What a difference a year makes.
After DaVaris Daniels‘ career was ended during the Frozen Five debacle, Notre Dame’s receiving depth chart had exactly one catch to pair with Everett Golson, a 50-yard heave against Oklahoma that still serves as the biggest play of Chris Brown‘s career.
Yet even with a group of unproven receivers, in 2014 the Irish passing offense was the most prolific of the Kelly era, with sophomore Will Fuller emerging as Notre Dame’s most prolific sophomore in school history. Joined by a supporting cast that was more than viable, the entire unit returns for 2015, making this position group—even before the infusion of four intriguing freshman—one of the roster’s great strengths.
Let’s take a look at where this group stands after spring practice with a look at the depth chart and stock report.
POST-SPRING DEPTH CHART
X: Will Fuller, Jr. (6-0, 180)
W: Chris Brown, Sr. (6-1.5, 195)
Z: Amir Carlisle, GS (5-10, 192)
X: Torii Hunter, Jr.* (6-0, 190)
W: Corey Robinson, Jr. (6-4.5, 215)
Z: C.J. Prosise, Sr.* (6-.5, 220)
X: Corey Holmes, Soph.* (6-.5, 184)
W: Justin Brent, Soph. (6-1.5, 205)
*Denotes fifth-year of eligibility.
STOCK UP
C.J. Prosise: Even if his stock is on the rise as a running back, Prosise cemented his place among the top 11 players on the offense, a lofty place to be when you consider the talent piling up. Capable of being a true crossover player, expect to see Prosise all over the field, wreaking havoc on defensive coordinators while keeping opponents honest as they try to account for Will Fuller.
Even if his biggest move this spring wasn’t at wide receiver, Prosise had a huge spring.
Will Fuller: This was the type of spring where you could almost expect an established player to take it easy. But even with a cast on his hand, Fuller’s long touchdown during the Blue-Gold game served as a reminder that the Irish’s most dangerous weapon is only going to improve in 2015.
There was plenty of work to be done for Fuller this spring, with him learning to play as a marked man in 2015. And as Mike Denbrock aptly said this spring, Fuller can be as good as he wants to be. The good news? He expects to be better—and that showed this spring.
Chris Brown: I’m taking this one on a hunch from UND.com’s Jac Collinsworth. So maybe this is the year where the light goes on for Brown. And as he approaches his final season in South Bend, let’s hope it is.
Physically, there’s nothing not to like about Brown. He’s filled out his frame, but is still the speedster that got behind the Oklahoma secondary. And after an uneven three seasons, it appears that Brown understands the type of consistency that’s demanded from him.
Projecting Brown’s numbers in 2015 is a difficult proposition. But with Fuller likely pulling a safety over the top and Notre Dame’s ground game keeping opponents honest, there’s absolutely no reason that Brown can’t have a monster year.
Torii Hunter: For all the talk of Hunter spending this spring with the baseball team, at the time of the Blue-Gold game, Hunter had a whopping three at-bats, giving you an idea as to where his future lies. That’s on the football field, and Hunter spent the spring reminding people that he’s got a chance to be a very productive college player.
Hunter’s versatility is ultimately what led me to give him the final “buy” grade. And as Prosise spends time in the backfield, Hunter could take some of those snaps, though he’s capable of playing both inside and out for the Irish.
Ultimately, there’s only one football. And even if I’m struggling to find catches for Hunter, he did his best to remind the coaching staff that he’s deserving of a few more.
STOCK NEUTRAL
Justin Brent: As much as I wanted to elevate this grade to a buy, I’m still skeptical of Brent’s ascent—considering he had to dig himself out of quite a hole after last season’s off-field escapades to just get back to neutral. So credit the young player for working hard this spring, and scoring a nice touchdown in the Blue-Gold game.
With perhaps the most imposing physique in the wide receivers room, Brent looks like an upperclassman. But if he wants to see the field he’s going to have to start thinking and behaving like one, both on and off the field. Consider this spring a step in the right direction, but I’m going to have to see more before going all-in.
Corey Robinson: Nagging injuries took Robinson out of the mix this spring. And while he’s still developing into a complete wide receiver, there are really bigger worries than Robinson not getting the most out of 15 spring practices.
Still, it’s Robinson’s third season in the program. After a nice sophomore campaign, he’s an upperclassman now, and it’s time to see the flashes of brilliance turn into consistent play. With a stacked depth chart his numbers might not explode, but situationally the Irish have a huge weapon with Robinson’s Spiderman hands and Inspector Gadget arms. Now he’s got to make the leap.
Amir Carlisle: For all the wonder if Carlisle was even coming back for a fifth year, the grad student earned nothing but praise from Brian Kelly for his work this spring. And it really shouldn’t be a surprise considering his successful transition to the slot receiver spot last year.
Carlisle may not be the electric running back most had pegged when he transferred from USC. But he’ll give opponents problems in space and should get his opportunities down the middle of the field.
Corey Holmes: The depth chart might not allow it, but Holmes showed a promising future this spring. With a silky smooth game that was reminiscent of a young TJ Jones, Holmes went up and made a tough catch down the middle of the field in the Blue-Gold game, a nice reward for a young guy with four seasons of eligibility remaining.
It’ll be up to Holmes to create urgency for his career, because the depth chart isn’t all that giving. But there’s a fine technical receiver ready for his opportunity, and its up to him to create it in 2015.
STOCK DOWN
Empty.
OVERALL TREND
Buy. This might be my favorite position group on the roster, and that’s without considering what Miles Boykin, Jalen Guyton, CJ Sanders and Equanimeous St. Brown on campus yet.
Put simply, this group is miles from the ones that surrounded Michael Floyd early in Kelly’s tenure. The Irish staff isn’t lacking a viable No. 2 to put across from All-American candidate Will Fuller, it’s trying to figure out who to keep off the field.
Ultimately, the receivers production will come down to how this offense wants to operate. Expect the big plays to go up, even if the yardage and catch numbers go down. And if Malik Zaire gets more time on the field, it’ll be a ton of deep balls and a lot more running — with passing totals closer to his LSU numbers than a standard Everett Golson aerial attack.
But from top to bottom, next year’s roster—and really, if Fuller stays, the 2016 roster as well—could be the most talented group of wide receivers to be on campus together at Notre Dame. So I’m expecting big things from this group.
