The news this morning of rumors of academic fraud on Notre Dame’s football team came as a shock to many. As for me, I was surprised by the allegations, but certainly not shocked. This type of thing goes on at a lot of schools, and although it is surprising that a school known for its academic standards could have this happen to them- it wasn’t shocking.
By now, most of you already know all of the details (or at least the main points) so I’ll spare you another recitation. I will also spare you from any sermon-like post about these academic issues if for no other reason than the fact that there is still an ongoing investigation upon the matter.
No, my purpose here is to talk about the football aspect of it all for this season and for next season. So let’s get into it.
Of the four current players under investigation, KeiVarae Russell, DaVaris Daniels, Ishaq Williams, and Kendall Moore; Russell, Williams, and Daniels were starters at their positions. What happens now?
- KeiVarae Russell’s vacated position will probably be took over by Cole Luke. Devin Butler and freshman Nick Watkins would probably be the next in line with Josh Atkinson backing them up.
- Ishaq Williams’ vacated position will probably be took over by Isaac Rochell. Romeo Okwara would most likely be the next man in over freshman Grant Blackenship.
- DaVaris Daniels’ vacated position could see a wide assortment of different players. The top two WR’s would be some kind of combination of Corey Robinson, Chris Brown, Will Fuller, and freshman Justin Brent. Robinson, Brown, and Fuller will see the bulk of the playing time.
- Kendall Moore’s special teams duties to be filled by someone (take it for what it is).
Two of these positions are the deepest on the team with the cornerbacks and the wide receivers. But, Daniels and Russell are the biggest losses of the four by a fairly wide margin.
The addition of Florida transfer Cody Riggs is a great help, and both Luke and Butler saw meaningful time last year at corner. So, although the Irish would miss Russell (as he’s one of the best in the country) it is safe to assume that it wouldn’t be as nightmarish compared to previous years.
Ishaq Williams has still not made much of a splash (or ripple for that matter) and he is now in his 4th year. He was a guy that had a lot of expectations for 2014, and it seemed that although ND was “needing” Ishaq, they were working on other scenarios as well. The problem is the lack of veteran depth along the defensive line.
When you add all of this together, the guys out there pushing for more rushing attempts by the Irish might just get their wish. Although the WR’s are a deep group, the lack of proven dependability is a bit of a red flag. Kelly may be more inclined to lean on Folston, McDaniel, and Bryant a little more to control the ball and the clock.
That last bit was fairly obvious, but it is also because of the lack of depth along the defensive line. If VanGorder truly runs a much more aggressive defense, we will need the freshest legs available to put pressure on the quarterback and help out the secondary.
Of course, if the defense starts getting beat up, we could see a playcalling session more along the lines of a Warren Moon Houston Oilers team.
So who really knows how this will all end up. I don’t see this as a thing that puts the Irish at a 7-5 season, but I don’t think the ceiling can be any higher than 9 wins. Well, at least until after the first few games shows us what Notre Dame can and can’t do well.
The players are still in school and hypothetically, they could return to action once the investigation is over, but rarely do you see any type of exoneration from these type of allegations. It’s sad, but true.
As far as 2015 is concerned, none of these players was really expected to return. Ishaq and Moore were out of eligibility, and even though Daniels and Russell had a year left, both were expected to declare for the NFL draft. So, if there is any type of silver lining (and this is digging deep) at least the players expected to fill those roles will get a season of experience to help them in 2015.
Like I said earlier, I am not going to preach to you about ethics, and integrity, or anything of that nature. This is a sad event, and I’m not looking lightly upon it, but I can’t just sit here and put everyone and everything on blast. There are still MANY more details to come and this story has just got started, but I am still looking forward to the season. It’s just not the season I had hoped for 24 hours ago. At least I know how to act upon any sorrows that may come this season, and if the best shall happen- I’m all in.
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