With Spring right around the corner, what are some of the biggest concerns Notre Dame football should have headed towards Spring Practices?
The 2021 season for the Notre Dame football team was filled with ups and downs, as they struggled out of the gate, but caught their stride after the bye week. They finished the regular season with an 11-1 record and played so well down the stretch that they finished one spot outside of the College Football Playoff.
In 2022, the stakes could be a bit higher for the Irish, as plenty of potential 2022 NFL Draft picks decided to come back for another go-around in South Bend. New head coach Marcus Freeman has the potential to be elite at his job, and there is a solid young group of players coming in via the 2022 recruiting class.
All of this could add up to the Irish punching their ticket back to the CFP after a year off, as they certainly have the talent on defense to do so. There are plenty of question marks, as there are every year, but you have to like the chances of this Notre Dame football team once again winning ten-or-more games, and being a true playoff contender.
Here, we look at some of the concerns for the team entering Spring Practies.
Notre Dame Football: 4 biggest concerns heading into Spring Practices
Quarterback
We’re starting with the obvious one, but the field general has to be a primary concern. But, curiously enough, it’s also a position with nearly similar optimism as there is a concern. With Tyler Buchner positioned to secure the starting role, the future could be as bright as ever.
While he got off to a rocky start throwing the ball his freshman season, he certainly has the attributes to be a top quarterback in college football.
Buchner showed the ability to run the ball well right out of the gate. His passing, which is critical at the quarterback spot, was rough at times throughout the year. Rushing the ball, Buchner averaged 7.3 yards per attempt for 336 yards and three touchdowns. Pretty outstanding numbers on 46 attempts.
His throwing stats leave room for improvement but are solid nonetheless. He completed 21 of his 36 pass attempts for 298 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. The numbers aren’t surprising because Buchner didn’t have a senior year of football in high school.
Having two off-seasons and an entire season of practice and play under his belt should have him trending in the right direction.
Drew Pyne and Steve Angeli will be the other quarterbacks that may see playing time this year, barring some transfer that hasn’t yet played out. Angeli is a promising young arm, while Pyne has shown the ability to play college football at a high level. While neither has quite the athletic attributes Buchner has, they were brought to Notre Dame for a reason and can certainly compete at this level.
Notre Dame Football: 4 biggest concerns heading into Spring Practices
Cornerback
The secondary got a massive boost by adding safety transfer Brandon Joseph from Northwestern, but the cornerback position still has some question marks. Cam Hart returning is enormous for the team as he was an excellent corner for the Irish last year. However, Cam dealing with some injuries in the Fiesta Bowl showed a lack of depth at the position.
Clarence Lewis struggled in the game after a pretty solid season for him overall. While it’s not fair to base our offseason concerns on one game, it certainly leaves a bad taste. Cam had seven pass deflections and two interceptions on the year, while Lewis added four deflections and a pick of his own.
Irish fans can get excited moving forward with the talent starting to accumulate at the position. Ryan Barnes is a 6’2″ corner out of Maryland that figures to get ample playing time next season, barring any setback.
The Irish also have newly signed and early enrolled Jayden Bellamy and Jaden Mickey, who have a chance to see some time as backups in the coming season. In addition, the team has already secured a verbal commitment from the highly talented Justyn Rhett out of powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. Rhett figures to be a substantial piece moving forward.
Notre Dame Football: 4 biggest concerns heading into Spring Practices
Offensive Line
While they started to perform exceptionally well in the second part of last season, there certainly are still some concerns for a group that should be relatively solid. The schedule wasn’t nearly as demanding as the last half of the season and could’ve made the perfect launchpad for a struggling unit.
The emergence of Joe Alt certainly didn’t hurt the team at all.
With Alt, Patterson, and Fisher returning, there figures to be an excellent combination of veteran leadership and youth injected into the offensive line room. However, still being relatively young, the emergence of Alt and Fisher isn’t guaranteed to continue moving forward. While I wholeheartedly believe in the two young big guys, they still have a lot to prove at their respective positions.
Rocco Spindler is ready to become the next great Notre Dame offensive lineman, and newly signed and enrolled Billy Schrauth and Joey Tanona will feel the same.
Harry Hiestand is also back with the program, and while he sent some of the top Notre Dame offensive linemen of all time to the NFL, some questions remain. Coach Hiestand has received his fair share of criticism as a recruiter, and with NIL rules in play, recruiting will be key moving forward. Time will tell how the unit meshes together, and while this is a concern, I’m optimistic this group will be more than fine.
Notre Dame Football: 4 biggest concerns heading into Spring Practices
Coaching
Coaching is probably the biggest concern heading into the Spring and next season. While all signs point to the hires being not only great fits but great coaches, nothing is guaranteed next year. The big trend for Notre Dame this offseason was hiring great recruiters.
Whether hired at various positions, coordinators, or the head coach, we will learn a lot next season.
The most significant coaching change is the head guy with Marcus Freeman taking over for Brian Kelly. Coach Freeman has a proven track record of being an outstanding defensive coach, but is he the guy to lead an entire team?
He recruits hard, cares about his players, and says all the right things. Those aspects alone are a huge first step to being the coach that Notre Dame needs.
Tommy Rees, who has been trending in the right direction, will still have quite a bit to prove. With Kelly heavily involved in the offense during his time with the Irish, Rees will now have autonomy in his role. The need to fill defensive coordinator still exists, and there’s a new special teams coordinator in Brian Mason from Cincinnati.
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While it’s great to have outstanding recruiters as positional coaches and coordinators, coaching those kids is essential. Notre Dame has a lot of work to do to be a cohesive group with all the moving pieces this offseason. That said, Marcus Freeman seems to be just the guy.`