Top 10 Notre Dame Football Players for 2018

[NDIRISH53]

Looking up and down possible depth chart I thinks it's evident that we will not have the 1 or 2 big time difference makers that will bring us to the championship discussion... aka 5 star guys. We have a very good and deep roster especially on defense. How do your top 10 players stack up?

10. Khalid Kareem
9. Dexter Williams
8. Chase Claypool
7. Sam mustipher
6. Daelin Hayes
5. Alex Bars
4. Julian Love
3. Tevon Coney
2. Jerry Tillery
1: Dru Tranquill

 

[chaseball]

I think Tranquil is easily the best player on the team.

Then it's some combination of Mustipher/Coney/Love

Next tier is Tillery, D Hayes, J Hayes, and Wimbush (if he takes a step forward passing the football next year, watch out)

Rounding out, I would put Mack, Claypool, Bars, and Dexter Williams together.

I thought it was very impressive how quickly Hainsey carved out significant playing time on a very talented offensive line as a true Freshman ... that hints at some serious upside, especially if he makes the normal progression from 1st to 2nd year.

 

[NDIRISH53]

I think Tranquil is easily the best player on the team.

Then it's some combination of Mustipher/Coney/Love

Next tier is Tillery, D Hayes, J Hayes, and Wimbush (if he takes a step forward passing the football next year, watch out)

Rounding out, I would put Mack, Claypool, Bars, and Dexter Williams together.

I thought it was very impressive how quickly Hainsey carved out significant playing time on a very talented offensive line as a true Freshman ... that hints at some serious upside, especially if he makes the normal progression from 1st to 2nd year.

Dexter needs to figure it out. He has such a clear path. He can run the damn ball, period. If Denson can't teach a senior how to freaking pass block and do all those little things, then that's ridiculous. Same goes for Mack. Two talented dudes who need to figure it out. Dex has the easiest path to do so and has shown crazy flashes

 

[zonairish]

Dexter needs to figure it out. He has such a clear path. He can run the damn ball, period. If Denson can't teach a senior how to freaking pass block and do all those little things, then that's ridiculous. Same goes for Mack. Two talented dudes who need to figure it out. Dex has the easiest path to do so and has shown crazy flashes

Dexter has to want to work at it

 

[57Patrick]

Notre Dame goes as the QB position goes in 2018.

 

[echowaker]

Dexter has to want to work at it

exactly. to put it on denson is silly. why can the others learn the position ?

 

[Kelso86]

Dexter needs to figure it out. He has such a clear path. He can run the damn ball, period. If Denson can't teach a senior how to freaking pass block and do all those little things, then that's ridiculous. Same goes for Mack. Two talented dudes who need to figure it out. Dex has the easiest path to do so and has shown crazy flashes

"If Denson can't teach a senior how to freaking pass block and do all those little things, then that's ridiculous"

Pass blocking, especially for a back, is both technique and want! You have to want to pick up that blitzer and stick your body in there....I think Riddick had the same issue -- until he decided he was going to learn it and do it.

 

[NDlb46]

Such a good topic and fun as well. I'm assuming (and you all know what happens when you assume) that it's projected difference makers based on their production thus far. But potential difference makers could be a whole different kettle of fish.

Projected Difference Makers:
Coney (can take over an opponent's running game and short passing game)
Mustipher (organizing the line)
Love (shutdown corner with big play threat)
Tillery
Tranquill
Claypool
D. Hayes
Wimbush/Book
Kraemer (protect the QB)
Boykin

Potential Difference Makers
Coney
Love
Dexter Williams (needed: 1,000 yd rusher with every down skill set)
Wimbush/Book/Jurkovec (somebody separate themselves please)
Tranquill (monster skill set in a new position)
D. Hayes (10+ sacks in key situations a possibility)
Tillery
Claypool or other consistent threat
Mustipher
Gilman (production and leadership needed)

 

[NDCap]

I am going to throw in a Freshman that will be a playmaker and one of the top 10 players .Wr Austin will make an impact right away. Bars in not in my top 10 and Coney is the MIP player and best player on the D . The Offense has a great player in Dex and he think he might be the best offensive player on the team but the OL may be a work in progress for a while.

 

[zonairish]

I am going to throw in a Freshman that will be a playmaker and one of the top 10 players .Wr Austin will make an impact right away. Bars in not in my top 10 and Coney is the MIP player and best player on the D . The Offense has a great player in Dex and he think he might be the best offensive player on the team but the OL may be a work in progress for a while.

CAP I think the line should be good. They have a lot of experience even though losing MCG and QN.

 

[chaseball]

I am going to throw in a Freshman that will be a playmaker and one of the top 10 players .Wr Austin will make an impact right away. Bars in not in my top 10 and Coney is the MIP player and best player on the D . The Offense has a great player in Dex and he think he might be the best offensive player on the team but the OL may be a work in progress for a while.

Bars isn't spectacular by any means, but with the departure of the two gods we've had on the left side last year, he's certainly now up there with Mustipher as the best run blocker on the team.

 

[NDIRISH53]

Bars isn't spectacular by any means, but with the departure of the two gods we've had on the left side last year, he's certainly now up there with Mustipher as the best run blocker on the team.

Bars is the best offensive lineman BK has ever seen remember?

 

[NDlb46]

Bars is the best offensive lineman BK has ever seen remember?

I remember that statement. That was very early on their careers and made me think Bars was going to be better than QN. Don’t get me wrong, Bars is still a badass, but QN just kind of did a full evolutionary cup check to every offensive lineman to buckle a chinstrap in the last 25 years

 

[NDIRISH53]

I remember that statement. That was very early on their careers and made me think Bars was going to be better than QN. Don’t get me wrong, Bars is still a badass, but QN just kind of did a full evolutionary cup check to every offensive lineman to buckle a chinstrap in the last 25 years

Hate to say it but not sure Bars is a bad ass. More of a technician. He doesn't seem to want to embarrass and destroy his opponent the way I've seen many greats such a QN do. I don't think we have a guy like that besides josh lugg

 

[artemis gordon]

Jerry Tillery will make something of himself after football. On the grid iron he just doesn't seem mean and tough enough. I could be wrong ,I did make a mistake back in 1992.

 

[chaseball]

Bars is the best offensive lineman BK has ever seen remember?

i got a chuckle out of this as i remember the BK presser where he made this comment several years ago.

Bars turned into a solid player, but probably wouldn't even crack the top 10 best linemen BKs seen at ND, let alone the best he's ever seen in his career.

 

[zonairish]

Jerry Tillery will make something of himself after football. On the grid iron he just doesn't seem mean and tough enough. I could be wrong ,I did make a mistake back in 1992.

I remember that one it was a doozie

 

[South Bender]

I think Tranquil is easily the best player on the team.

Then it's some combination of Mustipher/Coney/Love

Next tier is Tillery, D Hayes, J Hayes, and Wimbush (if he takes a step forward passing the football next year, watch out)

Rounding out, I would put Mack, Claypool, Bars, and Dexter Williams together.

I thought it was very impressive how quickly Hainsey carved out significant playing time on a very talented offensive line as a true Freshman ... that hints at some serious upside, especially if he makes the normal progression from 1st to 2nd year.

Hmmmm....our lone 5 star guy doesn't make the cut as "best on team" until your third tier??

Based on "stars" alone - he should be #1 on the list.

 

[Kraftwerk]

Don't forget about Yoon. He is an outstanding kicker.

 

[chaseball]

If you are referring to daelin hayes, then he was a composite 4 star, with a national rank of 133rd.

But besides that, my position is never that "all 5 stars will end up being the best players on the team" it's that the higher the rated the recruit, the higher the likelihood of the player making an impact. Furthermore, the higher the rated the recruit the greater the production on the field in aggregate.

This should be intuitively obvious though -- i don't understand why im having to constantly defend this position. When do we get to the point where this is universally accepted around here? Do people in math class still have to explain/defend 2+2=4?

 

[NDIRISH53]

I am interested if Khalid Kareem can be someone who propels himself into being a draft pick this year, and maybe a 1st round pick as a senior. 20 tackles with 5.5 for loss, 3 sacks 2 passes deflected and multiple qb hits/hurries. He may be the most talented pass rusher on the roster. Should start this year.

 

[HRC08]

The thing that sticks out to me while reading this thread is just how deep the Irish are. They have more than enough talent to have double digit wins in 2018. Wimbush (or whoever ends up taking the snaps) taking a solid step (not half of a step) forward would make the team very dangerous and allow time for the running backs to get up to game day speed without having to be relied on to duplicate what the 2017 running backs were able to accomplish.

 

[bizzybecknd]

Coney
Love
Tranquil
D Hayes
Mustipher
Tillery
Wimbush
Bars
Dexter
Watkins
Claypool

Just Missed:
J Hayes
Gilman
MTA
Young
Tony Jones

 

[Telx1]

Kramer @lg
Jones
Young
Claypool
Love
Tillery
Coney
Kareem
D. Hayes
Tranquil

Fun exercise. Lots of guys with the potential to be difference makers, and yet Love, Coney and Tranquil are the only ones on my list that were consistently difference makers last year. Team is loaded with potential and it is going to be interesting to watch competition this Spring to see how QB and OL and LB and Safety positions shake out. Do Hainsey and Kraemer form the left side of the OL and does Eichenberg finally win the RT spot or does Lugg pass him? Does Drue move inside and if so, who emerges as the new Rover...Bilal or Simon or Robertson or ? Does Elliot continue his development and win a safety spot next to Gilman or does Allen start as a true freshman, and how do you keep Genmark Heath off the field? No competition is more important or more difficult to judge than QB, with Wimbush being a great practice QB who often failed to play at the same level in critical games. Whoever wins the QB position will be the most impactful difference maker, either good or bad. Looking forward to Spring ball and the return of our resident diehard Optimist, Bodi.

 

[hoopsstar12]

Dont forget about Julian Okwara.

 

[Telx1]

Dont forget about Julian Okwara.

Agreed. One of the interesting challenges will be getting Okwara and Hayes on the field together more often.

 

[NDIRISH53]

Just did some research on how talented ND is as a team. 43 players next year will be former top 300 players in the 247 composite. Also Shaun Crawford can be one of the best players on the team if he stays consistent.

 

[chaseball]

Just did some research on how talented ND is as a team. 43 players next year will be former top 300 players in the 247 composite. Also Shaun Crawford can be one of the best players on the team if he stays consistent.

In a vacuum relative to all 130 fbs schools, having 43 players in the top 300 looks really good, but when you benchmark that number relative to the top 5-10 schools in the country it's actually very mediocre/downright poor.

There's also several tiers in the top 300 ... ND does exceptionally well with the 100-300 range ... it's getting the stars in the top 25/top 50/top 100 where the other programs start to distance themselves. This is something that desperately needs to change. Especially when it's playoff or bust for programs like ND that aren't in a conference.

Also, with all of the defections/suspensions/transfers/academic issues/etc. ND needs to do a much better job in the latter half of their roster .. the top handful of modern powers are able to patch up holes with JCs, and are 2-3 deep at most positions, ND has so much roster attrition from year to year, the latter 3rd of their roster is low 3 stars or preferred walkons who earned a scholarship. I think this issue was marginally addressed this year with signing close to 30 players despite being over the scholarship limit.

 

[NDIRISH53]

In a vacuum relative to all 130 fbs schools, having 43 players in the top 300 looks really good, but when you benchmark that number relative to the top 5-10 schools in the country it's actually very mediocre/downright poor.

There's also several tiers in the top 300 ... ND does exceptionally well with the 100-300 range ... it's getting the stars in the top 25/top 50/top 100 where the other programs start to distance themselves. This is something that desperately needs to change. Especially when it's playoff or bust for programs like ND that aren't in a conference.

Also, with all of the defections/suspensions/transfers/academic issues/etc. ND needs to do a much better job in the latter half of their roster .. the top handful of modern powers are able to patch up holes with JCs, and are 2-3 deep at most positions, ND has so much roster attrition from year to year, the latter 3rd of their roster is low 3 stars or preferred walkons who earned a scholarship. I think this issue was marginally addressed this year with signing close to 30 players despite being over the scholarship limit.

I think before attrition there was about 60 players in the top 300, 43 on the active roster next year (2014-18 classs)