ESPN College Football

Who made names for themselves this spring? Glad you asked.

RB/WR Theo Riddick: Riddick seemed more comfortable this spring, as the learning curve from playing two different positions is all but gone and he is ready to make plays. The senior stood out during several intrasquad scrimmages. If Riddick can be an effective punt returner this fall, he can be the complete package for the Irish.

WR John Goodman: It's not often you see a fifth-year senior on lists like these, but Goodman, as coach Brian Kelly said, was the Irish's go-to guy this spring, and he served as an offensive captain in the Blue-Gold game as a result of being the unit's most improved player. No longer in the shadow of Michael Floyd and with one last chance to succeed after being invited back for another year, Goodman is primed for a breakout season this fall.

NG Kona Schwenke: Like Goodman, Schwenke was a captain in the Blue-Gold game, winning most improved defensive player honors while temporarily supplanting Louis Nix from the starting spot in the middle. He added some weight and improved his handwork, and he figures to see plenty of snaps next season, regardless of whether or not he starts.

LB Ishaq Williams: Kelly revealed that Williams went home to Brooklyn, N.Y., for a few days in the winter to think about his future. He has apparently come back with a new focus, as the rising sophomore had a strong spring, filling in for the injured Prince Shembo at the cat position and coming up with a pick and a fumble recovery in the spring game.

LB Jarrett Grace: Playing time may be hard to come by -- he is, after all, backing up a likely first-round draft pick in Manti Te'o -- but Grace has made the most of his opportunities. Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco loved him this spring, and, after redshirting his freshman season, Grace figures to spell Te'o every now and then this fall while also seeing duties on special teams.

Following consecutive 8-5 campaigns, Notre Dame entered this spring with a re-shuffled staff, a wide-open quarterback competition and arguably one of the nation's best defensive lines.

So, uh, about those three new assistants ...

"I love the energy out there, I love what I'm hearing in terms of teaching," head coach Brian Kelly said April 4, roughly halfway through the spring. "Guys are teaching and I can hear it. So for me it's exactly what I need to hear from our coaches. There's a lot of teaching going on, there's a lot of energy. So for me I feel really good about going out to practice, and what I hear I really like."

Nine days after that comment, defensive end Aaron Lynch announced his decision to transfer, eventually ending up with Notre Dame alum Skip Holtz at South Florida. A series of cryptic Twitter posts by nose guard Louis Nix in the days after Lynch's departure unsettled an already-uneasy fan base, and Nix's admittedly honest public comments afterward about having missed his Florida home did little to quell Irish fans' worst fears.

Then came the spring game, Everett Golson's coming-out party. The rising sophomore quarterback completed 11 of 15 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns, adding 25 yards on six rushes. Most importantly, he was the only of the four quarterbacks to not turn the ball over.

If that wasn't enough for Golson to improve his chances of starting in 2012 -- Kelly said afterward that he had trouble getting plays in on time -- the events of May 3 certainly did.

Tommy Rees, the only of the four signal-callers with starting experience, was charged with four misdemeanors as a result of his arrest at an off-campus house party. Police said that they had to use pepper spray to subdue Rees, who faces two counts of resisting law enforcement, in addition to minor consumption and battery.

So begins an offseason whose storyline, like last year's with Michael Floyd, will be dominated by an off-field run-in by a big-name player. Rees is due in court May 17, but his status with the Irish remains up in the air. Discipline of any kind -- even an offseason suspension -- would strongly diminish his hopes of taking the first snap Sept. 1 in Dublin, Ireland.

Kelly said after the spring game that the guy to emerge as the starter will be the one who commits to all the details in the summer. Golson and Andrew Hendrix — in addition to early enrollee Gunner Kiel — would be in much better positions to do that should Rees be dealt a ban. Regardless, leadership issue becomes an obvious question in light of the arrest.

Whoever does start should have plenty to work with in proven playmakers like Cierre Wood, Theo Riddick and Tyler Eifert. He will also be protected by an experienced offensive line, which returns four players with starting experience.

Linebacker Manti Te'o, who passed up NFL millions this offseason, returns to lead a defense that should still be strong enough up front, though a depleted cornerback corp could have benefited from playing behind an elite pass-rusher like Lynch.

A season that begins overseas is still four months away, but the drama attached to the hip of the nation's most polarizing program has only increased with spring ball in the rearview mirror.

Michael Floyd looked up to Larry Fitzgerald as far back as high school. The two shared a trainer and would often text each other, as the former Notre Dame standout sought advice from the all-pro receiver who happened to hail from his home state of Minnesota.

So when the 602 area code popped up on Floyd's cellphone shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday, the Irish's all-time leading receiver had to resist jumping for joy at the thought of playing in Arizona alongside one of his mentors.

Floyd and Fitzgerald will look to form one of the NFL's top pass-catching tandems in Arizona, which drafted Floyd 13th overall and made him the highest Notre Dame selection in 18 years.

"It's exciting just knowing that he's on the opposite side of me, one of the best receivers in the game," Floyd said. "It's a good learning experience for me to know that when I get down there I'll be able to learn from one of the best."

The Cardinals liked Floyd's 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame, as he figures to give the team the true No. 2 option it has lacked since Anquan Boldin, who in 2008 helped the franchise reach its first Super Bowl. Having Fitzgerald in touch with a fellow receiver in the leadup to this year's draft only made things easier for coach Ken Whisenhunt.

"I think it says a lot about Larry, that one of your best players is engaged, that he cares about what the team is doing, and that a receiver who wants the ball thrown to him every down is willing to bring in another guy that is obviously going to spread the receptions out," Whisenhunt said. "That says a lot. Larry is not as involved in the process as a lot of people like to think that he is, but certainly I think that Larry likes him, that Larry is going to take him under his wing, that is going to be important to Larry that this young man does well. I think that says a lot."

General manager Rod Graves said Floyd was simply too good to pass up at the No. 13 spot, and Whisenhunt was pleased with the way the record-breaking wideout handled the often-intense pre-draft vetting process about his string of alcohol-related run-ins with the law.

Pointing to Floyd's maturation, Irish coach Brian Kelly cited Floyd rallying the team in the wake of its midseason loss to USC, as the once-beleaguered star didn't let personal gains trump team ones despite BCS-bowl dreams all but gone.

"The things that Larry Fitzgerald already has, those are the things that Mike is going to aspire (to) and that is the technical aspect of the game," Kelly said. "I think you could consider Mike still a raw receiver in a sense that he can get better in the technical elements of route running and things of that nature. But he is certainly a guy that attacks the football and attacks defenders. And blocking, he is an outstanding blocker."

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- John Goodman was unsure five months ago if he would even be welcomed back to Notre Dame for a fifth season. And yet halfway through spring practice, with the Irish's 2012 season five months away, he has been walking and talking like the leader of a unit looking to fill the void left behind by the program's all-time leading receiver.

"That's the kind of guy I want to be, and I really think I can be that," Goodman said of Michael Floyd, a likely first-round draft pick in three weeks. "I have the utmost confidence about that, it's just, I've got to go show it."

Goodman's 2011 season did little to inspire the notion that he could capably fill Floyd's shoes, as the Fort Wayne native had just seven catches for 65 yards. In fact, Goodman's three-year total of 28 grabs for 315 yards looks like little more than any strong two- or three-game stretch by Floyd from the past two seasons.

But with the role of No. 1 target up for the taking this spring, Goodman has thus far risen to the challenge, locking in whenever he walks into the LaBar Practice Complex in a manner unseen the previous four years.

"I always saw ability," current offensive coordinator and former safeties coach Chuck Martin said. "We try to cover -- he's hard to cover. We cover good receivers on a lot of teams and Goody, our defensive backs are like, 'The kid's a good player.' I watched him, I'm like, 'God, he can run, he's tall, he can start, he can stop, he runs great routes.' But it's been the consistency.

"And that's what we've been saying: 'Are you going to be a 70-30 guy? Are you going to be 70 percent a really good player and 30 percent a guy that's going to help us lose a football game, or are you going to be the 100 percent guy?' And he's really approached it and taken it, and a lot of it is probably just senior, this is my last go-round. But just the emphasis that you can be a really effective player on our offense and play a ton and catch a lot of balls, but that's up to you. We'd love it to be you, but we'll find somebody else that's going to be consistent if you're not going to be consistent. So he's really done a nice job."

Goodman has been running with T.J. Jones and Robby Toma on the first team this spring, with head coach Brian Kelly calling the fifth-year senior the Irish's go-to guy thus far.

"He has stepped up his game considerably, and he's got a ways to go, but I expect him to do really big things for us," Kelly said. "He's fast -- he's one of the fastest guys on the team. He's got length. He can play taller than the average defensive back. I think more than anything else is just consistency with John. He's going to have a really fine year for us."

Goodman became the Irish's de facto punt returner last season, which, given the Irish's return struggles, essentially consisted of calling for fair catch after fair catch. He netted just five yards on eight returns and lost a fumble.

A U.S. Army All-American and multipurpose threat out of Bishop Dwenger High School four years ago, Goodman is aware of the expectations that were placed upon him when arriving at Notre Dame. And he knows, much like running back Jonas Gray's renaissance senior campaign in 2011, it's not too late to fulfill them.

"I haven't accomplished everything I wanted to, and there's so much left to be done here for me," Goodman said. "And I felt like my leadership skills have gotten better throughout the year and I just feel like I just needed that last year. It was just essential that I have it and without it, I don't even know what I would've done, because I had my mind set since I'd been a redshirt freshman that I'm going to play this fifth year. And all last season I wasn't sure about it and I just wanted to let Coach Kelly know, the other coaches know that I'm ready for it. I'm good. Once Mike leaves, I want to step up and take that position."

Representatives from 27 NFL teams were present Tuesday for Notre Dame's pro day. The Irish just released numbers and notes from the event. Here you go ...

• Robert Blanton (4.53/4.56) had the fastest 40-time among the five former Irish players who ran it. His 4.53 would have been fourth among safeties at February's combine in Indianapolis, and would have tied for 12th among cornerbacks.
• The other 40 times from Tuesday: Darius Fleming (4.58/4.54), Gary Gray (4.75/4.70), Trevor Robinson (5.24/5.22), and Taylor Dever (5.38/5.34).
• Robinson, who was not invited to the combine, would have been the only offensive lineman there to rank among the top 10 in vertical jump (30 inches; tied for 8th), broad jump (8 feet, 9 inches; tied for 6th), bench press (31; tied for 8th), and 40-yard dash (5.22; 8th).
• Jonas Gray improved his bench press number from 20 at the combine to 22 Tuesday.
• David Ruffer hit 13 of 15 field goals.
• Harrison Smith's 60-yard shuttle time (11.52) would have been the fastest time among safeties at the combine. That was the only timed drill Smith participated in Tuesday.
• Michael Floyd ran an 11.66 in the 60-yard shuttle. The 3-cone drill (7.13/7.11) and pro agility drill (4.23/4.37) were the only other timed drills he took part in Tuesday.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — There were times when Phillip Daniels would exit the home locker room at Soldier Field and see his son, DaVaris, waiting outside in tears because the Chicago Bears lost. There were times when DaVaris would get so mad following defeat after defeat to Phillip in "Madden" that father eventually let son win.

"I never told him that, to this day -- he'll probably read about it now," Phillip, veteran of 15 NFL seasons, said with a laugh. "He'd win and jump to celebrate and I'd laugh at him. But when I beat him, man, I realized, I knew I couldn't win. My wife's like, 'Let him win.'

"I'm a competitor, too. I wanna win at everything. But every time we played I'd lead him in the fourth quarter and then let him win, but I never told him that."

Notre Dame is hoping that competitive nature from DaVaris Daniels translates to the field this fall, as he will have the chance to line up in one of the many spots that Michael Floyd occupied for the Irish the past four seasons. The big shoes to fill -- coupled with lofty praise from head coach Brian Kelly -- has increased expectations around the sophomore-to-be, a receiver who has yet to play a snap in college.

"I think we're all just kind of taking it one day at a time; this is a new offense with new players," Daniels said. "You can't really live up to what Floyd did in his years here in one year. Floyd was a great player, don't get me wrong — I could see why everybody was kind of freaking out about him leaving. But we've got good players here, somebody's gonna fill the void and we're all doing a good job so far this spring."

Daniels said he had been used all over the field through the first week of spring practice, and he said it was tough at first not playing during his freshman year, when he admitted he ran the wrong route on what seemed like "every other play."

His father said the year on the sideline was for the best, especially with a record-breaking wideout like Floyd ahead of his son. A Vernon Hills, Ill., native, the younger Daniels said he hopes Floyd, likely a first-round pick during next month's draft, ends up with the Bears.

"Floyd, the main thing that he said is you gotta work hard, and he's like the epitome of, anything that you thought working hard was, that's what he did," Daniels said. "That's what he left me with, that's a part of his game that I think I'm trying to develop into mine."

Phillip, now the Redskins' director of player development, echoed his son's sentiments that no one can replicate Floyd's body of work in one season, and he cautioned that his son and Floyd are different receivers with different body types. (Floyd was 6-3, 224.)

A former defensive end, Phillip stands 6-foot-5 and weighs more than 300 pounds. DaVaris, at 6-2 and 190, is thankful he does not line up on the same side of the field that his father did, for fear of his criticism.

DaVaris said he first beat his father in a race when he was 11 or 12. Phillip -- who played for the Redskins, Bears and Seahawks -- confessed to being the less athletic of the two, saying his son can run circles around him.

Irish offensive coordinator Chuck Martin said DaVaris passes the eyeball test and has the look of a future NFL player, joking that he wishes he had been cut from the same cloth.

"I'm still pissed at my dad when I look at DaVaris' dad," Martin cracked. " 'I love you, Dad, but you don't look like Phillip Daniels. I could've been somebody.' "

Kelly raved last week about Daniels' performances in team testing. The receiver said that he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, did 10 feet, 5 inches in the broad jump and jumped 38 inches in the vertical, though his father said DaVaris has jumped 41.5 inches in the vertical before.

"His numbers are off the charts," Kelly said. "In terms of vertical jump he tested comparable to a number of the wide receivers at the NFL combine. He's got great numbers. Now, those are numbers. He hasn't done anything. He hasn't caught a pass in a game, hasn't caught a touchdown pass.

"So we know he's got the physical ability. Now we've got to be able to see that translate, and it's time for him to do it. We were able to move him slowly last year, it's time for him to go, and this spring will be that opportunity, and we all feel very confident in his ability to come in and impact our offense."

Daniels was seen with the second-team receivers early in the Irish's first spring practice Wednesday, the first half-hour of which was open to reporters. A leg injury kept him out of practice Saturday, but both Kelly and Phillip said it was more of a precautionary measure, and he is expected back this week.

Learning all three receiver positions, Phillip said, will be crucial for DaVaris, who is looking to seize the opportunity this offseason and carve out a name -- among both Irish receivers and his family -- of his own.

"God-given ability, and he's an awesome kid," Martin said when asked what stands out about Daniels. "He's an awesome kid from an awesome family. He's a fun kid to be around. All the things that it takes to be a great one -- he might have it just naturally or we gotta get it out of him. He can run, he can jump, he can catch, he's smart. OK, I'll work with that guy."

Since exiting Notre Dame's finale with a rib injury that kept him out of the Senior Bowl, Michael Floyd had been falling on most draft boards. That will likely change after a strong weekend showing at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Floyd unofficially ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash, likely silencing whatever questions there may have been about his speed and helping his cause to be the No. 2 wide receiver taken in the draft, behind Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon. Scouts Inc.'s Steve Muench writes:

Notre Dame's Michael Floyd (6-2], 220) came in at 4.42, and both he and [Stephen] Hill caught the ball well during drills. Floyd is in the first-round mix at this point because of his elite ball skills down the field, but both he and Hill didn't sink their hips and cut as sharply as some of the other receivers.

Adds Todd McShay:

He is really good and has a little more explosiveness.

Former Irish right tackle Taylor Dever, meanwhile, finished fourth among offensive linemen in the 3-cone drill, completing it in 7.49 seconds.

Defensive backs won't work out until Tuesday, but former Irish safety Harrison Smith may have a potential first-round selection riding on his performance, Mel Kiper says:

I have the safety out of Notre Dame with a potential first-round grade, but he can secure it if he shows off adequate speed and size for the position. His tape is outstanding, with great instincts for the position. It helps when athleticism proves to be a part of the equation.

Biggest need filled: Last year it was fortifying the defensive line, something Notre Dame did with a bang in landing stud recruits Aaron Lynch and Stephon Tuitt, immediate contributors. This year it was shoring up the secondary and receiving corps.

Despite a decommitment from a big prospect in each area, Brian Kelly must feel the Irish did that by adding two receivers, a corner and four safeties. Still, the loss of Deontay Greenberry will sting more than that of Ronald Darby, given the graduation of Michael Floyd and the uncertainty at the quarterback position.

With national signing day less than a week away, here's a look at what Notre Dame needs from its 2012 recruiting class:

Running backs: The reliable Cierre Wood has one more year left, and the answers behind him remain a mystery. We have not seen nearly enough of George Atkinson III or Cam McDaniel to know how they will turn out, and who knows where Theo Riddick will line up once the 2012 season kicks off? Help is on the way, however, in the form of William Mahone (Youngstown, OH/Austintown Fitch) and KeiVarae Russell (Everett, Wash./Mariner), ESPNU's No. 16 and No. 26 running backs, respectively. Throw in USC transfer Amir Carlisle, and things are looking bright in the Irish backfield moving forward.

Wide receivers: You can't expect to replace Michael Floyd, who re-wrote the school record books. But the drop-off after Floyd is noticeable, and finding targets for the plethora of quarterbacks on the roster is a must. Fortunately for the Irish, they may have those coming in Justin Ferguson (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Flanagan), Deontay Greenberry (Fresno, Calif./Washington Union) and Chris Brown (Hanahan, S.C./Hanahan) — ESPNU's 14th, 17th and 66th best receivers from this class, respectively.

Cornerbacks: Two new starters will take the field next year. Bennett Jackson and Lo Wood saw playing time as reserves this past season, but the unit is pretty thin, with the inexperienced Josh Atkinson and Jalen Brown behind them. ESPNU No. 9 cornerback Tee Shepard (Fresno, Calif./Washington Union) enrolled early and could provide immediate help, but depth could be an issue at this position.

Safety: Speaking of the secondary, Notre Dame will have to replace captain Harrison Smith and, soon enough, co-starters Zeke Motta and Jamoris Slaughter, too. Austin Collinsworth could be a starter next season, and Eilar Hardy figures to see the field after redshirting this past season. ESPNU No. 14 safety Elijah Shumate (Ramsey, N.J/Don Bosco), No. 22 C.J. Prosise (Woodberry Forest, Va./Woodberry Forest) and No. 62 John Turner (Indianapolis/Cathedral) are on the way, as is No. 87 athlete Nicky Baratti (Spring, Texas/Klein Oak). Chris Badger returns from a Mormon mission, too.

With the season over, it is time to take a look at which areas Notre Dame must shore up entering 2012.

Figure out the quarterback picture. Tommy Rees is 12-4 as a starter, but his season ended on a sour note, with two consecutive losses. Andrew Hendrix showed promise in limited action but only started one drive in the Champs Sports Bowl when given the chance to split time with Rees. Everett Golson redshirted. And there's apparently a new kid in town. As important as the decision coach Brian Kelly makes is the communication process with his pupils, as none of the two or three eventual non-starters wants to feel misled, which could force an uncomfortable dynamic for all moving forward. Regardless, Notre Dame finds itself with a good problem to have.

Establish a punt return game. Michael Floyd's 41-yard punt return in the Champs Sports Bowl was notable for the fact it was 38 yards more than what the Irish netted returning punts all season long. The normally sure-handed John Goodman is reportedly back for a fifth year, but Kelly has said that Notre Dame needs more of a gamebreaker back there to make a difference in returns. Whether that potential gamebreaker can be Theo Riddick, George Atkinson, Austin Collinsworth or someone unforeseen is anyone's guess.

Retool the secondary. At least three starters are gone from last season's unit, including captain Harrison Smith. On a team that will face elite quarterbacks like Matt Barkley and Landry Jones next season, this is crucial. Zeke Motta and likely Jamoris Slaughter return, with reserves such as Bennett Jackson, Lo Wood and Collinsworth potentially competing for starting spots.

Michael Floyd held steady on both Mel Kiper Jr.'s and Todd McShay's draft boards this week, at No. 20 and No. 18, respectively. But a couple of new lists from Kiper may better evaluate where Floyd stacks up heading into the draft, and where he may ultimately end up.

Kiper released his top five by every position today , and Floyd comes in at No. 2 among wide receivers, behind only Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon. Also among the top five in his position group is former Notre Dame captain Harrison Smith, who comes in as the fourth-best safety, behind Mark Barron (Alabama), Antonio Allen (South Carolina) and Markelle Martin (Oklahoma State).

And, perhaps most importantly, Kiper has Floyd being taken 19th overall by the Chicago Bears in his first mock draft, writing:

If the Bears learned anything when Jay Cutler went down this season, it was that the offense wasn't very pretty without him. But Cutler also needs help. Last year, Chicago had to start up front because the offensive line was such a weakness. But as the Bears anticipate getting some healthy bodies back up front to start 2012, they now must find some help for Cutler at wide receiver. The current group has some speed, but he could use a big target, and Floyd can be that guy. He has a big frame, but Floyd actually dropped some weight for the 2011 season, and he managed to look quicker and more explosive in and out of his breaks without giving up much as a physical receiver. He'd be a nice option in this offense and a threat in the red zone.

It's important to note that the mock draft is different from the Big Board in that it factors in the drafting teams' needs and doesn't necessarily rank players in order of skill or potential.

It's time to hand out some last-minute hardware for those who stood out for Notre Dame in its 18-14 Champs Sports Bowl loss to Florida State. Since we're dealing with one team and not one conference, we'll limit it to sides of the ball and not position.

Offense: Tyler Eifert. The junior caught a game-high six passes for 90 yards, hurting the Seminoles over the middle time and time again. His performance was all the more important with Michael Floyd sidelined much of the second half after suffering an upper-body injury during his third-quarter touchdown catch.

Defense: Manti Te'o. Another junior who could have been playing in his final college game had he wanted to, the linebacker had a game-high 13 tackles and set up Notre Dame's first touchdown, forcing a fumble in the first quarter that Zeke Motta returned 29 yards for a touchdown.

Special teams: George Atkinson III. Ben Turk deserves an honorable mention for pinning FSU at its own 1 with a 49-yard punt with 5:02 to go, setting up a three-and-out and great field position for the Irish's last chance. Floyd deserves recognition for his 41-yard punt return in the first quarter. But Atkinson stood out on both sides, returning the second half's first kickoff 37 yards to set up Notre Dame's only touchdown drive. He tackled Lamarcus Joyner on the following kick, which Joyner returned 77 yards, setting up an FSU field goal.

Another 8-5 season left a lot to be desired for Notre Dame fans. Nonetheless, there were plenty of memorable moments from the Irish's 2011 campaign.

1. Jonas Gray's remarkable stretch. Coach Brian Kelly said he had never seen it all click for a senior the way he had with Gray. The running back rushed for 791 yards and 12 touchdowns, including at least one in eight consecutive games. Unfortunately, he tore an ACL against Boston College, ending his college career. But when on the field, Gray was the feel-good story of 2011.

2. Manti Te'o announces return. This might have come off the field, but the likely first-round pick couldn't help but blurt out his announcement to return to school for one more year Dec. 11, while at the Lott IMPACT Trophy ceremony. The junior linebacker is the team's best all-around player and exemplifies all that's right about the game, on and off the field.

3. Aaron Lynch's sack and forced fumble vs. MSU. One week after not playing at Michigan, the freshman end announced his arrival to college football, turning the game around with a big hit on Kirk Cousins in what went on to be the Irish's first victory, and their most impressive one. Lynch had a standout freshman campaign and will be a star for the Irish moving forward. Robert Blanton's game-sealing interception deserves some recognition as well.

4. Michael Floyd's TD vs. FSU. A ridiculous five bobbles. Two defenders absorbed. An upper-body injury suffered that kept him out of the rest of the game. Still, the senior held on for his 100th catch of the season, and final one of his career, as Floyd hauled in Notre Dame's only offensive touchdown in the Champs Sports Bowl.

5. Andrew Hendrix's run vs. Air Force. Late in the fourth quarter of a rout, the sophomore quarterback burst up the middle for 78 yards, his legs giving out two yards shy of the end zone. Hendrix turned plenty of heads in his first college game, and he will fight it out with two others this offseason for the starting quarterback job with two others.

Here are the highs and lows from the Irish's 18-14 Champs Sports Bowl loss to Florida State:

Best play: Michael Floyd's 100th and final catch of the season -- and of his college career -- featured an impressive juggling act, as Floyd tipped the ball to himself five times before hauling in a 5-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Rees, the Irish's only offensive score of the game. The game captain suffered an upper-body injury during the third-quarter catch and did not play the rest of the way.

Worst play: Rees' pass for John Goodman was picked off in the end zone by Terrence Brooks with less than three minutes left in the game, erasing the Irish's last true chance. Brooks doubled the post; Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said afterward that Rees was supposed to hit the dig route if the safety doubled the post. "Attention to detail, the little things, obviously it hurt us in that situation," Kelly said.

Biggest reason for optimism: Notre Dame recorded five sacks, held the Seminoles to 1.4 yards per rush and came up with a defensive touchdown. The front seven, particularly freshman Aaron Lynch, showed plenty of promise and will be a force for the Irish moving forward.

Biggest reason for pessimism: Thirteen games later, Notre Dame is without a quarterback. Rees and Andrew Hendrix combined to throw three picks against FSU -- including two in the end zone -- and will battle it out with Everett Golson in the spring and summer for a job that is there for the taking.

Biggest surprise: Floyd returned the game's first punt 41 yards. Not bad, considering Notre Dame averaged a nation-worst 0.3 yards per punt return during the regular season. Yes, the Irish had 3 net punt return yards entering their bowl game. Floyd had nearly 14 times that on one return.

Tyler Eifert will return to Notre Dame for his senior season, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Notre Dame has yet to make an official announcement.

The Mackey Award finalist hauled in 63 catches for 803 yards and five touchdowns during his junior year, which culminated with a game-high six grabs for 90 yards in the Irish's Champs Sports Bowl loss to Florida State Dec. 29.

Eifert's return to school will likely make him the focal point of Notre Dame's offense in 2012. He earned All-America honors from Walter Camp (first team) and the Associated Press (second team) this season.

Scouts Inc.'s Steve Muench had Eifert fourth among draft-eligible tight ends entering bowl season, writing that any of the top four at that position could be drafted in the first two rounds.

Eifert joins linebacker Manti Te'o as highly touted underclassmen returning to Notre Dame for their senior seasons.

This news cannot be understated for the Irish, who will be without receiver Michael Floyd and have a huge uncertainty at the quarterback position. The 6-foot-6, 249-pound Eifert is as reliable a target there is and was a threat over the middle all season long for the Irish.