Notre Dame Football: A tribute to the Seniors

Notre Dame Senior Day is a day of appreciation.

How quickly four years at Notre Dame goes by.

It feels like just yesterday we were reading about Notre Dame’s 15th ranked (by 247 Sports) recruiting class. The prize get was an offensive tackle (who to this day ranks 14th on 247’s all time Notre Dame recruit list) named Tommy Kraemer.

There was a defensive end that had a lot of people real excited to see in South Bend. Khalid Kareem exceeded expectations.

There was only one quarterback recruited in the class, a three star from California. Four years later, that kid is as big a reason as any that this senior class has had a successful run. His name? Ian Book.

And don’t forget about some walk-on from Ohio. He didn’t have a single offer, so he chose Notre Dame and wanted to prove all the doubters wrong. He’s had a decent career. You may have heard his name a couple times: Chris Finke.

Now here we are, four years later. All of these guys and more are moving on to bigger and better things. Some will be in the NFL. Others will be living their dreams elsewhere. But one thing is for sure: whether on the field or not, all have made an impact at Notre Dame.

Not everybody worked out as planned. Parker Boudreaux transferred to UCF. Devin Studstill moved on to USF. Overall it was still a highly successful class.

You have to remember: these guys’ introduction to Notre Dame Football was a loss to Texas where Texas was back, but only for a few weeks. Notre Dame finished 4-8 in maybe not the worst, but possibly the most disappointing season in program history.

They were also part of one of the best Notre Dame teams in recent memory: 2018, undefeated in the regular season and their first ever College Football Playoff appearance.

With that said, there’s really only one thing to say to this senior class: Thank You.

Things weren’t always perfect, but expecting perfection every week is an impossible request. They gave us so much on the field while representing the University off the field with class and reflecting the true values the school holds in such high regards.

Chris Finke’s catch against Michigan in 2018 is one of my favorite moments in Notre Dame history. The 49-14 beatdown of USC in 2017 was beyond enjoyable. Then there was the 2018 Citrus Bowl victory against LSU, which in many ways laid the groundwork for the following season’s success.

Although not part of the recruiting class, Alohi Gilman is a huge part of the senior class. From his arrival in 2017, spending the season on the scout team due to NCAA transfer rules, to his breakout campaign in 2018, to the pregame speech against USC prior to the aforementioned 49-14 win.

Asmar Bilal has really broken out in 2019, taking over the ROVER spot and becoming one of the best players on the defense.

Tony Jones Jr was a solid running back, especially when given the chance this year with the absence of Jafar Armstrong. Chase Claypool, Chris Finke and Javon McKinley made some spectacular plays that a lot of other receivers wouldn’t have made. The heart of Finke is something that will live on at Notre Dame for a long time. McKinley had some big catches this year when he was on the field. And Claypool may turn out to be the next great Irish receiver in the NFL.

Liam Eichenberg, Tommy Kraemer and Trevor Rhuland are all NFL caliber in my opinion. They gave Book the time to make smart decisions and assisted in Dexter Williams, Jafar Armstrong and Tony Jones Jr becoming extremely productive running backs.

Daelin Hayes, Ade Ogundeji, Jamir Jones, Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem dominating along the defensive line has been great to watch. Each of those men will hold a special place in Notre Dame history.

Alohi Gilman, Jalen Elliott, Asmar Bilal, Troy Pride and Donte Vaughn were phenomenal in the secondary. Some of the most underrated players in all of college football played here this season.

Special shoutout to John Shannon, who although a senior, will likely be back next year with another year of eligibility. Long snappers often don’t get the credit they deserve. Without Shannon, Justin Yoon wouldn’t have had the chance to become one of the best kickers in Notre Dame history and the transition to Jonathan Doerer wouldn’t have been seamless.

Nolan Henry, Arion Shinaver, Logan Plantz, Mick Assaf, Chris Schilling, John Lager, Brandon Garcia and Temi Agoro unfortunately didn’t see a ton of playing time, but don’t mistake that for a lack of value. They all played important roles in practice and made those around them even better. They never caused problems and were always team-first players. Playing time or not, those are guys I want on my team.

And love him or hate him, what more is there to say about Ian Book? He’s been great, and could move up to 8th all time in career touchdown passes by the end of the season. He’s one of only 5 Irish quarterbacks to pass for 5 or more touchdowns in a single game. Just a solid all around player that over the last couple years, especially, has been the backbone of this offense. He’ll go down as one of the most underrated quarterbacks in school history.

So to the Seniors, all 30 of you: it’s been an absolute pleasure watching you guys tear it up in South Bend. You’ve helped the Notre Dame Football program maintain a standard of excellence.

You did it by doing everything right — going to practice, showing up each and every fall Saturday, going to class and representing the University right off the field. You’ve helped maintain the University’s standard of excellence. You guys will be remembered for this.

I think I speak for all Notre Dame fans when I say we appreciate everything you’ve done. Lots of excitement, great moments, great games.

Whatever the next chapter is in your life, whether it be in the NFL or chasing a dream elsewhere, best of luck. And once again, for everything you’ve done over the last four years — Thank You.