Several Position Battles Will Rage On The Notre Dame Offense This Spring

One of the best parts about spring football is the position battles that rage, whether they be to determine starters or standouts. Notre Dame will have several very important battles this spring, and how they go will determine the overall look of the offense, and could determine who the standouts end up being.

I could talk about quarterback, but the reality is Sam Hartman was brought in to be the starter. is there a scenario where Tyler Buchner could beat him out? Of course, Buchner is incredibly talented, but right now it's not really a battle.

I could talk about running back, but the reality is it doesn't really matter who starts at running back because Audric Estime and Logan Diggs will both be major ball carriers for the Irish, no matter who takes snap one in a game.

Here are the battles I'll be paying close attention to this spring:

BOUNDARY RECEIVER (W) - I expect the primary participants in this battle to be Virginia Tech transfer Kaleb Smith and junior big man Deion Colzie. There's a chance sophomore Tobias Merriweather or freshman Jaden Greathouse could battle here, but I view them as being better at other spots. This should be a Smith-Colzie battle.

Smith is by far the more experienced player, earning Honorable Mention All-ACC honors last season after hauling in 37 catches for 674 yards (18.2 YPC) last fall for the Hokies. He's a big bodied receiver (6-2, 220) with 74 career catches for 1,143 career yards and seven career touchdowns.

Smith was primarily a boundary receiver for the Hokies, but he could play all three spots in the Irish offense. I believe he'll initially start out in the boundary in a competition with Colzie. Smith's experience, route running tools and top-notch ball skills combine with a lot of strength to make him a strong contested catch player. He needs it, because he lacks the speed to consistently gain separation against better corners, but his feel for the game is impressive on film.

Colzie is one of the more talented wideouts on the roster, possessing elite size (6-5, 211) with an exceptional catch radius and underrated speed. Colzie came to Notre Dame as a very young and raw player, but he showed flashes last season while hauling in nine catches for 192 yards (21.3 YPC). All of his catches came in the final six games of the season.

If Smith wins the job the Irish will have a strong, experienced, dependable wideout in the starting lineup and Colzie will be the young, talented role player. That's a significant upgrade over what Notre Dame had in the boundary last fall and it gives Hartman and/or Buchner some big bodies to throw to on the outside.

If Colzie wins the job it means he's starting to truly tap into his immense potential. Colzie has a chance to be similar to Miles Boykin, if not better. If he beats out Smith this spring it means the Irish will be absolutely loaded in the boundary, and it would also free the staff up to not only use Smith in the boundary, but to move him all around the offense.

FIELD RECEIVER (X) - I'm very curious to see what Notre Dame does at the field outside position. We saw both Lorenzo Styles and Jayden Thomas play that position last fall. Ironically, both showed better tools and production in the slot than they did outside, but at least one will need to battle for the starting role out there, and right now my bet is on Styles.

I personally prefer Styles inside, but that's also where I like Thomas, so it gets a bit tricky. Of the two, Styles brings the most X specific skill. Whoever begins the spring outside will have to battle with talented sophomore Tobias Merriweather.

Styles has the speed and after-the-catch ability to thrive on the outside. If he gets back on track he could be an impact player as an X receiver, of that there is little doubt, and he showed that as a freshman when he hauled in 24 catches for 344 yards.

Merriweather is arguably the most talented wideout on the roster, but he's also the most inexperienced of the non-freshmen. He wasn't used nearly enough last season, and by the time he started working into the rotation he suffered a concussion that kept him out until the bowl game.

The 6-4 wideout hauled in just one pass, but it went for a 31-yard touchdown that gave the Irish a fourth quarter lead over Stanford. His size-speed combination, his route running prowess, his ball skills and his football IQ are all outstanding. If Notre Dame gives him a legitimate chance to compete for a starting role this season he will be very, very hard to keep off the field.

In an idea world, Merriweather is the starter outside and Styles can be a do-it-all player that can make plays at X and Z. Both need to play, and both have contrasting skills to the other, and if used together, and if both play to their potential this season, Notre Dame's X-receiver spot will be highly productive.

BOTH GUARD SPOTS - Notre Dame must replace both guards this spring, and the number of likely competitors for the open spots is quite deep.

Rising sophomore Billy Schrauth is the one player that is most assumed to win one of the two battles, but he'll have to earn it. Schrauth was one of the top signees in the 2022 class, earning Top 100 grades on the Irish Breakdown board and from both On3 and Rivals.

At 6-4 and 302 pounds as a freshman, Schrauth already has the size to play inside, and I expect him to be even bigger next season. Schrauth is a physical and athletic young blocker with truly elite potential. The question is will he be ready technically and will he be able to pick up the offense enough to win a starting job.

That remains to be seen, but I would have a very hard time projecting a starting lineup in 2023 that doesn't include Schrauth. He has a chance to be a star for the Irish.

Fifth-year senior Andrew Kristofic enters the season with eight career starts. Adding him and Joe Alt into the starting lineup halfway through the 2021 season helped shore up what was a struggling and leaky offensive line that season. He hasn't been a dominant mover during his tenure, but he has been steady.

Rising senior Michael Carmody is a very intriguing player that could be part of this battle. A two-game starter at left tackle in 2021 and a backup center in 2022, Carmody will enter the spring with experience, and I believe he'll be given a shot to compete for a starting role at guard.

Carmody was listed at 280 pounds last season, and if that's accurate it's hard to imagine him holding up over the course of an entire season. If he can fill out a bit more while maintaining his athleticism, Carmody could be a good one. He is a physical player that has the demeanor you want inside, and he has a very high ceiling.

I really don't know what to expect from Carmody, but he has too much upside to not take seriously as a potential starter if he's able to add and keep some weight.

Rising sophomore Ty Chan is another big bodied (6-5, 310) blocker with a lot of tools that I could see making a move this spring.

Outside of Schrauth, rising junior Rocco Spindler is the most talked about guard on the roster. A highly ranked recruit coming out of high school, Spindler has struggled a bit with weight and sloppy footwork during his brief Irish tenure. The coaching change could prove beneficial to Spindler, who now gets a fresh start with Joe Rudolph. If he can improve his conditioning and footwork, Spindler could make some noise this spring.

TIGHT END - Rising junior Mitchell Evans, rising sophomore Holden Staes and rising senior Kevin Bauman are the three healthy tight ends on the roster this spring, and they will compete for positioning on the depth chart.

Evans is the presumed starter after playing so well in the bowl game, and due to the experienced he gained the last two seasons. Staes oozes potential and he also gained valuable experience last fall. Bauman lacks the raw tools of the other players but he is older and has played a lot.

I didn't mention Davis Sherwood, as I don't expect him to compete for a starting role at tight end. That doesn't mean he isn't a player to keep an eye on. I'm very curious to see if Notre Dame decides to use the fullback look in some non-goal line packages this season. If it does look for Sherwood to be a factor.

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