Tag: Kevin Austin

Reload or rebuild for Notre Dame in 2021?

Will Notre Dame have a season where they struggle like in 2016 or will it be a prosperous season like this past season?

The list keeps growing with Notre Dame players making their intentions for next year known, many of them opting to move on instead of come back. Quarterback Ian Book, tackles Liam Eichenberg and Robert Hainsey, guards Tommy Kraemer and Aaron Banks, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, tight end Tommy Tremble, defensive lineman Ade Ogundeji, cornerback Houston Griffith transferring are just a few of the players on the move.

Recently, ESPN took a look at which schools have recruited the best (insider) to have success in 2021 due to their recruiting. Although Brian Kelly’s efforts have been great, they didn’t make the main portion of the article, the Irish were mentioned in the second group of teams.

Being on the list alone is a good omen for Notre Dame, as the list of players moving on that were major contributors from this past season is significant. Luckily, Kelly has done a great job accumulating talent in South Bend, giving hope that 2021 won’t have a similar result as the 2016 season did.

Per the ESPN article, the Irish will have 38 players returning to the 2021 roster at the current moment that were ranked inside their top 300. So what does that mean for the ‘21 season?

There will be some bumps in the road with many of the younger players getting their first significant amount of playing time, but that doesn’t mean it will be all bad. This past year saw multiple freshman (cornerback Clarence Lewis, tight end Michael Mayer, running back Chris Tyree, defensive end Rylie Mills and linebacker Jordan Botelho) each show flashes of their futures. The first three really shined and you can add Jordan Johnson to the list as well.

Second-year players like safety Kyle Hamilton, interior lineman Zeke Correll, defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey, running back Kyren Williams, linebacker Marist Liufau, and punter Jay Bramblett were major contributors. This group will need to continue to grow.

As for the 2018 class which was ranked in as the 10th best class nationally, they have struggled to make a significant mark. Griffith transferring along with quarterback Phil Jurkovec already leaving and wide receiver Kevin Austin unable to stay healthy has hurt the classes outlook. Those three were the top ranked players in the class. There, however, have been contributors from that class, with include linebacker Jack Lamb, wide receiver Braden Lenzy and tight end George Takacs, linebacker Bo Bauer and center Jarrett Patterson. This class needs to step up in a big way for the Irish to be successful this coming season.

I haven’t even touched on the potential incoming-freshman contributors, which include tackle Blake Fisher, wide receiver Deion Colzie, guard Rocco Spindler, quarterback Tyler Buchner, linebacker Prince Kollie and other talented players.

The schedule isn’t quite daunting, the first three games should give Kelly plenty of time to get the pups feet wet before their big contest against Wisconsin in Chicago.

In my opinion the Irish are not rebuilding, but they aren’t quite reloading. Having a regular spring schedule will be extremely important for this team. The reps and practice time will further develop the players who don’t have as much experience. We should not see another year like 2016.

Tale of the Tape: Leading Receivers – Javon McKinley vs. Jalen Camp

Though Notre Dame receivers as a whole are getting better, they still don’t have a true leader.

Though Notre Dame receivers as a whole are getting better, they still don’t have a true leader. You can’t say that when their most productive member, Javon McKinley, still hasn’t cracked 200 receiving yards, reached double digits in receptions or scored any touchdowns going into the Irish’s Halloween matchup with Georgia Tech. To be fair, this should be expected of a unit that had nobody of note return from the previous year, and the loss of Kevin Austin for the season certainly doesn’t help. Still, you’d think more would be happening on a team that remains a College Football Playoff contender.

The Yellow Jackets’ top receiver is Jalen Camp, who’s only been moderately better than McKinley. Though he’s not blowing anyone away by any stretch, he’s still where an average top receiver probably would be at this point in the season. The only exception there is that he’s scored only a couple of times. Even so, the battle between Camp and McKinley should be almost even.

 

Notre Dame football – Austin injury news massive blow to Irish passing game

Notre Dame was dealt a huge blow this week as news has come down that they’ll be without wide receiver Kevin Austin for the rest of the year

We found out on Saturday afternoon that wide receiver Kevin Austin was not going to be able to play against Pitt as the Notre Dame Football PR team made the announcement on Twitter.

Along with Austin, starting corner back Tariq Bracy and reserve offensive lineman Josh Lugg were ruled out for Saturday’s fame as well.

As it would turn out, it’s brutal news for Notre Dame in regard to Austin, who was supposed to be the most complete receiver on the roster this season.

Austin missed the first two games of the year with a broken foot that he suffered in fall camp. Unfortunately this week, Austin suffered another injury to the foot and according to The Athletic, will be done for the year.

Austin only had one reception for 18 yards on the season but his potential was a large reason for there be hope that Notre Dame’s passing issues would take off as they’ve struggled to get going over one-third of the way the through the season.

Other wide receivers Ben Skowronek, Lawrence Keys, III and Braden Lenzy have also dealt with injury issues this year that certainly not helped the cause. Perhaps the loss means a chance for the likes of freshmen Jordan Johnson and Xavier Watts to see the field but don’t get it confused, this is a massive hit for a group that was already both battling injuries and struggling to produce.

Tidbits from Notre Dame’s head coach Brian Kelly’s Monday press conference

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly touched on Louisville, Kyle Hamilton, Liam Eichenberg, Kevin Austin, Tariq Bracy, Chris Tyree and more.

As Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly does every Monday, he met with the media this morning. He touched on a bunch of topics ahead of the contest with Louisville. Here are some of the highlights of what Kelly touched on today:

-Louisville will employ a 3-4 defensive scheme that will be “the first time we’ll see this,” so there might be a few early bumps in the offense this weekend.

-The struggles defensively against Florida State can be attributed to not having guys in practice. Kelly said “there were some defense lapses that occurred that we don’t normally have,” but he’s confident “they’ll be corrected for this weekend.”

-Kevin Austin is full go and will battle with Javon McKinley for playing time. Both of them will see the field together.

-Austin along with Matt Salerno will have the punt return duties after Lawrence Keys III struggled against Florida State

-Kelly has been impressed with the running back group, in particular Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree. Noted that the patience and ability Tyree has “you usually don’t get that with a young back.” Kelly pointed out both backs are impressive in yards after contact.

-Tariq Bracy’s improvement has been due to hitting the weight room hard. Kelly said with Bracy’s stronger lower half it has helped his explosiveness out of breaks and ability to tackle in space one-on-one.

-The return of Kyle Hamilton is such a game changer. Kelly said “he’s a difference maker, he covers ground like no safety that I have coached. He plays with physicality, it’s difficult for teams to go in his area.” That makes a lot of us happy that Hamilton has returned from his injury.

-Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah doesn’t really ever leave the field, Kelly has a few reasons why: “he gives us a lot of versatility, can play a lot of downs for us” due to his man-to-man coverage and pass-rushing skills.

-Liam Eichenberg’s has the respect of his fellow lineman, after playing with a swollen eye Saturday, he’s go the respect of everyone else now. Kelly said “it solidified respect that they have for him.”

Notre Dame football: Latest on Kevin Austin for FSU game

Kevin Austin is yet to play a down for Notre Dame in 2020 but should provide an instant boost to the Fighting Irish receiving corps.

Late last week Brian Kelly announced that wide receiver Kevin Austin was on track to be able to dress against Florida State.  He didn’t then give details as to if Austin would be a full-go, simply dress or what the deal would be.

Then earlier this week Kelly shared that it should be around 15-20 snaps that Austin sees against the Seminoles this Saturday night as long as things continued to progress but did clarify that it was in the hands of the medical team, not of the coaches.

Well it turns out things must have progressed well for Austin as Kelly shared on Thursday how he saw Austin’s week of practice and how he anticipates the wide receiver being used in his season debut this week.

“Yeah, he’s gonna play and he’s had a good week,” Kelly said,  “No setbacks. He can certainly help us.

Kelly went on to mention that despite being cleared, you still have to be smart in how he returns to action.

“We want to be careful. He’s only going to be about 11 weeks post, not that we’re putting him in a vulnerable position, but we’ve got to be careful.”

Kelly was also sure to share the reminder that just because he’s cleared, doesn’t mean to expect him to at full speed for all 60 minutes on Saturday night.

“He hasn’t played full speed football in a long, long time, so I think we want to err on caution, in terms of his his snaps this week, and then we’ll go from there.”

Notre Dame’s receivers entered fall camp as a perceived strength but through two games they’re yet to produce.  Part of that is clearly due to injuries with Austin not yet playing a down and Ben Skowronek not playing since the first half against Duke because of a hamstring injury.

Of wide receivers, Joe Wilkins leads the unit two games in with all of 44 receving yards on the season.  Braden Lenzy has 34 receiving yards in just one game while Avery Davis finds himself third among receivers with 26 yards to date.  Davis is also responsible for the only touchdown scored by a Notre Dame wide receiver this year.

Clearly it’s a position group that hasn’t performed up to expectation but it’s obvious that injuries haven’t at all helped that yet.

The addition of Austin adds the most complete receiver on the roster to the game plan and should benefit the other parts of the receiving corps and Ian Book as a result.

Although he may only play 15-20 snaps on Saturday, Austin’s impact should start to be felt very quickly.

Mental Monday’s: Takeaways from Kelly’s press conference

See what Brian Kelly said ahead of their game against FSU where he addresses the COVID issues, Book’s play, the return of stars and more.

As he does every Monday, Brian Kelly meets with the media. For almost a half-hour Kelly took a variety of questions, ranging from the difficulties the past two weeks have presented due to the COVID-19 outbreak within the team, how they refocus after a two-week absence from the field and some injury updates that are very encouraging. Here are the highlights from Kellys presser.

-The offense isn’t just on Tommy Rees, it’s a collaboration of ideas and currently they’re “running the system that will best take advantage of the players we have,” said Kelly

-Wide receiver’s haven’t had enough continuity, but Kelly “see(s) a unit that will produce at a higher rate, but it’s still one that takes some time … but I do believe it has a high ceiling.” The return of Ben Skoronek, Kevin Austin and a healthier Braden Lenzy will certainly help.

-More on Austin’s return, he is cleared currently to play in 15-20 snaps, so don’t expect him out there much against FSU

-The two week break is going to be very difficult for the team. Kelly noted that they will “really lean on attention to details, maybe more than they’ve ever had before.”

-Ian Book’s number might not shine the way you’d think a 3rd-year starters would, but Kelly isn’t concerned one bit. What matters to him is Book’s winning attitude, “He (Book) wins and he’s a guy that prepares the football team so well. He is prepared himself, and he brings a sense of clam to the unit that they believe they’re going to win.”

-With so many players returning from either being in isolation or a modified quarantine, handling how these players return is obviously something to watch. Kelly will take it as a player by player basis, depending on their situation, as some of them were able to continue to workout and stay in shape. “If a player was normally playing 50 plays, then maybe in our mind their playing half of that,” Kelly said.

-There wasn’t a pinpoint situation where the virus spread, as Kelly said it could have come from a pregame meal, celebrating on the sidelines during and after the game, playing videos games without masks, or car rides. “There’s so many levels to this so it becomes maddening to track every moment,” which means they have to be more careful. They will apparently, because “if were going to continue to play in this environment we have to be more vigilant than in the past,” he said.

-Safety Kyle Hamilton will return to playing this week

-Kelly dubbed today as “Mental Monday” as the team will go through weight training, conditioning, meetings and mental work today. He’s trying to “get back to normal, a routine, has been my focus this week.”

-Why has Notre Dame been so transparent with their testing numbers? Kelly explained that the players “have parents that are concerned with their health and safety. Those that love them should know what’s going on within the program.”

What Notre Dame is getting as Kevin Austin returns

Notre Dame’s passing game hasn’t turned many heads early in 2020. Will Kevin Austin’s return to the lineup change that?

Entering the 2020 season Notre Dame’s wide receiver corps were viewed a lot like many see faith.  Despite not be able to actually see something, in this case production from the key cogs in a Notre Dame uniform, the belief was there that the group had a chance to be special.

It’s early and obviously a strange season that was pre-dated with truly unique circumstances, but through two games the receiving corps hasn’t exactly lived up to their pre-season billing.

That could start to change Saturday as No. 5 Notre Dame welcomes Florida State to South Bend however as the Irish will be getting what was supposed to be their best receiver in 2020 back to their roster in Kevin Austin, who broke his foot very early in fall camp.

The 6-2, 210 pound receiver has put up only five receptions for 90 yards in his Notre Dame career but could provide the game-breaking ability the position has lacked early this season.

“He’s explosive, rangy, has out standing ball skills and can open up the game as he can take the top off of coverages,” Brian Kelly said of Austin on Monday, “He can make a catch and go the distance and win one-on-one match-ups.”

Not that they’ve had to throw the ball over the yard two games in but Notre Dame has thrown for just over 200 yards per game and completed just one touchdown pass on the year.

Brian Kelly closed his thoughts on Austin by saying what quarterback Ian Book as well as Notre Dame fans all across the country are thinking:

“It will be nice to get him on the field for us.”

It’s also worth noting that graduate student Ben Skowronek will return to the lineup as well after playing just one half of football against Duke before suffering a hamstring injury that kept him out of the South Florida contest.

Notre Dame Football: Injury updates ahead of Florida State game

Brian Kelly met the media on Thursday and gave updates on a few players that have missed time so far this season.

Notre Dame isn’t playing again this weekend as it was a pre-determined bye week, their first of two this fall, but Brian Kelly is letting it be known that the Fighting Irish are starting to get healthy.

Kelly met the media on Thursday and gave updates on a few players that have missed time so far this season.

At receiver Ben Skowronek has missed all but one half of football this season as he’s been dealing with a hamstring injury he suffered in the opener against Duke.  Kelly says that he’s a full-go.

Kelly also added that star sophomore free safety Kyle Hamilton is cleared for takeoff after Hamilton sprained his ankle in the Duke game and was forced to miss the South Florida contest.

Finally, Kelly gave an update on a player should help boost production for a position group that desperately needs it early on in 2020.  Kevin Austin, who broke his foot at the start of fall camp, will be cleared for the Florida State game “in some manner” on October 10 according to Kelly.

Now does that mean he’ll simply dress and go through warm ups after going through practice next week?  Or does it mean he’ll be a full-go and ready to potentially start for Notre Dame when currently win-less Florida State comes to town in nine days?

That we don’t know but the good news is Austin is healing relatively quickly and with this news, you’d assume he’d be a full-go when things get more difficult against Louisville and Pitt in the two games following Florida State.

Notre Dame Injury News: Kevin Austin Breaks Foot

Wide receiver Kevin Austin, who was suspended for 2019 but is a big reason for huge expectations for the 2020 receiving corps, has broken his foot.

It’s not even the start of official practice yet but Notre Dame football has already suffered a significant injury.

Wide receiver Kevin Austin, who was suspended for 2019 but is a big reason for huge expectations for the 2020 receiving corps, has broken his foot.

From the Notre Dame Football PR Staff on Twitter:

The good news is that he’s not out for the season but the bad news is obvious. It’s a broken foot and not an injury that likely just is gone and forgotten about the second it’s technically healed.

Strength building and conditioning will come after as his potential 2020 outbreak so many are expecting, takes a major hit.

Austin only has five receptions in his Notre Dame career but was likely to enter 2020 as a starter and the benefactor of a significant amount of targets.

We’ll have more on this news at Fighting Irish Wire as more information becomes available.

Notre Dame Injury News: Kevin Austin Breaks Foot

Wide receiver Kevin Austin, who was suspended for 2019 but is a big reason for huge expectations for the 2020 receiving corps, has broken his foot.

It’s not even the start of official practice yet but Notre Dame football has already suffered a significant injury.

Wide receiver Kevin Austin, who was suspended for 2019 but is a big reason for huge expectations for the 2020 receiving corps, has broken his foot.

From the Notre Dame Football PR Staff on Twitter:

The good news is that he’s not out for the season but the bad news is obvious. It’s a broken foot and not an injury that likely just is gone and forgotten about the second it’s technically healed.

Strength building and conditioning will come after as his potential 2020 outbreak so many are expecting, takes a major hit.

Austin only has five receptions in his Notre Dame career but was likely to enter 2020 as a starter and the benefactor of a significant amount of targets.

We’ll have more on this news at Fighting Irish Wire as more information becomes available.