Notre Dame football: Can Tobias Merriweather crack the starting lineup?
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team brought only one true freshman wideout in via the 2022 recruiting class, but can he start in Year 1?
When you look at the 2022 recruiting class for the Notre Dame football team, there is a lot to love about it. They added elite talent on both sides of the ball, and based on what we saw from quarterback Steve Angeli in the Blue-Gold Game, they may have something there as well.
However, where the Notre Dame football team struck out in this class was at wide receiver, where they could get only one of their three commitments to sign their letter of intent when all was said and done. That player was Tobias Merriweather, an outstanding athlete that could make a serious impact in Year 1.
Merriweather joins the program at an excellent time for a wide receiver, as there is talent at the position group, but not so much depth. He has a legitimate chance to make a statement in 2022, much like Lorenzo Styles Jr. did in 2021, but does he have a real shot at cracking the starting lineup?
Notre Dame football needs Merriweather to step up in Year 1
Looking at the current depth chart, Merriweather has a long way to go, but we have seen this position group get ravaged by injuries in recent seasons. Also, the top wideout from last season, Kevin Austin Jr., is now in the NFL, meaning the likes of Braden Lenzy, Avery Davis, and Styles Jr. will have to step up in 2022.
For Merriweather, he is behind a little bit, as he did not go to school early, opting to stay in school and finish out his academic, and athletic career. That could hurt him in terms of starting in Year 1, but once we get going in camp, he should be able to show he has the size, and ability to pass people on the depth chart.
I like the second-year wideouts on this roster, and feel they are going to get every opportunity to shine in Year 2. However, Merriweather is a special talent, and when all is said and done, Marcus Freeman and Tommy Rees are going to want to see what they have in him as a player, and that could lead to a starting role down the line.