Notre Dame's Top Classes: No. 1

The class ratings were based on 1) impact on the program through production, championship contention and talent level of other classes around them, 2) balance at the various positions and 3) overall depth in number of major producers.

THE 1946 RECRUITING CLASS

Record at Notre Dame from 1946-49: 36-0-2 (.974)

Final AP Rankings: No. 1 (1946), No. 1 (1947), No. 2 (1948) and No. 1 (1949)

LEADERS IN THE LINEUP:

Fullbacks/Halfbacks/Defensive Backs: Emil Sitko, Frank Spaniel, Larry Coutre, Mike Swistowicz, Ernie Zalejski

Offensive/Defensive Ends: Leon Hart, Jim Martin, Bill Wightkin, Ray Espenan

Offensive/Defensive Tackles/Linebackers: George Connor, Martin (in 1949), Ralph McGehee, Gus Cifelli, Ed Hudak, Al Zmijewski

Offensive/Defensive Guard: Bob Lally

Center/Linebacker: George Strohmeyer

IMPACT

Since the end of World War II, only one recruiting class in college football history never experienced defeat: The 1946 Notre Dame group.

One year later in 1947, Notre Dame cut back its football scholarships from 32 to 18. Consequently, the 1946 haul helped carry the program. Four members of the College Football Hall of Fame are from this recruiting class, another unprecedented feat.

Two of the 1946 recruits, tackle Connor and running back Sitko, were already selected by the NFL as first-round picks before suiting up for Notre Dame.

Connor had played at Holy Cross in 1942-43 before heading off to service in World War II. Upon his return to the States, Connor transferred to Notre Dame (1946-47) and became college football’s first recipient of the Outland Trophy.

Sitko played on the semi-pro Great Lakes outfit that defeated national title winner Notre Dame in 1943, 19-14. Like Connor, he too then enrolled at Notre Dame after the war, only he had four years of eligibility. Instead of signing with the NFL as a first-round pick, Sitko became and remains the lone back in school history to lead Notre Dame in rushing four straight seasons (1946-49).

End/tackle Martin, awarded the Bronze Star for his heroics in World War II, enrolled as a 21-year-old freshman in ‘46. Another transfer, center Strohmeyer, made several All-America teams in 1946 — yet was beaten out by Bill Walsh (no, not the future San Francisco 49ers head coach) for the starting center spot in 1947!

Hart arrived as a regular 18-year-old freshman from high school in 1946 and became one of the most irresistible forces on the gridiron in NCAA history.

BALANCE

Every position except quarterback was represented in this class, although a reserve such as George Dickson still could have probably excelled behind this unit. John Lujack (1946-47), Frank Tripucka (1948) and 1947 recruit Bob Williams (1949-50) more than compensated for that lone shortcoming.

Sixteen players from the 1946 group became starters or regulars in an era when athletes played both sides of the ball. The aforementioned Hall-of-Fame inductees led the contingent.

Hart was the recipient of the 1949 Heisman Trophy, the last interior lineman bestowed the honor. As a senior in ‘49, he was named the AP male athlete of the year, edging out Jackie Robinson and Sam Snead.

Martin was a four-year starter. As a senior two-way player, he led the 1949 squad in minutes played (405) and received the George Gipp Award as the top athlete on the campus. In other words, Heisman winner Hart wasn’t even considered the best athlete on his own squad.

Connor was inducted into the Pro Hall of Fame as a linebacker, and is one of the select few players in history to be enshrined in both the college and pro Halls.

Finally, Sitko amassed 2,226 yards on the ground while averaging a remarkable 6.1 yards per carry, thereby earning the “Six-Yard Sitko” moniker.

While Sitko merited the sobriquet, two of his classmates in the 1949 starting backfield — Coutre and Spaniel — also averaged six-yards-plus per carry as seniors.

Coutre rushed for 645 yards and 6.3 yards per carry during the 10-0 campaign in 1949, while Spaniel amassed 496 yards and 6.2 yards per carry. That season, Coutre and Spaniel also combined for 29 receptions and 16.7 yards per catch.

Yet another halfback from that class, Zalejski, a fifth-round pick in the NFL draft, averaged 5.9 yards per rushing attempt as a senior in ‘49, and his five pass receptions averaged 30.2 yards — with four of them resulting in touchdowns.

Then there was a fifth halfback, Swistowicz, who started on defense and also was a fifth-round NFL selection.

DEPTH

Prolific depth in this class was evident not only in the backfield but in the trenches.

End Wightkin, was blessed with enough ability to shift Martin, a three-year starter at end from 1946-48, to tackle. Wightkin went on to snare 17 passes for a team-high 309 yards (18.2 yards per catch) in ‘49.

In the shadows of Hart and Martin, tackle McGehee quietly put together a stellar football career as a two-way starter on the undefeated 1948-49 units.

Classmate Lally joined him as a starting guard, while backups Cifelli, Ed Hudak, and Ray Espenan were all talented enough to be drafted by the NFL. (Tragically, in February of 1950, Espenan died in a freak gymnasium accident.)

One other tackle, Zmijeski, did not get drafted, but played all four seasons at Notre Dame from 1946-49.

While this group certainly benefited from the presence of holdovers from previous classes such as 1947 Heisman winner John Lujack, 1948 Outland winner Bill Fischer, Hall of Famer Ziggy Czarobski, Walsh, Marty Wendell, Terry Brennan, etc., it played an instrumental role with its depth through 1949 while others graduated.

SUMMARY

How many classes in college football history since 1946 featured 1) four Hall-of-Fame inductees, 2) a Heisman Trophy winner (Hart), 3) an Outland Trophy winner (Connnor), 4) zero losses in four seasons, and 5) three national titles? Not much research must be undertaken to find the answer: zero.

During its 10-0 run in 1949, Notre Dame played only four home games, including a 46-7 demolition of No. 4-ranked Tulane and a 32-0 rout of No. 17-ranked USC. The Irish had their tightest games at No. 10-ranked Michigan State, a 34-21 triumph, and a 27-20 thriller in the season finale versus SMU in Dallas that clinched the national title.

The value of a class can sometimes be best measured by what happens after it graduates. For example, our No. 2 class (recruited in 1990) led the Irish to an 11-1 record as seniors in 1993. Without them the following year, the Irish fell to 6-5-1.

Likewise, when the 1946 group picked up its diplomas in the spring of 1950, head coach Frank Leahy’s dynasty fell to 4-4-1 that autumn, and finished out of the Top 20 in 1951 as well.

It’s unlikely college football will ever see another class like the one Notre Dame reeled in prior to the start of the 1946 season.

Notre Dame's Top Classes: No. 10

Notre Dame's Top Classes: No. 9

Notre Dame's Top Classes: No. 8

Notre Dame's Top Classes: No. 7

https://notredame.n.rivals.com/news/notre-dame-s-top-classes-no-6

Notre Dame's Top Classes: No. 5

https://notredame.n.rivals.com/news/notre-dame-s-top-classes-no-4

https://notredame.n.rivals.com/news/notre-dame-s-top-classes-no-3

https://notredame.n.rivals.com/news/notre-dame-s-top-classes-no-2