Notre Dame football: Chase Claypool having record-breaking rookie year

Chase Claypool was a star for the Notre Dame football program, and in the NFL, he is putting together a record-breaking rookie season.

The Notre Dame football program relied heavily on Chase Claypool during his time in South Bend, as he played in eight games as a true freshman in 2016, and got better every season after that. He left the Irish following an outstanding 1,000-yard season as a senior last year, as he hauled in 66 catches and 13 touchdowns.

When the NFL Draft took place back in April, the Pittsburgh Steelers made Claypool the 49th overall selection in the second round, which happened to be their first pick of that draft. Claypool has rewarded the Steelers by putting together a terrific rookie season, and he has already broken an NFL record in the process.

For how good Claypool was at Notre Dame, he could end up being a bonafide superstar at the NFL level.

Claypool with ten touchdowns through ten games

With his touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Claypool became the first rookie in NFL history to rack up ten touchdowns through his first ten games. He has been an absolute monster this season for the Steelers, becoming the No. 1 option in the passing game, and developing a solid rapport with Ben Roethlisberger.

In fact, over his last two games, Claypool has three touchdowns, and has been targeted at least eight times in the last four contests. Collectively, Claypool has scored on the ground, and through the air, with two of his ten touchdowns coming off runs.

There is no way the Steelers could have imagined this kind of production out of Claypool, who hauled in three touchdowns and 110 yards against the Eagles in his fourth NFL game. In a draft class that had so many big names go in the first round at wide receiver, Claypool has been the best rookie wideout this season, and it is not even close.