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Grant Blankenship Suspended; Brian Kelly Previews Blue-Gold Game

Kelly and his staff held practice Friday afternoon in Notre Dame Stadium.
Kelly and his staff held practice Friday afternoon in Notre Dame Stadium.
BGI/Andrew Ivins

The 14th practice this spring was a 75-minute session inside Notre Dame Stadium on Friday morning. The team was not in pads while it went through a mostly light workout to prepare for tomorrow afternoon’s Blue-Gold Game, which will be telecast on the NBC Sports Network with kickoff just after 12:30 p.m. ET.

The top news items centered on junior defensive end Grant Blankenship’s suspension from the team, junior tight end Nic Weishar wearing a boot on his right leg because of a high ankle sprain, and senior wide receiver Corey Robinson and his family meeting earlier this week with one of the nation’s top head injury specialists.

Blankenship had been working at weakside end this spring behind fellow classmates Andrew Trumbetti and Jay Hayes, who became co-starters at the position while freshman five-star prospect Daelin Hayes going through an apprenticeship while recovering from past shoulder problems. Kelly said the suspension stemmed from a violation of team rules where “the standards that have been set within the program have not been met.” The Irish head coach added that it’s not yet been determined whether Blankenship will be able to return to the team.

“I will meet with him after the spring game and we’ll decide what the course is from here on out,” Kelly said.

At tight end, Weishar’s injury will sideline him for the spring game, but Kelly feels good about how sophomore Alizé Jones, senior Durham Smythe and former defensive lineman Jacob Matuska have progressed at the position.

“By the time we get to the fall, I think he’s really going to be able to help us as an in-line tight end and be very serviceable in the intermediate pass catching,” said Kelly of Matuska.

As for Robinson, he and his family had a meeting with Dr. Brian T. Kucer, one of the top head injury specialists in the country, to get an evaluation of the multiple concussions he has received recently that has kept him sidelined.

“It was an extremely educational meeting for him,” Kelly said. “I’m very hesitant to go into the details because I think that’s a private matter for Corey, but I know this: He came back feeling really good about the meeting …

“My expectation is we will have [a decision] here within the next couple of weeks.”

With Robinson sidelined this spring and inexperience at the W (boundary receiver) a concern without him, the tight end Jones has seen quite a few reps there and could become the top option if Robinson is unable to continue playing football.

“He’s a big-time athlete that can do some things for us,” Kelly said of Jones. “My preference is to find a place for him, and if that means playing him a little bit outside, then we will accommodate him. He’s got really good speed at that position … he gives us more play-making ability.

Blue Vs. Gold: Regular Scoring System

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Unlike in years past, there will be a regular football scoring system, not an offense-versus-defense game in which the defense is awarded points for lost yardage plays or the offense gets points for a first down.

DeShone Kizer will be on one team while Malik Zaire will quarterback the other side, and the lines, receiving corps and running backs will be distributed evenly on both sides so as not to create a competitive advantage for one team or the other.

Both quarterbacks also will be made “live,” at least in the first half, to get a better gauge of how they compete. According to Kelly, there will be some aspects of the game that will remain controlled. This includes backing off on some of the pressures or blitz packages on defense, and not using fast tempo or double tight ends on offense.

The honorary captains of the game will be two Fighting Irish alumni who won Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos this February: starting left tackle Ryan Harris and safety David Bruton.

News And Notes

• Kelly said the development of junior defensive ends Jonathan Bonner (strongside) and Jay Hayes (weakside) has appreciably enhanced the depth at that position.

Hayes has basically become a co-starter with classmate Andrew Trumbetti on the weakside, while Bonner’s improvement should allow for starter Isaac Rochell to either take a break from action or slide over on occasion to the three-technique, which has been a relatively unresolved area this spring with the graduation of Sheldon Day.

“Probably the most satisfying development piece for us in the spring,” Kelly said of the improvements made by Bonner and Hayes.

• When asked who he considered the most improved players on offense this spring, Kelly replied with the trio of sophomore running back Dexter Williams, senior right guard Hunter Bivin and senior wideout Torii Hunter Jr., mainly because of the versatility he provided at all three wideout positions.

“He’s developed his game as more than just an inside receiver,” Kelly said of Hunter. “He’s developed more ball skills, more awareness of his position than probably anyone.”

Kelly also noted how Williams has upgraded his game as a physical, inside zone and downhill running threat, especially in goal-line situations.

• Even though inclement weather most of this spring didn’t allow for much work in the return games, Kelly said this has been the best special teams development he’s had in the spring during his seven years at Notre Dame.

“The elements of blocking, tackling, structuring it … we brought in coaches to talk and clinic, we’ve had competition and drills, and [we’ve been] focusing on the areas that we wanted to get better at, and having a clear understanding of where we’re going,” he said.

The top point leaders in special teams production this spring who could be the centerpieces there (similar to Matthias Farley last year) were senior cornerback Cole Luke, followed by senior cornerback Devin Butler and sophomore running back Josh Adams.

• Among the visitors at the practice were five incoming freshmen: cornerbacks Julian Love and Donté Vaughn, free safety Jalen Elliott, linebacker Jamir Jones and quarterback Ian Book.

Five-star and No. 1 defensive end prospect Josh Kaindoh from the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., also was present, and so was 2018 Pickerington, Ohio, athlete Xavier Henderson.

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