Tag: notre dame 2020

A Notre Dame First (?) for Braden Lenzy

Whatever it ends up being, the 2020 college football season hasn’t even kicked off yet but Notre Dame wide receiver Braden Lenzy has already become the first player in recent school history to accomplish something.

Whatever it ends up being, the 2020 college football season hasn’t even kicked off yet but Notre Dame wide receiver Braden Lenzy has already become the first player in recent school history to accomplish something.

Or perhaps, be assigned something is the more accurate way of putting that.

I’ve had trouble finding the exact history of this both in the history of college football and at Notre Dame, but with number 0 being allowed to be issued to players this year, Lenzy will wear the number for the Fighting Irish.

According to the always-reliable Wikipedia, “Players could formerly use the numbers 0 and 00, numbers that were phased out in the 1970s” but I haven’t been able to find a list I trust on those who have worn the number.

Whatever the exact history, Braden Lenzy will become the first Notre Dame player to wear No. 0 in a long, long time.

Lenzy averaged almost 19 yards each time he touched the ball on offense last year, four times going for a touchdown.  The hope is that he’ll become an even bigger weapon in new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees’s offense this season.

If you’re looking for a connection perhaps it’s the fact he’s from Oregon that makes the big “0” on his chest and back so appealing for this season?

Or maybe it’s just a way to be different?

Or maybe Lenzy is sick of being compared to Rocket Ismail because both guys showed off Olympic type speed while wearing jersey number 25 at Notre Dame.

Whatever the case, Lenzy is the first player in Notre Dame history to be assigned jersey number zero.

Now here’s to hoping he actually gets to wear it in a game this fall.

Notre Dame Football Starts Practice Today

Who knows how long it’ll last but Notre Dame football officially starts practice today ahead of an uncertain 2020 season.

Welcome to August 12, 2020.

Notre Dame football is officially back.

Sort of.

Whatever the case, Notre Dame’s football team will hold it’s first official practice ahead of the 2020 season on Wednesday and that’s about all the information we have for you.

A time of the practice is not known and there will be no media availability via Zoom call or anything else with any player or coach, including Brian Kelly once practice concludes.

According to 247Sports, ACC referees were in attendance at at least two member schools Monday for conference practice sessions.  The report adds that ACC referees have assignments for the first three weeks of the season which is slated to start September 10.

A day after the Big Ten and Pac-12 both cancelled their football seasons, Notre Dame officially begins their first as a member of the ACC.  It’s easy to get swept up with the news of the sport in recent days but hey, it’s here!

Related:  Predicting Notre Dame’s Results in New Schedule

It feels like the start of no season any of us have ever seen and hopefully unlike any we’ll ever enter again.

But after a trying spring and frustrating summer, Notre Dame football is back today.

Here’s to hoping for what would feel like a considerable upset at this point and Notre Dame, along with the entire ACC, getting their 10 scheduled conference games in this fall.

And Notre Dame winning a trophy in what is hopefully the only season they don’t play as an independent in my lifetime.

2020 Virtual Notre Dame Football Cards: John Dirksen – OG

As Notre Dame continues to approach the 2020 football season we release more virtual player cards. The latest is that of OL John Dirksen.

2020 Notre Dame Football Player Cards

Remember how great football cards were when you were a kid?  So do we!  We unfortunately can’t print out a bunch of pictures on cardboard and send them to all of you but we have the next best thing, virtual player cards for the 2020 Notre Dame football team!  Here you’ll find all the information, stats, facts and in some cases a photo gallery and/or highlights of all of your favorite Notre Dame players ahead of the 2020 season.  Check it out as we build the complete team set throughout July!

Card number five in the series belongs to offensive lineman John Dirksen.

Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Next:  Information and Stats

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96 Days Until Notre Dame Football (We Hope)

Continue to the countdown to Notre Dame football in 2020 today with a record holder who once made an iconic stop for the ND defense

First and foremost a very Happy Memorial Day to each and all of you.

The countdown continues this Monday morning as we plow ahead to what we all hope will be football season.

In 96 days (we hope) Notre Dame will return to the football field for Season 133 when the Irish take on Navy in a Week Zero affair.  Whether that game is played in Dublin, Washington, DC or in Annapolis, we’ll be even more excited than normal for it to get here.

Each day from now until Notre Dame kicks off the year we’ll count down the days with the number and why it’s significant in the history of Notre Dame football.

Sunday saw us look back at Ricky Watters and his record-setting punt return in 1989.  

This Monday morning get excited by watching Deke Cooper make a goal line stop for Notre Dame to save the game against Boston College in 1998.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn2eRF7hz4w&w=560&h=315]

That Deke Cooper stop helped Notre Dame keep their BCS dreams alive in 1998, although they’d ultimately be crushed with a 10-0 loss at USC.

Why Deke Cooper for day 96 though?

96:  The Notre Dame record for punt return yards in a single season, held by Deke Cooper in 1998.

See, you learned something and started your day by watching Boston College get their hearts broken.

Win-win if you ask me.

Notre Dame – Way Too Early Game by Game Predictions for 2020

Notre Dame’s Best Defender Given Massive Praise

Kyle Hamilton Averaged 34.9 coverage snaps per reception per Pro Football Focus, 35th nationally among all safeties and second among freshmen

Kyle Hamilton went from almost an afterthought of a recruit a few short years ago to an eventual five-star player in the 247Sports ratings and eventually became an impact-freshman in 2019.

Now the sophomore to be will have a lot of national eyes on him as he enters year two at Notre Dame as he’s been named by some in the new as one of the truly elite nationally at his position.

Anthony Treash of ESPN ranked returning safeties in college football ahead of the 2020 season and Hamilton checked in fifth nationally.

“True freshman safety Hamilton could not have done much more in coverage for the Fighting Irish last season. The 6-foot-4 defensive back finished among the five best safeties in the country in PFF coverage grade and had more interceptions plus pass breakups (nine) than catches allowed (seven). That production paved the way to a 1.3 passer rating allowed. Hamilton read quarterbacks like books and made special plays all season. He’ll be a vital piece to the Irish secondary the next couple of seasons.”

Hamilton is a star in the making and despite some secondary losses to the NFL in Troy Pride, Jr., Donte Vaughn Jalen Elliot and Alohi Gilman, Hamilton’s presence along with highly-touted players in both Isaiah Pryor and Houston Griffith make me more optimistic about the secondary than others.

If you want to see Hamilton’s accomplishments and watch 2:30 of his highlights from freshman year then click ahead…

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Another Day, Another “Way too Early” Top Ten for Notre Dame (ESPN)

Quick question:  when does it stop being “way too early” to make a pre-season top 10 or top 25? 

Quick question:  when does it stop being “way too early” to make a pre-season top 10 or top 25?  I agree the day after the national championship seems a bit early but as we approach spring ball is that still the case?

Probably, but it makes a bit more sense today than it probably did a month or so ago.  Either way, ESPN and Mark Schlabach released their latest “way too early top 25” and Notre Dame remains in the same position they did a month and five days ago.

Number 10.

ESPN/Schlabach’s latest outlook for Notre Dame:
Despite a lopsided loss to Clemson in the CFP two seasons ago, it might be argued the Irish are as close as ever to returning to the sport’s elite. They’re 33-6 since 2017, matching the most victories in a three-year stretch in the program’s history (the Irish also won 33 from 1988-90). After early losses at Georgia and Michigan, Notre Dame won its final six games in 2019, including a 33-9 rout of Iowa State in the Camping World Bowl. With quarterback Ian Book and all five starting offensive linemen returning, there’s good continuity on that side of the ball for 2020. Kevin Austin, who was suspended for the 2019 season, and Northwestern grad transfer Bennett Skowronek are two receivers to watch this spring. Coach Brian Kelly promoted former quarterback Tom Rees to offensive coordinator; he called plays in the bowl game after Chip Long was pushed out. There’s much work to do on defense, especially in the secondary.

Essentially this is exactly what was said in the first write-up.  There was no movement for any of the top three teams in Clemson, Ohio State and Alabama while Georgia moved to four and LSU dropped from four to eight.  Penn State’s climb from nine to five was also noteworthy in the top ten.

Listen, like it or not Notre Dame is entering the season as a top ten squad.  Perhaps you think they aren’t getting enough love or you may think they’re getting too much.  Either it really doesn’t matter much beyond for fun off-season arguments.

What’s much more important is if Notre Dame can improve the ability to run the ball against the better fronts and how quickly their now young secondary can grow.  If the growth at both of those improves and Ian Book can take a step, not even a leap, then Notre Dame should be looking 4-0 in the eyes before the showdown versus Wisconsin at Lambeau Field.

Win that and all bets are off before Clemson comes to town the first Saturday in November.

OK – can we fast forward to fall already?  Starting to get a bit excited.

Notre Dame Football: Three-Star WR Jay Brunelle Signs with Irish

Brunelle is listed by all outlets as a three-star receiver and pulled down 121 receptions for 2229 yards and 29 touchdowns in his final two years of high school.

Notre Dame will need to replace a lot at wide receiver in 2020 as both Chase Claypool and Chris Finke who combined to haul in 94 passes for over 1300 yards and 16 touchdowns are gone.

Signing Jordan Johnson early Wednesday was a huge step in the right direction there, but he wasn’t the only receiver Notre Dame had their eye as Jay Brunelle from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts also signed his NLI.

Brunelle is listed by all outlets as a three-star receiver and pulled down 121 receptions for 2229 yards and 29 touchdowns in his final two years of high school.

Brunelle chose the Irish over West Virginia, UCLA and Michigan while also holding offers from both Harvard and Yale.