Notre Dame Must Find Answers In The Boundary
I'm not nearly as doom and gloom about the Notre Dame wide receivers as many of the people I talk with, but that doesn't mean there aren't some big questions that must be answered with that group, and with the offense as a whole.
The spring performance of Braden Lenzy has me feeling the long awaited breakout we were teased with in 2019 is ready to be made. Avery Davis return this fall and I expect him to be his usual, steady self. Lorenzo Styles finished the 2021 season off with a bang and he is poised for a breakout 2022 season himself.
That's a lot of speed and potential playmaking ability, but the way Notre Dame's offense has been run the last decade they all project more as field receivers, the X and Z position. There are more question marks at the W position, and the Irish need to find answers in a hurry.
The need for answers goes well beyond simply filling the position vacated by Kevin Austin, last year's starter at the W. In the last six seasons the W receiver has led Notre Dame in receiving yards, has led or tied for the team lead in receptions in all but one season and tied or led in touchdowns in five of those seasons.
It's a position that is designed to be a focal point of the offense. There are tweaks offensive coordinator Tommy Rees can make to spread the ball around more, and we saw some of that in the Fiesta Bowl loss to Oklahoma State. W receiver Kevin Austin certainly had a big game (6 catches, 105 yards), but Styles while playing Z (8 catches, 136 yards) and so did running back Chris Tyree (6 catches, 115 yards). Tight end Michael Mayer and Lenzy also caught seven passes each in that game.
In 2014 and 2015, Notre Dame's top pass catcher was Will Fuller, who played mostly the X position. So the W doesn't necessarily have to be the high volume player, but there is no doubt that Notre Dame's offense won't play at full peak mode if it doesn't find some answers in the boundary.
There are options for the W to thrive, and at least one of the things below must be successful. I could see all of them being factors, and the more that are the better, but here are some possibilities for Notre Dame to get needed production and impact player in the boundary.
1. USE MICHAEL MAYER THERE AT TIMES - I expect Rees to move Mayer around a great deal this season to make it harder for teams to game plan to stop him. Putting him split out in the boundary is certainly something I could see Notre Dame do. For one, it puts your best player in the money position. Of course, the second aspect is that with your best player in the boundary defenses are forced to respond, and how they respond will either put Mayer in favorable matchups or cause the field positions to be in favorable situations as the defense over plays Mayer in the boundary.
2. USE LORENZO STYLES THERE AT TIMES - I would love to see Notre Dame use sort of a "speed alignment" at times where it puts Styles in the boundary both in 12 personnel sets (two tight ends, two receivers) and 11 personnel sets (one tight end, three receivers). We saw Alabama use a three receiver alignment with smaller, faster players in 2020, and Notre Dame could use Styles, Lenzy and Davis in similar fashion at times. Styles has enough size at 6-1 and he has the ball skills to win one-on-ones at times in the boundary. He certainly would put defenders in tough spots on crossing routes, drag routes and other across the field routes that Rees likes to use from the boundary.
3. DEION COLZIE/JAYDEN THOMAS MUST STEP UP - Having some size in the boundary is always a plus, and there are two returners who brings those traits to the lineup. Colzie is the most natural boundary on the roster, and he also has the most upside. At 6-5 and 207 pounds he has exceptional length and an impressive catch radius. Colzie is athletic and his potential to be an impact player is there, he just has to put it together. He showed flashes in the spring game, and if he can make a jump in the fall he answers a lot of these questions. Thomas had a breakout spring while playing the field positions, but he could also have success in the boundary as part of the rotation. Letting him play multiple spots in the offense helps the depth and gives him more opportunities.
4. TOBIAS MERRIWEATHER WILL GET HIS SHOT - Merriweather arrives this summer, and when he does he becomes the wideout with the highest ceiling on the roster, at least in my view. Merriweather is tall, athletic, an advanced round runner for his age and he has impressive ball skills. The incoming freshman is on the thin side, but if he can handle the physical aspects of the game he'll be impossible to keep off the field. If you want to know the scenario that represents everything going right for Notre Dame, it's a combination of Colzie and Merriweather both stepping up and forming a dynamic one-two punch in the boundary.
For receivers coach Chansi Stuckey, doing what he can this summer and fall to get Colzie and Merriweather going could be the difference between the offense being really, really good and it being elite.
5. ALTER THE BOUNDARY ROUTE CONCEPTS - There are alterations Rees can easily make to the offense that would fit these different scenarios well, and they are already built into the offense. All it would take is a shift in emphasis. Mayer can do many of the typical W things on short to intermediate throws, and I'd like to see him get more shots at winning one-on-one throws. The drive concepts and across the field routes that are used already can be upped with Styles more involved in the boundary. Making sure RPOs are a key ingredient to the offense would also allow the boundary to thrive no matter who lines up there.
We'll find out which options are used most in the spring, but as you can see, there are options for Rees and Stuckey.
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