented receiver. His skill set is very suited to Long’s offense and may be what gets him on the field.

Must Read: Top 5 Players From The Notre Dame 2015 Recruiting Class.

As always, when installing new schemes and breaking in a new starting quarterback, there is always consistency and cohesion concerns. The success of this pass game is going to hinge on how well and how quickly the players can absorb and execute the new installments.

I expect big things for the Notre Dame passing game in 2017.