Notre Dame's Vaunted 2018 Wide Receiver Class Is Finally Taking Over

Despite the presence of some talented players at wide receiver in recent seasons, when talking about the Notre Dame pass catchers the last three years the discussion inevitably turns to the unit's lack of explosiveness and inability to consistently make big plays.

Notre Dame's 2018 receiver class was expected to change that, but injuries and other issues have kept this class from playing anywhere close to its potential. We've seen enough glimpses from the class to tease us, but the unit has not made the splash it was supposed to make.

That group is once again being counted on to become the big-time playmakers they were recruited to be. It's still very early in fall camp and there is still plenty to prove, but so far the group has been quite impressive in fall camp.

"There's no question that there's a lot more confidence in the building ... that we're going to be able to play at the level we were hoping [for] at this time last year," head coach Brian Kelly said of his now veteran receivers. "We were talking about guys stepping up, and those veterans are stepping up. The [Lawrence] Keys's, the [Braden] Lenzys, obviously you saw Kevin [Austin] out there today.

"All the veteran guys that we've asked to take their game to the next level, they all have."

No player from that group has created more buzz or generated more expectations and excitement for what he could be than Kevin Austin. A top 100 recruit coming out of high school, Austin has had brilliant practice moments throughout his career, but turning that into game day production has been challenging for Austin, who has just six career catches.

Now healthy, the 6-2, 215-pound wideout is poised to not only become a key contributor, he'll have a chance to become Notre Dame's go-to player on the outside.

"We're going to feature him," Kelly said of Austin. "He's not just going to be a guy that runs down the field. You're going to see him cutting across the field and opening up the opportunity for him to run and catch."

Austin was the "alpha" for the Notre Dame offense during the Thursday open practice, and if he can continue that into the regular season he could follow in the footsteps of players like Will Fuller, Equanimeous St. Brown, Miles Boykin and Javon McKinley. Those players went from very little production to breakout seasons for the Irish.

The one player that has shown big-play ability on game day is Braden Lenzy, whose speed was on full display in 2019. Lenzy caught 11 passes for 254 yards (23.1 YPC) and carried the ball 13 times for 200 yards (15.4 YPC) in 2019. The dynamic speed that made him a track star in high school resulted in him racking up gains of 70, 61, 52, 51 and 43 yards that season.

Injuries kept Austin and Lenzy from making an impact last fall, and the injury bug has been especially problematic for Lenzy, but he seems healthy and ready to become a regular home run weapon. A strong offseason appears to have given Lenzy an extra set of armor that the staff hopes results in him being able to stay on the field.

"We need him to be that big-play receiver," stated the Irish head coach. "We have to get the ball to him, and he's responded by changing his body. He's got a whole different physique; he's in the best shape of his life physically and he's in a good spot mentally.

Lenzy seems to have done his part, and now it is time for the Notre Dame offensive staff to make him and Austin a focal point of the offense.

"It takes two, it takes an offense to recognize that you've got to get the ball down the field to him and create opportunities for him," Kelly explained.

Another member of the class - Lawrence Keys III - was dominant throughout the spring and he's carried that into fall camp. Keys was a regular on the spring highlight videos and according to sources he's been a standout yet again in fall camp.

Keys hauled in five passes for 115 yards in the Blue-Gold Game, and he showed in limited action early in 2019 that when given the opportunity he can make big plays.

Austin is the physically imposing athlete that can do it all, including being the high-volume alpha receiver. Lenzy is the burner with game-changing speed. Keys is the precise route runner that can make plays after the catch. The complementary nature of this trio is especially enticing.

They aren't the only members of the class that will be key figures in the 2021 receiver rotation. Classmate Joe Wilkins Jr. was recruited to play cornerback, but very early in summer workouts of his freshman season he impressed the offensive coaches enough for them to push to get him over to their side of the ball.

Wilkins is a steady player that lacks the elite tools of his classmates, but he's a good athlete that has had a strong offseason, and you can expect Wilkins to also be a key figure in the Irish receiver rotation this fall.

If the group struggles to stay healthy like it did in the past it will drag the offense down with it. If the group can stay healthy and finally turn their potential into production the Irish offense is going to have an explosive and entertaining offense.

Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge

Irish Breakdown Content

Notre Dame 2021 Roster
Notre Dame 2021 Schedule

Notre Dame 2022 Commits Big Board: Offense
Notre Dame 2022 Commits Big Board: Defense

2022 Big Board: Running Back
2022 Big Board: Slot Receivers

Notre Dame 2022 Scholarship Offers

Notre Dame 2022 Class Big Board
Notre Dame 2023 Class Big Board

———————

Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content, our premium message board and gets you a FREE subscription to Sports Illustrated! Click on the link below for more

BECOME A MEMBER

Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!

Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes
Subscribe to our Irish Breakdown Rumble channel
Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178
Follow me on Parler: @BryanDriskell
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook

Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter