I am putting out a story later this afternoon about 5 freshmen that I think will have an impact this season. While doing some research for the story I came across some interesting numbers regarding Kelly and freshmen at ND.
Notre Dame has received at least 11 starts from freshmen and had at least two players start at least 3 games as freshmen in every since he's been at Notre Dame. The low number of freshman starts is 11 (2010, 2011, 2014, 2015) and the high is 30 (2013).
Here's the raw data I came up with:
2010: 2 players – 11 starts
2011: 4 players – 11 starts
2012: 2 players – 17 starts
2013: 7 players – 30 starts
2014: 5 players – 11 starts
2015: 3 players – 11 starts
2016: 5 players – 27 starts
TJ Jones, WR – 2010 – 7 starts – 23-306-13.3-3 TD
Tommy Rees, QB – 2010 – 4 starts – 61%, 1106, 12 TD, 8 INT
Aaron Lynch, DE – 2011 – 6 starts – 33 tks, 7 TFL, 5.5 sacks (1), 14 QBH (1)
Stephon Tuitt, DE – 2011 – 3 starts – 30 tks, 3 TFL, 2 sacks, 5 QBH (3)
Troy Niklas, OLB – 2011 – 1 start – 20 tks
Ben Koyack, TE – 2011 – 1 start
KeiVarae Russell, CB – 2012 – 13 starts – 58 tks, 2 TFL, 2 INT, 2 BU
Chris Brown, WR – 2012 – 4 starts – 2-56-0
Jaylon Smith, LB – 2013 – 13 starts – 67 tks (3), 6.5 TFL (2), 3 BU (T-2), 1 INT
Steve Elmer, G – 2013 – 4 starts
James Onwualu, WR – 2013 – 4 starts – 2-34-0
Will Fuller, WR – 2013 – 3 starts – 6-160-1
Corey Robinson, WR – 2013 – 3 starts – 9-157-1
Tarean Folston, RB – 2013 – 2 starts – 470 yards, 5.3 avg, 3 TD
Max Redfield, S – 2013 – 1 start – 12 tackles
Nyles Morgan, LB – 2014 – 4 starts – 47 tks, 3.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks
Drue Tranquill, S – 2014 – 3 starts – 33 tks, 1 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 1 INT
Greer Martini, LB – 2014 – 2 starts – 26 tks, 2 TFL, 1 sack
Andrew Trumbetti, DE – 2014 – 1 start – 21 tks, 5.5 TFL, 1 sack, 5 QBH
Tyler Luatua, TE – 2014 – 1 start
Alize Jones, TE – 2015 – 5 starts – 13-190-14.6-0 TD
Jerry Tillery, DT – 2015 – 3 starts – 12 tks, 12 TFL, 1 sack
Josh Adams, RB – 2015 – 3 starts – 835 yards, 7.1 avg, 6 TD – 7-42-1
Devin Studstill, S – 2016 – 9 starts – 38 tks, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FF
Julian Love, CB, - 2016 – 8 starts – 45 tks, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 3 BU
Donte Vaughn, CB – 2016 – 4 starts – 22 tks, 1 INT, 6 BU (T -1)
Kevin Stepherson, WR – 2016 – 3 starts – 25-462-18.5-5 (2) TD
Troy Pride, CB – 2016 – 3 starts – 12 tks
Not surprisingly, outside of Kelly's first year when he inherited a veteran roster and had a relatively average to below average class - and his best recruit passed away before he ever arrived - the years where the fewest number of freshmen started was 2012 and 2015.
This past season wasn't the most freshman starts under Kelly, as they had 30 in 2013.
This also doesn't include freshman starters on special teams, since ND doesn't count them as starters. So it doesn't include George Atkinson, C.J. Sanders and Justin Yoon, although I mention them in the story.
Just thought it was interesting and worth sharing that data.
Notre Dame has received at least 11 starts from freshmen and had at least two players start at least 3 games as freshmen in every since he's been at Notre Dame. The low number of freshman starts is 11 (2010, 2011, 2014, 2015) and the high is 30 (2013).
Here's the raw data I came up with:
2010: 2 players – 11 starts
2011: 4 players – 11 starts
2012: 2 players – 17 starts
2013: 7 players – 30 starts
2014: 5 players – 11 starts
2015: 3 players – 11 starts
2016: 5 players – 27 starts
TJ Jones, WR – 2010 – 7 starts – 23-306-13.3-3 TD
Tommy Rees, QB – 2010 – 4 starts – 61%, 1106, 12 TD, 8 INT
Aaron Lynch, DE – 2011 – 6 starts – 33 tks, 7 TFL, 5.5 sacks (1), 14 QBH (1)
Stephon Tuitt, DE – 2011 – 3 starts – 30 tks, 3 TFL, 2 sacks, 5 QBH (3)
Troy Niklas, OLB – 2011 – 1 start – 20 tks
Ben Koyack, TE – 2011 – 1 start
KeiVarae Russell, CB – 2012 – 13 starts – 58 tks, 2 TFL, 2 INT, 2 BU
Chris Brown, WR – 2012 – 4 starts – 2-56-0
Jaylon Smith, LB – 2013 – 13 starts – 67 tks (3), 6.5 TFL (2), 3 BU (T-2), 1 INT
Steve Elmer, G – 2013 – 4 starts
James Onwualu, WR – 2013 – 4 starts – 2-34-0
Will Fuller, WR – 2013 – 3 starts – 6-160-1
Corey Robinson, WR – 2013 – 3 starts – 9-157-1
Tarean Folston, RB – 2013 – 2 starts – 470 yards, 5.3 avg, 3 TD
Max Redfield, S – 2013 – 1 start – 12 tackles
Nyles Morgan, LB – 2014 – 4 starts – 47 tks, 3.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks
Drue Tranquill, S – 2014 – 3 starts – 33 tks, 1 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 1 INT
Greer Martini, LB – 2014 – 2 starts – 26 tks, 2 TFL, 1 sack
Andrew Trumbetti, DE – 2014 – 1 start – 21 tks, 5.5 TFL, 1 sack, 5 QBH
Tyler Luatua, TE – 2014 – 1 start
Alize Jones, TE – 2015 – 5 starts – 13-190-14.6-0 TD
Jerry Tillery, DT – 2015 – 3 starts – 12 tks, 12 TFL, 1 sack
Josh Adams, RB – 2015 – 3 starts – 835 yards, 7.1 avg, 6 TD – 7-42-1
Devin Studstill, S – 2016 – 9 starts – 38 tks, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FF
Julian Love, CB, - 2016 – 8 starts – 45 tks, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 3 BU
Donte Vaughn, CB – 2016 – 4 starts – 22 tks, 1 INT, 6 BU (T -1)
Kevin Stepherson, WR – 2016 – 3 starts – 25-462-18.5-5 (2) TD
Troy Pride, CB – 2016 – 3 starts – 12 tks
Not surprisingly, outside of Kelly's first year when he inherited a veteran roster and had a relatively average to below average class - and his best recruit passed away before he ever arrived - the years where the fewest number of freshmen started was 2012 and 2015.
This past season wasn't the most freshman starts under Kelly, as they had 30 in 2013.
This also doesn't include freshman starters on special teams, since ND doesn't count them as starters. So it doesn't include George Atkinson, C.J. Sanders and Justin Yoon, although I mention them in the story.
Just thought it was interesting and worth sharing that data.
