Breakout Player Next year

Geeze this board has gotten quiet recently. To try and liven it up a bit, i have a question for you guys. Which player already on Notre dame's roster do you think will be a breakout star next year and why? Also, which rookie do you think will have the biggest impact next year (not in their career, just next year) and why?

I'm going with Danny Spond and greg bryant.  

I agree I think Bryant becomes the starter or atleast the 2nd back for this team.  D. Daniels I think will have a Big year(Lead in Rec TD's and yards.) TJ will lead in catches.  This is based on if they stay healthy.  

I think biggest drop off will be from our TE's.

Bold Predicition:  Getting crazy here, ND will return a punt for a TD. I think they finally fix the punt return.  

Bold Predicition:  Getting crazy here, ND will return a punt for a TD. I think they finally fix the punt return. 

I honestly don't think that this is too crazy of a thought.  As I listened to Kelly last year, it really seemed like depth on special teams was a large reason why the blocking seemed to be sooooo piss poor last year.  ND just didn't have enough depth at key positions to be able to play their best 11 on special teams.  This draft class really helped to shore up a lot of depth at quite a few positions.  I don't think Davonte Neal, Amir Carlisle or whoever they decide to throw back will lack speed/big play ability....they just need a bit of room to get started and I think the improved depth will allow special teams to finally live up to it's name.

With regards to Breakout Player currently on the roster, I think Davaris Daniels has an excellent shot at having a huge year...especially if Everett continues to develop.  Jones probably fills the "Wes Welker/possesion receiver" role while Daniels fills the "Randy Moss/Big Play receiver" role.  Daniels and Golsen really seemed to find a good bit of chemistry between the end of the season and the national championship game.  Let's hope they really develope that in the spring and over the summer.....would be really nice to have a big play receiver guy to replace the big catches that Floyd and Eiffert have given ND the last few years.
 
I think it's a bit of an obvious pick, but if you watched Jaylon Smith during his All Star workouts and during the USAAAG, I think it's going to be difficult to keep Jaylon Smith from have a rather impactful freshman campaign.  Now, there are already a couple guys at OLB that are fairly entrenched, but I think if Kelly's signing day comments are any indication, there's a really good chance Jaylon could start from day 1.  The same overall situation exists for Eddie Vanderdoes...pretty good chance to have an immediate impact, although I really don't see him unseating the incumbant.....Louis Nix is an almost automatic double team, but I think it will be with difficulty that they keep Vanderdoes of the field as well.  If Nix goes to the NFL after this year, as some project (he will have a year left, so he technically could come back), it sure will be nice to have another big, ugly space eater to step in and fill Nix's shoes, with a couple 2-3 years of eligibility left and a year of experience under his belt.

Domer,

Good call on this thread.  I'd been thinking the same thing the last couple of days since I got back from a weeks vacation and the board was pretty much identical to when I left.  This always seems to be a bit of a dead period between signing day and the beginning of spring ball.  Any other threads would be welcome to liven things up around here....granted, the boards not nearly as full of trolls as it had been the last few years after a 1 loss season and a top 3 recruiting class. 

Breakout player = Golson.  Junior year always seems to be the breakout year for the QBs.  I think his confidence grew as the season went on, he should have the inside track through spring ball and fall, and I'd expect him to only get better.

Biggest impact rookie I think will be Jaylon Smith.  I think he'll be able to compete for a starting job right now, and thats not a knock on Spond, he's too good an athelete to keep off the field. 

Gunner Kiel and Eddie Vanderdoes.

Does anyone have any information in Ishaq Williams?  I kept waiting for him to explode and it never happened.  Somewhere on this board, I read he ballooned up to something like 260lbs.  From all I've read, he has talent.  The big question is where does he fit.  With Jaylon coming in and his weight being up, he may have to put on more weight and become a DE kind of like Kap did.

Break out player I am going with D. Daniels as well....he is a big play waiting to happen next year...He had a couple big games this past year and never got into the endzone...I think this coming year he scores in the first game and then just rattles off a great year with about 800 yards plus this year.

I look for Greg Bryant to have a nice impact as a frosh....I see him getting 300-400 yards and a few TD's in his frosh campaign.

As far as punt return unit...lets get the blocking down and get some room for some lanes to open up.....No doubt Neal can house one or two returns next year.....Just need to give him a crack so he can get through it.....

The problem with I Williams is that he didnt play great competition in High school so its taking him a little longer to develop.  He looked like he was improving towards the end of last year.  The kid has talent and I agree I think we will see a better Williams this year. 

Daniels is an obvious choice so I'm going to go or a not-so-obvious choice.  Sheldon Day will be replacing Kap at the end spot and he showed up pretty well last year.  With a full year in Longo's weightroom, I look for him to be a monster next year.  He seemed to make a lot of plays in the back field.  It can only get better for him. My pick on offense is going to be GA III.  I think he is going to be a Barry Sanders-type player for us.  He has incredible speed and he will drive us batty at times, but he is a game-breaker.  He will get every opportunity to win the starting RB job.  He is the type of player that will lose yardage on 3-4 consecutive plays then go for 80 yards, hence the comparison to Barry.

I agree...I think GAIII will be the starter and will have a good year as well. I think we see 3 or so backs all year with Carisle as well.  I dont know that Kelly will ever have just one back he relies on.  It will be interesting to see how Keil looks in spring ball...I think Golson is the hands down starter but will be interesting to watch Keil in spring ball....

I have GAIII being the change of pace back or 3rd back in the rotation.  I think Bryant will climb will quick and Amir will play alot.  Im just no big on GAIII(I dont know why).  To be honest I dont care who starts I just want to see production out of the back field. 

Anthony Rizzo, I think he'll have a huge break out season.... Oh crap, Wrong board again. Thought this was the Cubs board.


I'm going with Gunner Kiel, way too talented to ride the bench, he's playing or he'll transfer.  

I was a Cub's fan for well over forty years, then I had an epiphany.They sucked for those forty plus years and about sixty years prior to that too. They will alway suck.The Goat curse is real and don't raise your children to root for perpetual / perennial losers. Tip of the day, you're welcome.

That being said Gunner Kiel will ride the pines as long as Golson stays healthy.

Devonte Neal will have a breakout year.

Jaylon Smith makes us say Manti Who?

Not sure we will be saying Manti who? for a while...Manti meant so much to ND the last few years....

I hope your right though and Jaylon is a freaking stud and dominates for years to come as well.....I think he will.....

Our defense will be in beast mode for years to come....Kelly is kicking but on that side of the ball right now.....

Whywork2 thanks for that seemingly useless "tip ot the day"

I have to go with GAIII having a breakout year.  I think we will get more output from the WRs, but I think this will be because we pass the ball a lot more.  I see Golson settling into the position and they'll start to open up the field similar to what Kelly did at Cinci.  Once we are able to spread teams out and have them fear the pass, that's when GAIII will have his greatest success.  Get him the ball in space on checkdowns... and if the defense is fearing the pass, he will also be explosive on the read option.

I think we will see less GAIII on 3rd down... short yardage, he is not the back.  In obvious passing situations he is likely not the best blocker in the backfield.  It will again be a 3 back rotation, but I expect more carries and more big plays for GAIII.

I'm not sold on Golson or Atkinson.

How are some people still not sold on Golson? He looked better year one that any QB in recent memory and improved in strides toward the end of the season. Kid's solid and will have an excellent years. Offense will be Daniels. Defense will be Neal.

Onward,
               I totally agree with you. How could you not be impressed by Golson. How could you possibly have expected more out of him. He might have had a few mediocre games but overall I felt the offensive was centered around him and his playmaking ability. For the most part I would grade him quite high. I even thought in the championship game he had a decent game considering what all the rest of the team around him was doing. I also agree Davaris Daniels looked real good toward the later part of the season. I still think that Devonte Neal will be in integral part of the offense and special teams this next season. I think our return game will be much better.