Watch: Notre Dame’s 10 Toughest Touchdown Runs Ever

Notre Dame has had plenty of memorable running backs who made plenty of classic runs. Did your personal favorite make this top 10 list?

In its continuing series of top-10 lists, Notre Dame released its “Top 10 Toughest Touchdown Runs” on Monday afternoon. I will not spoil the ending, but I will say it was as memorable as touchdown run as there was during my formative years.

No real knocks on the rankings in this one. My one thought would be a debate between what is “tough” versus “shifty,” but I’m not in the mood to debate that right now.

Here they are – watch them and enjoy!

One and two are both beyond debate for me, so save it in regards to those to especially. What run was too high or too low besides those two, though?

Mel Kiper, Jr. releases top 10 tight end rankings for 2023 NFL draft

No. 1 is a no-doubter but No. 2 is quite a suprise!

Consider longtime ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. a fan of former Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer.  Mayer headed the group of tight ends that Kiper calls the 10 best in the 2023 NFL draft.

Kiper said of Mayer:

“NFL teams want tight ends who can stretch the deep middle of the field — and block well enough to line up next to offensive tackles, that’s Mayer, who can be a force in the red zone. Linebackers simply can’t cover him (and safeties struggle with his size). He has a wide catch radius and could produce as a pass-catcher in the NFL. He’s a complete player.”
Mel Kiper, Jr. (Subscription required)

Mayer declared for the draft following Notre Dame’s regular season finale at USC.  He exits Notre Dame leading all tight ends in program history in nearly every statistical category despite only playing three seasons.

Here is how Kiper ranked the entire top 10 tight ends for the 2023 NFL draft:

 

Notre Dame football: Scholarship offer made to son of Irish legend

He’s not just any legacy, either…

Few to ever wear the blue and gold made the impact [autotag]Jerome Bettis[/autotag] was able to make in his three years at Notre Dame.  Now might his son get the same opportunity?  On St. Patrick’s Day which the Fighting Irish staff has tried to make their own thing, Jerome Bettis, Jr. was one of many recruits to receive a scholarship offer.

Jerome Bettis, Jr. isn’t small by any means but isn’t built like his father, either.  He’s listed at 6-3, 190-pounds on his Twitter account and plays wide receiver at Woodward Academy in Atlanta.  Notre Dame joins the likes of Arkansas, Boston College, UConn, and UMass who have also offered Bettis, who is a 2025 prospect.  He’s also taken visits so a few big-time programs including Alabama and plans to visit Oregon before long.

Are the Irish the one of the leaders to land Jerome Jr.?

“Yea they are,” he said. “Being an Irish fan since I was a kid definitely puts them ahead as one of my top schools.” – Bettis, Jr. to SB Live

It’s still early in his recruiting but this is obviously a recruitment we’ll be keeping an eye on the next couple of years.

Check out a few photos of Jerome Bettis during his memorable time at Notre Dame below!

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Notre Dame football: 9 potential candidates to replace Tommy Rees

Who do you want to replace Tommy Rees?

Just a year after declaring he wanted to stay and fight for Notre Dame, offensive coordinator [autotag]Tommy Rees[/autotag] is off to Tuscaloosa to join Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. Rees took over as Notre Dame’s play-caller in 2020 and showed signs of stardom. He also made a few decisions that left Notre Dame fans rather frustrated.

The new offensive coordinator will be tasked with some difficult things.  Notably, Rees raised the level of talent in the quarterback room significantly.  When you look at what Notre Dame had at the position on their roster from 2017-2022 and look at the projected depth charts in coming years you can’t help seeing a significant step in the right direction.

But who will replace Rees?

This will be a massive test for Marcus Freeman early in his head coaching career because the hiring of quality assistants is a must for any sustained success. Here are nine names he would be wise to at least look at to replace Rees.

Notre Dame football: 5 things to know for Dec. 7, 2022

The biggest things to know in regard to Notre Dame football today…

For a second just try and imagine explaining to a diehard college football fan just a decade ago how crazy the transfer portal would be.  Freedom to transfer would have probably been able to be explained but the degree in which players decide to pack their bags and leave is beyond the wildest of expectations.

Notre Dame’s activity in the portal remains relatively small.  We expect the Irish find a quarterback for 2022 there and they’ve already offered a few other players so that will remain something we’re keeping our eye on really for the foreseeable future.

Obviously, the portal remains the talk of the college football world but here are the five biggest things to know in regard to Notre Dame football for Wednesday, December 7, 2022.

Four-star running back to announce commitment Thursday

Does he end up Irish?

One of the nation’s top running backs in the 2023 recruiting cycle is set to make his college decision Thursday night on CBS Sports Live.

[autotag]Jayden Limar [/autotag]of Lake Stevens (Wash.) High School has Notre Dame among his four finalists and the Irish seem to be the favorite.  Limar checks in as the nation’s 11th overall running back on 247Sports and has offers from some true powerhouses such as Alabama, Georgia, USC, Texas A&M, Texas, Auburn, and several others.

His finalists however are only Notre Dame, Michigan, Oregon, and in a bit of a surprise, Arizona.

Limar was recently on Notre Dame’s campus for the annual Blue-Gold game.  Notre Dame will be hoping to land the commitment, especially after running back [autotag]Sedrick Irvin, Jr.[/autotag]’s decommitment from the class last week.

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NFL roster news: former Notre Dame defensive back waived by Panthers

Hopefully he finds a landing spot soon

Former Notre Dame cornerback [autotag]Troy Pride, Jr.[/autotag] was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft but he was officially waived from the club on Monday with an injury designation.

Pride missed the 2021 season after tearing his ACL in a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.  In 2020 he recorded 42 tackles and was credited with a pair of pass defenses while playing in 14 games played.

Pride played at Notre Dame from 2016-2019, being a regular starter in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.  He recorded 88 tackles in his time at Notre Dame while intercepting four passes for the Fighting Irish.

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Notre Dame close to adding second running back in 2023 class?

Will he end up Irish?

Notre Dame already has a commitment from a running back in the 2023 recruiting class as Sedrick Irvin, Jr, made his decision known back in September of 2021.  A second running back commitment could soon be on the way however.

Jayden Limar of Lake Stevens, Washington announced his final four schools and his decision date on Wednesday and the good news for Notre Dame is that they’re included along with Arizona, Michigan, and Oregon.

Limar, who is rated by 247Sports as a four-star prospect, was last at Notre Dame for the annual blue-gold game in late-April.  He has nearly 20 scholarship offers to date and is rated as one of the best running backs in the west for the 2023 class.

Stay tuned to Fighting Irish Wire as we’ll have more on Limar and everything related to Notre Dame recruiting in the days and weeks to come.

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Greg Bryant’s death still stings six years later

Still stings to think about this one…

It was Mother’s Day weekend in 2016 when the shocking news came out of West Palm Beach, Florida that former Notre Dame running back [autotag]Greg Bryant[/autotag], Jr. had been shot and ultimately killed.

You can discuss the what’s, how’s and why’s to this for days on end and not come up with anything that makes any sense.  It was shocking and made no sense then.

Six years later it still stings to think about and still lacks any answers.

Bryant wasn’t perfect – none of us are.

He was a young man who happened to be a really gifted football player who was adored by his teammates.

His second season at Notre Dame in 2014 he took a significant step, scoring three rushing touchdowns and at the time, recording the longest punt return of the [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] era at Notre Dame.  Notre Dame’s second-leading rusher in 2014 seemed primed to take a leap in ’15.

2015 never came for Bryant at Notre Dame though as he was ruled ineligible and left campus, stopping at a junior college in Miami before announcing his commitment to the restarted UAB football program.

While home from UAB on Mother’s Day weekend Bryant was out late before the shooting took place.  Is that important to mention where he was?  Some say yes because perhaps it helps tell the story they’re hoping to tell despite knowing any exact facts.

To me, Bryant went to a place that plenty of 21 years old males have attended before and plenty more continue to do.  Some people like to act like he was asking for trouble by doing such a thing, but was whatever went down worth taking someone’s life over?

I don’t know what happened there or after he left but I do know whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t worth a 21-year-old man losing his life.

I don’t know if Greg Bryant, Jr. would have made the NFL but he was on his to graduating from college, something he never wound up getting the chance to do.

Greg Bryant, Jr. never got a chance to walk down the aisle and get married.

Greg Bryant, Jr. never got to see his middle years and share nights reliving the glory days with his old high school buddies.

Greg Bryant, Jr. never got the chance to be a father and impact his child’s life as positively as his father did for him.

It stung then and still stings just as much now when you take a moment to remember Bryant.

With the untimely passings in recent years of both Josh and [autotag]George Atkinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Louis Nix[/autotag], III just over a year ago, this time of year serves as a reminder of just how precious life is.

See photos from Bryant’s time at Notre Dame below.

Veteran Notre Dame receiver to miss rest of spring with foot injury

What is your overall feeling about Notre Dame’s wide receiver situation five months ahead of the season opener?

The injury bug showed its ugly head again this week at Notre Dame where spring practice continues.  Head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] announced Saturday that grad-student [autotag]Joe Wilkins, Jr.[/autotag] is done for the spring after suffering a foot injury earlier in the week.

Freeman stated that Wilkins is expected to be ready to go for the regular season but the injury is another setback for him as he’s coming off an MCL injury last season that kept him out the final two months of the regular season.  In his five games played last year Wilkins did pull down four receptions for 61 yards and an impressive touchdown reception against Florida State.

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Currently Notre Dame has grad-students [autotag]Braden Lenzy[/autotag] and [autotag]Matt Salerno[/autotag], sophomores [autotag]Deion Colzie[/autotag], [autotag]Lorenzo Styles[/autotag], and [autotag]Jayden Thomas[/autotag], as well as walk-on [autotag]Conor Ratigan[/autotag] healthy at receiver.  Freshman [autotag]Tobias Merriweather[/autotag] did not enroll early and will arrive at Notre Dame in June.  Grad-student [autotag]Avery Davis[/autotag] remains sidelined as he’s coming off an ACL injury last November.

The Wilkins news is unfortunate but perhaps the little bit of good news that comes with it is that more reps for talented underclassmen are now available this spring.

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