Restocking: Wide Receivers

The departure of Michael Floyd ended a golden era for wide receivers in Notre Dame football history. When the former Irish star left campus, he left a void on the roster that ended a pretty impressive run by Notre Dame wideouts.

Since Charlie Weis took over the Irish program, wide receiver stats have exploded, with a Notre Dame wide out going for 1,000 yards in every season but 2007. Before Floyd, there was Golden Tate. Before him, there was Rhema McKnight, Jeff Samardizja and Maurice Stovall, each putting up seasons that had them rocketing up the history books.

But Floyd’s departure wasn’t only painful because of the lost production, it also exposed a roster deficiency left behind by the Weis era — a sheer lack of numbers at a position that would be crucially important in an offense that was expected to keep a base of three wide receivers on the field. While Kelly and his offensive staff supplemented that with versatile tight ends like Kyle Rudolph and Tyler Eifert, the edict was clear: go find some athletes that could bring a new era of playmakers to South Bend.

Let’s check out the work in progress, and take a look at how the Irish got here:

2008
Michael Floyd — In his four seasons, he rewrote the Irish record books at the position.
John Goodman — Played sparingly, finishing his eligibility as a part-time contributor in 2013.
Deion Walker — Spent four years as a reserve before finishing his eligibility at UMass.

2009
Theo Riddick — Recruited as an RB, Riddick spent two seasons in the slot before heading back.
Shaquelle Evans — The highly touted recruit transferred to UCLA shortly after Brian Kelly arrived.
Roby Toma — Looking to be a thrown-in with Manti Te’o, Toma performed capably in his four years.

2010
Austin Collinsworth — Spent his first season as a WR before transitioning to the secondary.
Bennett Jackson — Recruited as a WR, Jackson transitioned to CB and started there in 2012.
TJ Jones — An immediate contributor at the slot, Jones shifted outside. A key contributor.
Daniel Smith — Local product has yet to make a meaningful impact on the depth chart.
Luke Massa – Signed as a quarterback, Massa shifted to WR, but sat out 2012 after ACL injury.

2011
George Atkinson — Many expected GA3 to play WR, but he started and has stayed at running back.
Matthias Farley — Spent his redshirt season at wideout before switching, and playing, safety.
Davaris Daniels — Spent 2011 redshirting before an impressive debut season in 2012.

2012
Chris Brown — Played as freshman, added vertical speed threat to offense.
Justin Ferguson — Sat out 2012. At 6-foot-2, 196-pounds, has size for outside receiver.
Davonte Neal — Spent 2012 as the team’s primary punt returner while seeing limited action.

Way too early spring projection

It’s a huge year for the development of Davaris Daniels. Playing his first season after redshirting, Daniels flashed the type of potential in 2012 that projects him to be a No. 1 wide receiver, though he was plagued by injures. This spring is the time for him to state his case for being a leading man. While TJ Jones may never be that, he is a great supporting piece. His versatility and ability to fight for tough yards while also catching everything thrown his way, was one of the great surprises of last season. It’s also a big spring for Chris Brown, who needs to show he can do more than just take the top off a defense once or twice.

While the staff continues to say good things about Daniel Smith, he’s got work to do if he’s going to hold off the youth on this roster. Same goes for Luke Massa, who looked good last spring before hurting his knee. Guys like Justin Ferguson will be eager to get their shot and early enrollees James Onwualu and Corey Robinson will be fighting for time as well on the outside before Will Fuller and Torii Hunter join this summer.

What happens in the slot should be interesting. Some would argue last season was wasted for Davonte Neal, who failed to crack the receiver rotation but spent the season as the primary punt retuner. Who else plays inside will be interesting. Does Jones shift back? Does Amir Carlisle spend time there? Can a youngster make some noise early? There’s production to be had at the Z receiver, and it hasn’t happened in the first three seasons of the Kelly era. Without a returning All-American to prop up the passing game, this could be our first look at the future.