EARLY BIRD 2007 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW
RELEASED DECEMBER 2006
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
OFFENSE - 5
------RETURNING STARTERS------
DEFENSE - 6
KEY LOSSES
OFFENSE: Brady Quinn-QB, Rhema McKnight-WR, Jeff Samardzija-WR, Marcus Freeman-TE, Ryan Harris-OT, Dan Santucci-OG, Bob Morton-OG
DEFENSE: Victor Abiamiri-DE, Derek Landri-DT, Chris Frome-DE, Mike Richardson-CB, Chinedum Ndukwe-FS
Running Back/Linebacker

RB Darius Walker will be the heart and soul of this offense. His production must increase without the luxury of as many qualified blockers. All three starting LBs return, including team leading tackler Maurice Crum.

Quarterback/Defensive Line

Who plays QB at Notre Dame? Nobody, including coaches, will know until next August. Only one returning player chalked up worthy stats last season on the DL.

RB Darius Walker
 
SS Tom Zbikowski
 

* DEPTH CHARTS were only designed as a simplistic gauge for listing players that departed and players that received the most playing experience (consistent starters). NationalChamps.net recognizes the importance of missing personnel data not listed such as redshirts, transfers, injuries, incoming recruits, back ups and alternates. Their coverage will begin with our full 2007 Preseason Preview due out this coming spring.
NOTRE DAME 2007 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/
Key Players
OFFENSE
QB Evan Sharpley-Jr Demetrius Jones-Fr
FB Ashley McConnell-Sr Asaph Schwapp-Jr
RB Darius Walker-Sr James Aldridge-So
WR David Grimes-Jr Chase Anastasio-Sr
WR .. ..
TE John Carlson-Sr ..
OT .. ..
OG .. ..
C John Sullivan-Sr ..
OG .. ..
OT Sam Young-So ..
K Carl Gioia-Sr ..
DEFENSE
DE .. ..
DT Trevor Laws-Sr ..
DT .. ..
DE .. ..
SLB Travis Thomas-Sr Mitchell Thomas-Sr
MLB Maurice Crum-Jr ..
WLB Joe Brockington-Sr ..
CB Terrail Lambert-Jr Darrin Walls-So
CB Ambrose Wooden-Sr ..
SS Tom Zbikowski-Sr Ray Herring-Jr
FS David Bruton-Jr ..
P Geoff Price-Sr ..
QUICK ANALYSIS

Now is the time to find out just how good Charlie Weis can be as a college coach. He began a second season with a senior-laden team, especially at QB and receiver. The upcoming year is going to see a major rebuilding process with most every unit. Who plays QB at Notre Dame? One of the most prestigious positions in all of college football has no clear-cut candidates, at least not until spring wraps up. Junior Evan Sharpley will get the first shot, being that he is the only QB on the roster that has taken an official snap. Sharpley is an all-around athlete who excelled at football, basketball and baseball in high school. A feeling exists that the job could belong to second year freshman Demetrius Jones (2005 Illinois H.S. Gatorade Player of The Year) before next season closes. Then again incoming recruit Jimmy Clausen (one of the most heralded QBs to commit to Notre Dame since Ron Powlus) is set to enroll in the spring. OK, so the accolades are there…from high school. The rebuilding process does not end at QB. The offensive line is gutted, and we all know this is not a good place to start with the aforementioned QB genesis. Gone, too, are big time receivers McKnight and Samardzija. However, the receiving corps is not as much of a concern with Grimes and TE John Carlson (finalist for the Mackey Award) in the fold. The defense has been the Achilles Heel in South Bend for close to a decade. The DL returns only one player with significant stats and opposing QBs have shredded the current secondary. The prognosis once again on this side of the football has to be considered a rebuilding process, with new faces that could actually help. All-American safety Tom Zbikowski and a set of upperclassmen at the LB position will have to play above the norm to hold the ship steady. The outlook cannot be all bad considering they crack this early preseason Top 25 list. Second year coach Charlie Weis will be fine once his highly regarded recruiting classes start to learn college football (his way). In the meantime, it is imperative that Notre Dame establish some semblance of a consistent running attack with Darius Walker, for Weis' third season will be full of expectations per usual in South Bend.

 

NOTRE DAME
2007 SCHEDULE

9-1 Georgia Tech
9-8 @ Penn State
9-15 @ Michigan
9-22 Michigan State
9-29 @ Purdue
10-6 @ UCLA
10-13 Boston College
10-20 Southern California
11-3 Navy
11-10 Air Force
11-17 Duke
11-24 @ Stanford