Spring time in South Bend

Well, it has been 101 days since the Fighting Irish ran out onto the field for a competition. It was just 102 days ago that Notre Dame stood at the top of the rankings as America's number one football team. Brian Kelly said it himself "We'll be back", referring to being back in the spotlight of a National Championship game. Kelly and ND's coaching staff put in a lot of hard work to recruit the fourth best class in the country. Kelly had some big shoes to fill, with names like Te'o, Wood, Riddick, Eiffert, Motta, and many more pursuing further careers. Now it's time to see who can fill those shoes. 

This Saturday marks the 84th annual Blue and Gold spring game in Notre Dame history. This is a great day for Irish fans because there are no nerves, rankings, or obnoxious opposing fans to distract from enjoying an afternoon of Notre Dame football. Well, the nerves may rise for some. It may be nerve-racking to watch the position battles of true Freshmen competing with fifth year players, or one may get jitters wondering how the offense will find their mid-season rhythm. Nonetheless, Saturday at 1pm, Notre Dame will kickoff another nostalgic football season. 

Who to watch for:

In the past, the Spring game is where Brian Kelly put multiple quarterbacks on display in hopes of starting one of two, three, even four. This year it's a different story. Obviously Everett Golson is our guy, but there are still some positions needing to be filled. Here is the breakdown of Saturday's position battles and who to watch for.  

Running Back:

Brian Kelly is not afraid to use more than one running back in a game. Last season he cycled three most of the time including Cierre Wood, Theo Riddick, and returning junior George Atkinson III. 

George Atkinson III has the nod for now, but will be challenged by William Mahone, Cam McDaniel, and 5-star recruit Greg Bryant. Amir Carlisle who is another running back candidate, suffered a broken collar bone and has no time set for returning to the field.

Position Battle

George Atkinson III (JR)

William Mahone (SO)

Cam McDaniel (JR)

Wide Receiver:

The Irish offense faired pretty well by only graduating one wide out, Robby Toma. However, the loss of Davante Neal (transfer) and waiting for 4-star recruit Torii Hunter Jr (injury) hurts the Irish' depth at WR. Not so fast, don't overlook the returning receivers. DaVaris Daniels (JR), TJ Jones (SR), Daniel Smith (SR), and Chris Brown (SO). No question, all of whom will see the field this year for the Irish. Jones was a significant force in 2012 and will likely be named a starter. DaVaris more than likely will line up on the other side of TJ, he had a great start to the2012 season but faced injury which kept him off the field for the latter half of the season. 

Tight End:

Watching Tyler Eifert in the NFL will be a treat but filling his offensive presence will not. John Goodman, who also graduated, was a TE alternate. Now the Irish will look to junior Troy Niklas. Niklas won't be expect to be the ultimate target in the red zone like Eifert was, but he brings some experience and size to the table. Watch for him to improve over the course of the spring and summer.

The Big Question

Who will fill Manti Te'o's spot?

As of now Jarrett Grace fulfills the role as a starting middle line backer. Because Bob Diaco's main defensive set is the 3-4 he will have two starting inside linebackers on the depth chart. As of now the two inside linebackers appear to be Grace and Dan Fox. Fox is back for his fifth season and will likely be the leading middle linebacker, he brings a lot of excitement and experience to an already experienced defense. But look for the linebacker battle to be top notch this Saturday.

Linebackers:

Position Battle

       Jarrett Grace (JR)                 Joe Schmidt (JR)       Carlo Calabrese (SR)                  Dan Fox (SR)