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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish released their depth chart for the season opener against the Temple Owls. While there were no big surprises, I will say that this isn’t the depth chart I would have written down back in January.
Notre Dame Offensive Depth Chart VS Temple
| WR | TE | LT | LG | C | RG | RT | WR | WR | RB | QB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | TE | LT | LG | C | RG | RT | WR | WR | RB | QB |
| Equanimeous St. Brown | Durham Smythe | Mike McGkinchey | Quenton Nelson | Sam Mustipher | Alex Bars | Tommy Kraemer | Cameron Smith | Freddy Canteen | Josh Adams | Brandon Wimbush |
| Chase Claypool | Alize Mack | Liam Eichenberg | Joshua Lugg | Trevor Ruhland | Hunter Bivin | Robert Hainsey | CJ Sanders | OR Chris Finke | Dexter Williams | Ian Book |
| OR Miles Boykin | Nic Weishar | OR Michael Young | Jafar Armstrong | OR Tony Jones Jr. | ||||||
| OR Brock Wright | ||||||||||
| OR Cole Kmet |
Most people figured that one of Notre Dame’s strengths entering this season would be at the wide receiver position. That still appears true, but with two new transfers in Cameron Smith and Freddy Canteen slotted as starters, it is a bit of a surprise.
Everything else looks about right - although there may be a little shakiness at center with Trevor Ruhland backing up Sam Mustipher.
Five tight ends on the 2 deep. That’s music to my ears.
Notre Dame Defensive Depth Chart VS Temple
| CB | FS | ROVER | DE | DT | NG | DE | BUCK | MIKE | SS | CB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | FS | ROVER | DE | DT | NG | DE | BUCK | MIKE | SS | CB |
| Julian Love | Nick Coleman | Drue Tranquill | Daelin Hayes | Jonathan Bonner | Jerry Tillery | Jay Hayes | Greer Martini | Nyles Morgan | Jalen Elliott | Nick Watkins |
| Shaun Crawford | Isaiah Robertson | Asmar Bilal | OR Andrew Trumbetti | Myron Tagovailola-Amosa | Kurt Hinish | OR Andrew Trumbetti | OR Te'von Coney | Jamir Jones | Devin Studstill | Donte Vaughn |
| Troy Pride Jr. | Julian Okwara | Micah Dew-Treadway | Brandon Tiassum | Khalid Kareem | ||||||
| Ade Ogundeji |
The defense has less surprises than the offense. The depth chart is basically the same lineup that we would have all figured in the spring. Thin at safety, but incredibly good at corner. What’s not shown are the different personnel packages (such as the nickel) where someone like Shaun Crawford is essentially a starter.
Notre Dame Special Teams Depth Chart VS Temple
| KO | PK | P | LS | HOLDER | PR | KR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KO | PK | P | LS | HOLDER | PR | KR |
| Jonathan Doerer | Justin Yoon | Tyler Newsome | John Shannon | Motgomery VanGorder | Chris Finke | CJ Sanders |
| Justin Yoon | Jonathan Doerer | Jeff Riney | Nic Weishar | Tyler Newsome | CJ Sanders | Tony Jones Jr. |
Freshman kicker Jonathan Doerer takes over the kickoff duties, and Justin Yoon remains as the place kicker. Yoon has struggled a bit this offseason, while Doerer has received a lot of praise for his leg strength. Kelly talked earlier this month about wanting 3 different kickers to keep “fresh legs”, and that’s what they have now.