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Freshmen Impact Felt Everywhere By Notre Dame

This was supposed to be the year Notre Dame's incoming 24-man freshman class would stay in the background and have virtually no impact on offense or defense.
Basically all 11 starters returned on defense, not including fifth-year senior nickel/free safety Matthias Farley with his 19 career starts. The offense had nine of 11 starters returning from the Music City Bowl win. In fact, the lone projected certain sophomore starter on offense or defense has been left guard Quenton Nelson. Everyone else is an upperclassmen on what head coach Brian Kelly admits is his most experienced and deepest team across the board in his six seasons here.
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Yet in three of the open practice sessions this month, it has become apparent that at least one-third of the freshman class likely will be called upon to help in the Sept. 5 opener versus Texas.
1. Kicker Justin Yoon - Saturday was the first time we had the opportunity to watch Yoon in live, game-like situations. After cornerback Cole Luke zipped off the edge to block Yoon's first attempt, the rookie kicker drilled 40- and 43-yard field goals that sailed well past the goal posts. Practice concluded with him converting a 40-yard field goal.
The pop and distance in his kicks, combined with the accuracy, are as good as we've seen at Notre Dame. It's clear why Kelly declared Yoon the starter even before he had even stepped on to the practice field. We have not seen him in kickoff work yet, but leg power does not seem to be an issue.
2. Nose Guard Jerry Tillery - An early enrollee, Tillery was one of the top three personnel stories during spring drills and already was in line to receive about 20 to 30 snaps per game, while senior Jarron Jones, recovering from Lisfranc surgery, was projected for at least 40.
With Jones' season-ending MCL injury this week, now it's Tillery who might be needed for at least 40 snaps per contest. He had been playing both the three- and one-technique, and could see action at both, although more at the latter while rotating with sophomore Daniel Cage. Tillery has showcased playmaking skills on occasion with his quickness off the snap, but the foremost priority is holding the point of attack in the middle, and the 6-6 ½, 305-pound freshman already might possess the stamina to do so.
"He was a well-conditioned player coming in … invaluable to have him in the spring," Kelly said. "He knows the defense pretty well, and the more he's here the more he is comfortable in that role."
3. Nickel/cornerback Shaun Crawford - Maybe the top freshman surprise in camp so far because of how quickly he's adapted to what has been publicized as an extremely complicated scheme. His presence and knowledge has had last year's nickel, Farley, working more at free safety.
At 5-8 ½, 180 pounds, the speedster Crawford possesses physical skill sets comparable to former USC cornerback Nickell Robey, who helped shut down Notre Dame's Michael Floyd in 2011. More relevant is Crawford's grasp of the game.
"He knows our defense already, he knows our calls at the nickel position," Kelly said. "He's already helping our safeties in certain situations in terms of overriding calls. The kid's a smart football player. He gets it. He just has a knack for the game."
Kelly said Crawford's combination of physical talents and mental acumen would have earned him a scholarship here even if the player stood only 5-5.
4. Receiver Equanimeous St. Brown - Think of a more polished Corey Robinson, with an extra gear, when he arrived in 2013. Earlier this week, St. Brown worked as the top backup to junior star Will Fuller at X receiver.
On the first play Saturday in receiver/defensive back matchups, St. Brown zipped past one of the nation's top corners, Cole Luke with an uncommon ease on a long TD reception. In red-zone situations, he has been in the lineup in "stack" situations with other rangy targets such as Robinson and sophomore tight end Nic Weishar.
"We thought that Equanimeous was going to be a good receiver for us - but maybe down the road," admitted Kelly after Saturday's practice. "He's ready - that kid runs like a deer. We've put him up against everybody and he can run past you and go up and get the football."
Even more noteworthy to Kelly is that St. Brown has twice suffered a sprained ankle this month, yet was back in the lineup within 24 hours both times.
"When you have a freshman like that with that kind of toughness, you know you have something special," he said.
5. Slot/return man C.J. Sanders - He and St. Brown are why losing former wideouts C.J. Prosise and Justin Brent to the backfield didn't register an iota of concern.
The 5-8 Sanders can be jammed on the line on occasion. And with veteran Amir Carlisle and the rapidly ascending Torii Hunter Jr., at slot, snaps won't be easy to earn.
Nevertheless, it's been conspicuous that good things happen when the ball finds Sanders, who has displayed reliable hands while running myriad routes and not just learning the "go" route. He made perhaps the two most exciting plays on Saturday afternoon, the first a 90-yard punt return in which he appeared trapped before breaking free, and then on an 18-yard fly sweep on third-and-short in which he eluded or broke four tackles on what should have been a lost-yardage play.
One of the nation's top high school 100-yard sprinters, Sanders is not a "lane runner." He has the elusiveness to make a defender miss even if they were in a phone booth (not that any college student today might be aware of what a phone booth used to be).
"He can cut full speed," Kelly said. "Some of our guys have got straight-line speed, but they don't have the ability to cut it full speed. We haven't had that in my time here. … He becomes a weapon from that standpoint, whether it be in fly-sweep stuff, he's elusive in catching the football, maybe the return game."
Sanders should be a bona fide triple threat in years to come.
6. Cornerback Nick Coleman - At 5-11.5, Coleman is described as "long" by Kelly when compared to Crawford. He's regularly worked with the top unit, even allowing senior cornerback KeiVarae Russell to line up at nickel. Coleman's make-up speed and ball skills are his prime assets physically, but his more valued contribution right now is helping provide the defense with a little more versatility on the back end.
"We have so much more flexibility than we did last year," Kelly said.
7. Tight End Aliz'e Jones - He would be in our top three right now had a neck injury not impeded his progress this past week. Even on Saturday, a non-contact red jersey was placed on him in some situations so he could at least be inserted to learn his role.
The progress of Weishar in his absence will enhance the competition at a position where five different players are vying for snaps. One way or another, Jones will receive his fair share this year.
8. Will linebacker Te'Von Coney - Kelly has insisted since the end of spring that Coney's name belongs with anyone else when speaking about the rotation at the Will or Mike slots. Like Tillery, Coney significantly benefited as an early enrollee, and he is bound to earn a monogram as a rookie at least on special teams.
Several other freshmen could aid the Irish in some capacity, from safety - Nicco Fertitta on special teams to running backs Josh Adams and Dexter Williams, who might be needed if more injuries occur there.
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