If Saturday's practice is any indication, the answer to Notre Dame's struggles in the punt return game could be a 5-foot-8 true freshman with pure speed.
C.J. Sanders, a slot receiver, took the first punt he fielded at Saturday's practice 90 yards the other way, showing some shiftiness down the left sideline as he evaded would-be tacklers before accelerating for the final 55 yards into the end zone.
Irish coach Brian Kelly said Thursday that junior wide receiver Will Fuller is the frontrunner to take over as the Irish's punt returner. But the talent of Sanders, who returned punts with Fuller on Saturday, isn't going unnoticed. After Saturday's practice, Kelly said he's impressed by the freshman's elusiveness.
"He can cut full speed," Kelly said. "Some of our guys have got straight-line speed, but they don’t have the ability to cut at full speed. He’s got the ability to cut at full speed, which we haven’t had that in my time here. It’s something that has been lacking, and he has that ability to cut at full speed.
"He becomes a weapon from that standpoint, whether it be in some of the fly-sweep stuff. He’s elusive in catching the football. Screen game. Maybe in the return game. We’ll see how that plays out. Certainly a guy that can be a weapon for us."
Notre Dame ranked 51st nationally in punt returns in 2014, averaging 8.5 yards per return. It's the best total in Kelly's five seasons in charge, but the 80 return yards in the season-opener against Rice skew the total, considering Notre Dame logged 115 punt return yards over the next 12 games combined.
Kelly said he hasn't decided which receiver will return punts, adding that he isn't concerned about sticking Fuller--who led the team with 76 receptions, 1,094 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore--in the role of a returner. The play of Sanders does reassure Kelly in a case where Fuller can't be on the field to return punts, a talented freshman can slide into his place.
"I don’t know if I would say prefer [playing Sanders] as much as if he emerges at that position, I would feel great about it," Kelly said. "Because we know what Will can do with his speed and elusiveness as a screen runner. He’s very elusive when he runs screens too, so I feel if C.J. can beat him out, we’re pretty talented there.
"We’re going to continue to work both of them, and it could be a situation where Will needs a blow and we can put C.J. back there and feel very comfortable."
C.J. Sanders, a slot receiver, took the first punt he fielded at Saturday's practice 90 yards the other way, showing some shiftiness down the left sideline as he evaded would-be tacklers before accelerating for the final 55 yards into the end zone.
Irish coach Brian Kelly said Thursday that junior wide receiver Will Fuller is the frontrunner to take over as the Irish's punt returner. But the talent of Sanders, who returned punts with Fuller on Saturday, isn't going unnoticed. After Saturday's practice, Kelly said he's impressed by the freshman's elusiveness.
"He can cut full speed," Kelly said. "Some of our guys have got straight-line speed, but they don’t have the ability to cut at full speed. He’s got the ability to cut at full speed, which we haven’t had that in my time here. It’s something that has been lacking, and he has that ability to cut at full speed.
"He becomes a weapon from that standpoint, whether it be in some of the fly-sweep stuff. He’s elusive in catching the football. Screen game. Maybe in the return game. We’ll see how that plays out. Certainly a guy that can be a weapon for us."
Notre Dame ranked 51st nationally in punt returns in 2014, averaging 8.5 yards per return. It's the best total in Kelly's five seasons in charge, but the 80 return yards in the season-opener against Rice skew the total, considering Notre Dame logged 115 punt return yards over the next 12 games combined.
Kelly said he hasn't decided which receiver will return punts, adding that he isn't concerned about sticking Fuller--who led the team with 76 receptions, 1,094 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore--in the role of a returner. The play of Sanders does reassure Kelly in a case where Fuller can't be on the field to return punts, a talented freshman can slide into his place.
"I don’t know if I would say prefer [playing Sanders] as much as if he emerges at that position, I would feel great about it," Kelly said. "Because we know what Will can do with his speed and elusiveness as a screen runner. He’s very elusive when he runs screens too, so I feel if C.J. can beat him out, we’re pretty talented there.
"We’re going to continue to work both of them, and it could be a situation where Will needs a blow and we can put C.J. back there and feel very comfortable."
