I spent most of the day focusing on defensive side of the ball, but I did get a chance to see enough of the offense to form some opinions.
QUARTERBACK
- Junior Brandon Wimbush was a bit off target early on. He was aiming too many balls and wasn't putting the ball where it needed to be during routes on air. The deeper they got into practice the better he looked. Wimbush was most effective I felt during the team and 7-on-7 periods. It was impressive how easily the ball jumped out of his hand. We saw him on the move even more today than we did most of the spring with the RPO's. Wimbush is an aggressive downfield passer, but he was a tad late with his decision making today (typical of day one of camp). He's willing to take the check downs, but he really wanted to get the ball downfield today. Wimbush was really good getting the ball out to the sidelines, and when he missed on those throws he missed wide, which is what you want.
- Sophomore Ian Book was not as effective as Wimbush but he was still good. Book showed very good ball placement and was quick to get the check down if he didn't like what he saw downfield. Book continues to surprise me with his athleticism and he showed a bit more zip on the deeper out throws today than we saw from the spring. He stared down a few receivers and he was a bit late on some throws during one-on-ones but overall it was a solid day.
- I did not see a lot of freshman Avery Davis, but when I did see him I liked what I saw. Davis looked more confident in his decisions and his footwork was better than what I saw from him as a senior. He was accurate on the throws I saw him make, although I didn't see him push the ball further than 15 yards in the drills I saw. His arm speed is good and he was obviously athletic during drills and reps.
RUNNING BACK
- I did not spend much time watching the running backs today. It is tough to really tell how good a running back is going to be without pads.
- Junior Josh Adams looked to be in very good shape and he showed a good burst during drills and team periods. He caught the ball well and was better getting out into check-release routes. It was something he was often too slow at that last season, so that was good to see.
- I did not see much of Dexter Williams, but during drills and the limited reps I viewed he was very impressive with his explosiveness. He’s in very good shape and playing with a bit more confidence and authority than I saw in past seasons.
- Sophomore Tony Jones Jr. was impressive from an athletic standpoint. He is never going to blow anyone away with pure speed, but once again his overall athletic skills were outstanding. Jones showed excellent balance and nimble feet. He changes direction with great ease and he is Notre Dame’s pass catcher out of the backfield, which is saying something because Notre Dame has several good pass catchers in the backfield.
- Expect freshman C.J. Holmes to be limited once the pads come on as he recovers from his spring shoulder surgery. The good news is despite being out for most of the spring and missing a lot of strength time he seemed to be in very good shape. Holmes is a fluid athlete and showed good burst.
- Sophomore Deon McIntosh can really run. He’s not all that big but he has filled out his body during the offseason. There isn’t a lot of wiggle to his game but his downhill burst is really good. He gets to the line quickly and his second gear is pretty impressive.
WIDE RECEIVER
Junior Equanimeous St. Brown showed some much-needed improvement from last fall. He was quicker getting out of his breaks and has limited some of the excess motion he showed on top ends last season. St. Brown caught the ball well and showed good speed. He still telegraphs shorter routes too much by not firing off the line, but his ability to quickly get out of breaks allowed him to consistently get enough room to make a lot of plays.
Senior Cameron Smith looked very comfortable from an assignment standpoint, which is expected considering he spent three years in this offense at Arizona State. He was working with the first team, spending most of the time at the boundary receiver spot. Smith showed a good burst off the line and he’s an advanced route runner. He showed good hands during team periods but he had two drops during the one-on-one period. He’ll need to do a better job attacking the ball when defenders are tighter in coverage.
I was surprised at how comfortable Freddy Canteen looked at missing all of 2016. His speed was really, really impressive and both he and Smith have added a lot of explosiveness to the Irish receiver depth chart. Canteen caught the ball a bit more consistently than Smith.
Another speedster is sophomore Kevin Stepherson, who had the best catch of the day when he made a nifty one-handed catch during one-on-ones. He was hard to defend during the one-on-ones, although he dropped his last rep. What continues to get Stepherson in trouble is that he does not show focus during team periods. Stepherson got reprimanded multiple times for not running the right route or running his route properly during team sessions.
Junior Miles Boykin had a solid day. He used his body to get position and he showed good body control when the ball was in the air.
I was a bit disappointed with Chase Claypool during today’s practice. He had some good reps during one-on-ones, but he fought the ball for much of practice. Claypool was way too late shooting his hands to the ball which allowed too many passes to get into his chest and caused him to have too many drops, even during periods with no defense. Claypool’s effort was inconsistent and his release off the line was inconsistent. He needs to show more consistency with his effort and effectiveness in following practices.
Freshman Michael Young might be Notre Dame’s most explosive athlete. He’s not quite as fast as Canteen, Smith or Stepherson, but his combination of speed, burst and agility is outstanding. Young has strong hands, although he did take his eye off the ball a couple of times. His route running is advanced for his age as well. He didn’t get many team reps but if he continues to show what he showed today that will change.
Classmate Jafar Armstrong is built like a running back and he had a good first day. Armstrong is a quality athlete and he has good ball skills. He needs to refine his route technique but for a freshman he did okay with that part of his game. Between getting some reps with the first two groups and getting reps at the end with the young players Armstrong played a lot of ball today but he did not seem to wear down at all.
I did not see much of C.J. Sanders or Chris Finke.
TIGHT END
- Senior Durham Smythe was smooth and fluid during today's practice. He caught the ball well in the reps I saw from him.
- Junior Nic Weishar looked good athletically but he fought the ball all practice. If he is going to get reps this season he must catch the ball much better than he did today.
- Freshman Cole Kmet has added some good weight and he caught the ball well. I also like how good Kmet is at working himself open against zones but he had some issues separating against man coverage.
- I did not see much of Alizé Mack or Brock Wright.
OFFENSIVE LINE
- Senior left tackle Mike McGlinchey looks the best I've seen him from a physical standpoint. McGlinchey looks thick and showed a much more impressive upper body. He was quick throughout practice, he was vocal and he was impressive in pass protection. His only loss during one-on-ones was to sophomore end Ade Ogundeji, who beat McGlinchey inside after the senior left tackle overset on his pass set. He beat Andrew Trumbetti on the first rep, beat Daelin Hayes on his last rep and absolutely dominated Jay Hayes during one-on-ones.
- I was highly impressed with senior right guard Alex Bars. Bars looked slimmer, especially in his midsection, and it showed with his athleticism and quickness. It was the best he's ever looked physically, but even more important is the fact that he showed even more power than we've seen in the past. His punch was very strong and he dominated during one-on-ones.
- Sophomore right tackle Tommy Kraemer had a solid first day. He got beat on a bull rush by Daelin Hayes on his first one-on-one rep, but bull rushes aren't supposed to be used on non-pad days. He hit Julian Okwara so hard on his next rep that Okwara immediately went to his knees. He got beat by Andrew Trumbetti on his last one-on-one. During team periods Kraemer handled himself well, although he was a step late a couple of times on outside speed rushes against Trumbetti and Hayes.
- Sophomore Liam Eichenberg had some good reps but he gets a bit too aggressive at times, and when he does he loses his base. He has to learn to play under more control. When he did that today he was very good, like when he easily beat Daelin Hayes on a speed rush and then beat Khalid Kareem's outside rush.
- Senior center Sam Mustipher snapped the ball consistently and showed off good quickness off the ball.
- Freshman left tackle Robert Hainsey was quick in his pass sets and showed fast hands, but he got knocked back a few times against power moves. Overall he had a very good first day, but he'll have to anchor a bit better when the pads come on. He beat Kareem and Okwara during one-on-ones but lost to Ogundeji.
- Junior Trevor Ruhland was erratic with his snaps during his first day at center. He held up well during one-on-ones but the snapping will have to improve. The one rep he lost was to freshman Kurt Hinish, who did a very good job getting under Ruhland's pads and knocking him back.
QUARTERBACK
- Junior Brandon Wimbush was a bit off target early on. He was aiming too many balls and wasn't putting the ball where it needed to be during routes on air. The deeper they got into practice the better he looked. Wimbush was most effective I felt during the team and 7-on-7 periods. It was impressive how easily the ball jumped out of his hand. We saw him on the move even more today than we did most of the spring with the RPO's. Wimbush is an aggressive downfield passer, but he was a tad late with his decision making today (typical of day one of camp). He's willing to take the check downs, but he really wanted to get the ball downfield today. Wimbush was really good getting the ball out to the sidelines, and when he missed on those throws he missed wide, which is what you want.
- Sophomore Ian Book was not as effective as Wimbush but he was still good. Book showed very good ball placement and was quick to get the check down if he didn't like what he saw downfield. Book continues to surprise me with his athleticism and he showed a bit more zip on the deeper out throws today than we saw from the spring. He stared down a few receivers and he was a bit late on some throws during one-on-ones but overall it was a solid day.
- I did not see a lot of freshman Avery Davis, but when I did see him I liked what I saw. Davis looked more confident in his decisions and his footwork was better than what I saw from him as a senior. He was accurate on the throws I saw him make, although I didn't see him push the ball further than 15 yards in the drills I saw. His arm speed is good and he was obviously athletic during drills and reps.
RUNNING BACK
- I did not spend much time watching the running backs today. It is tough to really tell how good a running back is going to be without pads.
- Junior Josh Adams looked to be in very good shape and he showed a good burst during drills and team periods. He caught the ball well and was better getting out into check-release routes. It was something he was often too slow at that last season, so that was good to see.
- I did not see much of Dexter Williams, but during drills and the limited reps I viewed he was very impressive with his explosiveness. He’s in very good shape and playing with a bit more confidence and authority than I saw in past seasons.
- Sophomore Tony Jones Jr. was impressive from an athletic standpoint. He is never going to blow anyone away with pure speed, but once again his overall athletic skills were outstanding. Jones showed excellent balance and nimble feet. He changes direction with great ease and he is Notre Dame’s pass catcher out of the backfield, which is saying something because Notre Dame has several good pass catchers in the backfield.
- Expect freshman C.J. Holmes to be limited once the pads come on as he recovers from his spring shoulder surgery. The good news is despite being out for most of the spring and missing a lot of strength time he seemed to be in very good shape. Holmes is a fluid athlete and showed good burst.
- Sophomore Deon McIntosh can really run. He’s not all that big but he has filled out his body during the offseason. There isn’t a lot of wiggle to his game but his downhill burst is really good. He gets to the line quickly and his second gear is pretty impressive.
WIDE RECEIVER
Junior Equanimeous St. Brown showed some much-needed improvement from last fall. He was quicker getting out of his breaks and has limited some of the excess motion he showed on top ends last season. St. Brown caught the ball well and showed good speed. He still telegraphs shorter routes too much by not firing off the line, but his ability to quickly get out of breaks allowed him to consistently get enough room to make a lot of plays.
Senior Cameron Smith looked very comfortable from an assignment standpoint, which is expected considering he spent three years in this offense at Arizona State. He was working with the first team, spending most of the time at the boundary receiver spot. Smith showed a good burst off the line and he’s an advanced route runner. He showed good hands during team periods but he had two drops during the one-on-one period. He’ll need to do a better job attacking the ball when defenders are tighter in coverage.
I was surprised at how comfortable Freddy Canteen looked at missing all of 2016. His speed was really, really impressive and both he and Smith have added a lot of explosiveness to the Irish receiver depth chart. Canteen caught the ball a bit more consistently than Smith.
Another speedster is sophomore Kevin Stepherson, who had the best catch of the day when he made a nifty one-handed catch during one-on-ones. He was hard to defend during the one-on-ones, although he dropped his last rep. What continues to get Stepherson in trouble is that he does not show focus during team periods. Stepherson got reprimanded multiple times for not running the right route or running his route properly during team sessions.
Junior Miles Boykin had a solid day. He used his body to get position and he showed good body control when the ball was in the air.
I was a bit disappointed with Chase Claypool during today’s practice. He had some good reps during one-on-ones, but he fought the ball for much of practice. Claypool was way too late shooting his hands to the ball which allowed too many passes to get into his chest and caused him to have too many drops, even during periods with no defense. Claypool’s effort was inconsistent and his release off the line was inconsistent. He needs to show more consistency with his effort and effectiveness in following practices.
Freshman Michael Young might be Notre Dame’s most explosive athlete. He’s not quite as fast as Canteen, Smith or Stepherson, but his combination of speed, burst and agility is outstanding. Young has strong hands, although he did take his eye off the ball a couple of times. His route running is advanced for his age as well. He didn’t get many team reps but if he continues to show what he showed today that will change.
Classmate Jafar Armstrong is built like a running back and he had a good first day. Armstrong is a quality athlete and he has good ball skills. He needs to refine his route technique but for a freshman he did okay with that part of his game. Between getting some reps with the first two groups and getting reps at the end with the young players Armstrong played a lot of ball today but he did not seem to wear down at all.
I did not see much of C.J. Sanders or Chris Finke.
TIGHT END
- Senior Durham Smythe was smooth and fluid during today's practice. He caught the ball well in the reps I saw from him.
- Junior Nic Weishar looked good athletically but he fought the ball all practice. If he is going to get reps this season he must catch the ball much better than he did today.
- Freshman Cole Kmet has added some good weight and he caught the ball well. I also like how good Kmet is at working himself open against zones but he had some issues separating against man coverage.
- I did not see much of Alizé Mack or Brock Wright.
OFFENSIVE LINE
- Senior left tackle Mike McGlinchey looks the best I've seen him from a physical standpoint. McGlinchey looks thick and showed a much more impressive upper body. He was quick throughout practice, he was vocal and he was impressive in pass protection. His only loss during one-on-ones was to sophomore end Ade Ogundeji, who beat McGlinchey inside after the senior left tackle overset on his pass set. He beat Andrew Trumbetti on the first rep, beat Daelin Hayes on his last rep and absolutely dominated Jay Hayes during one-on-ones.
- I was highly impressed with senior right guard Alex Bars. Bars looked slimmer, especially in his midsection, and it showed with his athleticism and quickness. It was the best he's ever looked physically, but even more important is the fact that he showed even more power than we've seen in the past. His punch was very strong and he dominated during one-on-ones.
- Sophomore right tackle Tommy Kraemer had a solid first day. He got beat on a bull rush by Daelin Hayes on his first one-on-one rep, but bull rushes aren't supposed to be used on non-pad days. He hit Julian Okwara so hard on his next rep that Okwara immediately went to his knees. He got beat by Andrew Trumbetti on his last one-on-one. During team periods Kraemer handled himself well, although he was a step late a couple of times on outside speed rushes against Trumbetti and Hayes.
- Sophomore Liam Eichenberg had some good reps but he gets a bit too aggressive at times, and when he does he loses his base. He has to learn to play under more control. When he did that today he was very good, like when he easily beat Daelin Hayes on a speed rush and then beat Khalid Kareem's outside rush.
- Senior center Sam Mustipher snapped the ball consistently and showed off good quickness off the ball.
- Freshman left tackle Robert Hainsey was quick in his pass sets and showed fast hands, but he got knocked back a few times against power moves. Overall he had a very good first day, but he'll have to anchor a bit better when the pads come on. He beat Kareem and Okwara during one-on-ones but lost to Ogundeji.
- Junior Trevor Ruhland was erratic with his snaps during his first day at center. He held up well during one-on-ones but the snapping will have to improve. The one rep he lost was to freshman Kurt Hinish, who did a very good job getting under Ruhland's pads and knocking him back.
