Notre Dame’s Fifteen Most Important Players in 2017 (11–15)

Nathan Erbach
Jul 27, 2017 · 4 min read
Shaun Crawford #20 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the ball after making an interception during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 4, 2016 in Austin, Texas. (Sept. 3, 2016 — Source: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America)

Fall camp is fast approaching and soon enough the first day of the 2017 college football season will be upon us. In order to get our fans excited about the start of the season and familiarized with the roster, we want to share our opinions on the most important players for this specific team. Let me begin by stating this is not a list of the fifteen most athletic or talented players on the football roster. As a staff, we discussed deficiencies on the roster and importance of position on a football team and were able to collaborate a list of fifteen we feel good about.

Honorable Mention:

CB Julian Love (Sophomore): This was a guy that was hard to leave off the list, but fifteen spots is slim pickings. Love will play an important role in the back end of the defense. It wouldn’t surprise me if he played in all 3 phases of the secondary (corner, nickel, safety).

WR/KR CJ Sanders (Junior): Sanders will line up in the slot and return kicks for the Irish this fall. His job will be to give the offense solid field position and provide some big play potential after the catch.

FS Nick Coleman (Junior): This his first year at the safety, but he will need to transition quickly. Coleman, if effective, will help stabilize a position that hasn’t seen a ton of consistency the past few seasons.

DT Jonathan Bonner (Senior): Bonner is penciled in as the starting three-technique to start fall camp. There are lots of questions marks at this position heading into fall camp. If he’s not effective, some of the younger guys could push for playing time.

LB Greer Martini (Senior): Martini is battling Te’von Coney for the starting BUCK position. He’s expected to win the battle in August and be one of the more consistent players on defense.

WR Chase Claypool (Sophomore): By season’s end, Claypool could prove to be one of the most important player’s on the team. He is in the mix to start alongside Equanimeous St. Brown, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was the best wideout on the team.

The Top Fifteen:

15. DE Jay Hayes (Senior):

In Mike Elko’s defense the strong-side defensive end position needs to get to the quarterback and set the edge against the run. The drop-end, occupied by Daelin Hayes, will be asked to do a variety of things including dropping back in coverage. This leaves Jay Hayes with the responsibility of applying pressure on an every snap basis. If he can provide a consistent pass rush, the defense will be much improved. He could also be asked to move inside on occasion and play the three-technique, making him even more valuable up front. Hayes needs to be a player the staff can rely on to play a lot of snaps this season.

14. CB Shaun Crawford (Sophomore):

Crawford came to Notre Dame with a ton of fanfare. As a freshman, he was penciled in as the starting nickel corner from day one, but early in training camp tore his ACL. Last year, he began making waves again and in the first game against Texas had an interception and a blocked extra point returned for a score. The next week, he tore his achilles tendon early against Nevada and again missed the remainder of the season. It’s pretty simple: if Crawford is 100%, he is a difference maker in the secondary and one of the most important players on the team.

13. Center Sam Mustipher (Senior):

In Mustipher’s first year as the starting center he was inconsistent. He had a difficult time being the leader of the offensive line and had one too many snap infractions. From a blocking standpoint he was pretty effective, but as a senior and second year starter he will need to elevate his play. How he develops will determine if the offensive line is good or dominant. Health will also be important for Mustipher in 2017. Tristen Hoge and Parker Boudreaux are both gone, leaving the interior depth very thin. He needs to stay on the field.

12. Right Tackle Tommy Kraemer/Liam Eichenberg:

Right now, the most likely scenario is that Kraemer wins the starting right tackle job, but the competition is still open. Whoever lines up at right tackle on September 2nd will be stepping into a crucial role. If the rest of the line needs to compensate for deficiencies at the position, the group as a whole will struggle to reach their potentials. However, Kraemer and Eichenberg were highly coveted recruits, and should perform adequately with experience.

11. Wide Receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (Junior):

This may seem too low for the 2016 Notre Dame leading receiver, but he shouldn’t have to carry the load as much as last year. Chase Claypool, Miles Boykin, Aliz’e Mack, Kevin Stepherson, etc. will all be asked to produce within the offense. St. Brown could and should improve on his sophomore stats, but the Irish are better equipped behind him. With that said, if he can take his game to the next level and become a true number receiver, his value will far succeed this ranking.

Stay tuned for the next installment (numbers 6–10) of our countdown.

Golden Domer Daily

A one-stop blog for Notre Dame athletics and recruiting.

Nathan Erbach

Written by

Recruiting Writer/Analyst at @NDDomerDaily Occasional Under The Dome Podcast Contributor. Covering all things Notre Dame Athletics. ☘️

Golden Domer Daily

A one-stop blog for Notre Dame athletics and recruiting.

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