Wide receiver position up in the air for Irish
There's no doubt that wide receivers are only as good as the quarterbacks who are throwing to them. Thus, Brady Quinn's departure and the ensuing quarterback battle at Notre Dame has received a lot of media attention, and rightfully so.
Still, it isn't like the receiver situation at Notre Dame isn't going through the same kind of turnover.
In 2005, Irish wideout Jeff Samardzija caught 77 passes for 1,249 yards and 15 touchdowns. He followed that up last year by pulling in 78 grabs for 1,017 yards and 12 TDs. During that same '06 campaign, Rhema McKnight didn't exactly struggle, either, catching 67 balls for 907 yards and 15 scores.
In other words, a quarterback needs someone to throw to, too. And the Fighting Irish have lost a lot this year on that front. Productivity the likes of what Jeff Samardzija and McKnight provided just doesn't grow on trees.
Right now, junior David Grimes seems to be the odds-on favorite to earn the No. 1 receiver job for the Irish in 2007, primarily because he's the only Notre Dame wideout with any real experience at the collegiate level. However, Grimes has not yet proven that he fits the bill as a go-to guy. After all, his 26 catches for 336 yards and two touchdowns in 2006 didn't truly indicate that he can be a 70-catch guy. Not to mention, the 5-foot-10 Grimes didn't catch a pass in Notre Dame's recent Blue-Gold game.
Nevertheless, Grimes is a hard worker with heart and some speed. Ultimately, that could end up being the difference in terms of playing time for this former three-star 2005 Rivals' high school prospect.
Then there's George West, who didn't play in the Blue-Gold game because of a hand injury and only caught two passes last season. That and his 5-8 height are the bad news. The good news is that he has a year of experience practicing within head coach Charlie Weis' rather complex passing offense. Beyond that, West has shown enough promise in practice to compel his coach to say that he's "separated himself from the pack."
Of course, that's practice. It's very difficult to tell right now whether West has what it takes to be a big contributor.
It's a good thing for the Irish that Robby Paris is also waiting in the wings. The 6-4 Paris caught two passes for 28 yards and a touchdown in the aforementioned Blue-Gold game, and that, combined with his size, help. Barry Gallup -- another soon-to-be sophomore -- is also in the mix.
Both of these guys are former three-star recruits; therefore, like the rest of the players talked about thus far, they were not projected to be superstar athletes (even if that doesn't necessarily mean anything).
Which, by the way, is what separates the Irish's 2007 receiving class from the rest of the group.
Duval Kamara, a 6-5, 205-pounder from Hoboken, N.J., is a four-star 2007 recruit whom Rivals ranked sixth in the nation at receiver. Further, Golden Tate, a 5-11 wideout from Hendersonville, Tenn., runs the 40 in 4.42 seconds. Rivals believes he's the seventh-best athlete (position arguable) that came out of high school in '07.
Both of these guys will likely have their chance to compete for time at the receiver position, as well.
Also, D.J. Hord, a 2005 four-star recruit who hurt his Achilles last season, is also in the mix (but the injury leaves a lot of question marks).
So what does it all mean? First, it's going to take some time for the two talented new guys -- Kamara and Tate -- to get used to Notre Dame's pro-style offense. Still, Kamara has the kind of height and athleticism that has served Irish quite well in the passing game over the last couple of years. Thus, expect him to serve in an increased role as the season moves forward.
Going back a bit, one has to read into Weis' statements regarding West. If the coach feels West has separated himself from the pack, then that's got to mean something. Paris, meanwhile, has the size, and Grimes or West could end up being the top two guys for the entire season. But figure that another wideout -- probably Paris or Kamara -- will eventually become a go-to target, and that could even happen before the end of this season. Their height is sure to help; finally, Kamara is an excellent athlete. These combined factors may be too much for the others to ward off over time.
See more at www.realfootball365.com
|
