Notre Dame football: How the 2021 team parallels 2016 squad

Notre Dame football: How the 2021 team parallels 2016 squad

The parallels of 2016 in the 2021 team

A lot of people might like to think that this season is behind the program now, but there are some serious parallels between that 2016 team and this 2021 team.

It starts with the amount of talent being lost from the roster. The 2015 team was incredibly talented, with players like Ronnie Stanley, Will Fuller, and Jaylon Smith all becoming high-round draft picks. The 2021 version of Notre Dame is losing four offensive line starters, the winningest quarterback in program history, and several defensive studs.

They’ll have to replace them, which the 2016 team struggled to do.

In 2021, Notre Dame thinks they have the quarterback position figured out. They know they have running back, tight end, and most of the defense figured out. Meanwhile, the wide receiver group is an absolute mess.

That’s before you remember the turnover from the 2020 offensive line to this one, which means that unit could be a mess with multiple true freshmen starters.

Between questions at key position groups on offense and a young offensive coordinator in Tommy Rees who hasn’t quite proven himself as a play-caller, there are more than a few questions to worry about. It could be a slog.