ESPN College Football

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- As brothers growing up in California, the Atkinson twins competed in everything. Races, video games, school grades -- all was fair game for Josh Atkinson and George Atkinson III, who, much to their dismay, found themselves locked in stalemates more often than not.

"They would try to get me in that conversation that you've got me in now," their father, George Jr., said with a laugh. "But I've become quite elusive, as you see."

An all-pro defensive back for the Oakland Raiders three decades ago, George Jr. remains a busy man, broadcasting Raiders games on the radio and re-joining the AFL's San Jose Sabercats this season to coach the secondary. (He was on their staff from 2000-08.)

He talks with rising sophomores Josh and George III, the youngest of his nine kids, roughly three times a week. And though the father is careful to encourage and not place expectations on his sons' Notre Dame careers after coaching them in high school, the twins have a thorough vetting process that keeps them on their heels and their old man updated on their progress.

Josh goes to cornerbacks coach Kerry Cooks for a weekly letter-grade evaluation to pass along to his dad. George III, a running back, never needs to ask his position coach for one.

"He knows how he's doing because I let him know -- he doesn't have to come and ask," running backs/slot receivers coach Tony Alford quipped. "I'm pretty boisterous as far as what my expectations are."

For George III, the challenge this season is building off a freshman campaign that featured two kickoff returns for touchdowns, the first Irish newcomer to pull off that feat since Raghib Ismail. For Josh, it is becoming a regular in the secondary after seeing spot duty on an experienced unit last season.

"We always praise each other when we make plays and we get on each other when we don't make plays," Josh said of his brother. "And we give each other opinions on, 'Hey, if you do this, you'll get better at that.' Also we push each other all the time. If one of us has a bad practice or one of us is not catching the ball or things of that aspect, we're always on each other and making sure we get better each and every day."

Cooks called Josh a "level-1" corner, meaning he is making his way from the scout team to the two-deep while adapting to complex coverage schemes. Josh played just one coverage in high school, but, by Cooks' measure, has taken a proactive approach to learning the Irish's playbook.

"You definitely can tell that he's been coached hard, definitely can tell that his dad has instilled hard work, effort, energy, 100 percent, yes-or-no-sir-type of kid -- you can see that in both his sons," Cooks said. "So you can see some of those characteristics of having an NFL dad and then having that background, and now it's translating into his play on the field."

George III is focusing on dropping his pads to run the ball lower, and he is hoping he will have the opportunity to help an Irish punt-return unit that averaged an abysmal 0.3 yards per return last season before their bowl game.

"I ran the fastest 40," he claimed of team testing, saying he clocked in at 4.43. "But 40s don't really mean much if you can't put it on the field, so that's what I'm working on first, using my speed on the field."

The identical twins ran on Notre Dame's track and field team this spring.

In May 2010, one month after winning the 100-meter event at the Arcadia Invitational in 10.61 seconds, George III suffered a season-ending hamstring injury trying to win the 100-meter event at the East Bay Athletic League championships. His second-place time of 10.70 seconds may have been more admirable had the first place winner not been Josh, who finished the event in 10.66 seconds.

Josh won the 100-meter event the next year at the Stanford Invitational, completing it in 10.85 seconds.

"It became controversial, I guess you could say," their father, George Jr., said. "George never won at Stanford and Josh did, and Josh never won at Arcadia and George did."

Whatever tension existed then soon evaporated, as it always has, before another fraternal clash eventually resumed.

"They compete. Those guys compete," Alford said. "And they come from a house where that was push, competition. That brotherly love, they got that, but boy they will compete with one another now. In track, in football. When we were recruiting they were talking about who could play 1-on-1 basketball, get out in the street and go run. They were talking about it [at practice] -- who was gonna win on the kickoff cover drill, who was gonna be the first to get down the field. So they compete, and that's a good thing."

With Notre Dame a week into spring practice, the fifth-year players officially returning and the 2012 recruiting class finalized (we think), let's break down the Irish's complete roster, position-by-position, as it gears up for Year 3 under Brian Kelly.

We'll start with the offense today and delve into the defense tomorrow, with special teams coming Friday.

QUARTERBACK

The players: Tommy Rees, Andrew Hendrix, Everett Golson, Gunner Kiel

The incoming: None

The breakdown: Experience is the only real way to rank these guys, as Rees has 16 starts, Hendrix has played in five games, Golson has sat a year learning the offense and Kiel arrived on campus just two months ago. Nonetheless, that likely won't matter as Kelly goes to a square-one approach, opening the playbook from the beginning to allow for a fair chance for everyone. The decision -- which will likely be up in the air deep into the summer -- may prove to be Kelly's biggest so far with the Irish.

RUNNING BACK

The players: Cierre Wood, Theo Riddick, George Atkinson, Amir Carlisle, Cam Roberson, Tyler Plantz

The Incoming: Will Mahone, KeiVarae Russell

The breakdown: Wood is the clear No. 1, as he was heading into last season as well. Riddick broke off a pair of huge runs toward the end of Saturday's scrimmage, and Kelly wanted both him and Atkinson to see more time back there as Wood rested with a minor quad injury. (Kelly said Wood did go in the rodeo drill earlier.) Both Riddick and Atkinson are capable of playing in the slot, and may end up seeing more time catching balls this season than taking handoffs, though Tony Alford will coach both regardless.

Carlisle, the USC transfer, is eligible to play in 2012 but out for the spring with a broken ankle. Where he fits in will be interesting, as carries may be hard to come by if Atkinson really progresses this spring in the backfield. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Carlisle was featured on kickoffs last season with the Trojans, and there, or on the punt return team, may prove to be the fastest way on the field for him.

WIDE RECEIVER

The players: John Goodman, T.J. Jones, Robby Toma, DaVaris Daniels, Daniel Smith, Luke Massa, Eric Lee, Nick Fitzpatrick, Ryan Liebscher

The incoming: Justin Ferguson, Davonte Neal

The breakdown: Goodman has talked about making the most of this last chance, and the coaching staff would not have invited him back for a fifth year had it not believed in him. Whether he can be a top target is up in the air, but he should bring some stability and leadership to a group loaded with youth. Jones has been solid through two years and Kelly has said he is on the cusp of breaking out. Toma has done everything asked of him and then some in the slot when replacing the oft-injured Riddick, and he may have the position to himself this year.

Daniels has the complete package physically, but he has yet to take a snap after redshirting last season. He was seen running with the 2s to start spring, but that could easily change with a strong showing. Smith, too, ran with 2s to open spring, but he must stay healthy first. Ferguson has the tools to compete for playing time upon arrival, but that could likely depend on how the incumbents step up in front of him. Neal is pegged as an athlete, but Kelly said there are no plans right now to play him at corner upon his arrival. He could possibly be a playmaker at receiver or on special teams.

TIGHT END

The players: Tyler Eifert, Troy Niklas, Alex Welch, Ben Koyack, Jake Golic, Arturo Martinez

The incoming: None

The breakdown: We all know what Eifert can do, which is why he almost entered the draft this year. Niklas is the big question mark. And by big, we mean it literally. A switch from linebacker -- where he started one game last fall as a freshman -- to tight end for the 6-7, 252-pounder has many excited to see what the offense can do with a potential two tight end set. Everyone saw what the New England Patriots did last year with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

It would be foolish to expect that much so soon -- both without Tom Brady as the Irish's quarterback and without Niklas having played the position since high school. How quick Niklas can master the playbook and blocking could go a long way in seeing some of these sets come to fruition. The move does leave some to wonder what this means for Welch and Koyack, but the duo is young and, according to tight ends coach Scott Booker, up for the challenge.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The players: Zack Martin, Chris Watt, Braxston Cave, Mike Golic, Tate Nichols, Christian Lombard, Bruce Heggie, Jordan Prestwood, Matt Hegarty, Conor Hanratty, Nick Martin, Brad Carrico, Matt Tansey, Dennis Mahoney

The incoming: Mark Harrell, Ronnie Stanley

The breakdown: Cave will not be playing much, if at all, this spring as he recovers after injuring his foot last season. Golic, who started in his place, is the center with Cave out, but it would not be surprising to see Golic move to right guard upon Cave's return. Right now Lombard is manning the right guard spot, with Nichols at right tackle. How the second unit gets shuffled upon Cave's return to the starting unit remains to be seen, but to open spring, it consisted of Heggie, Prestwood, Hegarty, Hanratty and Martin.

Can you feel the love?

Everyone's favorite holiday is today, and so we will take the time here to send out a few Valentines to those who have caught the eye of Notre Dame nation this past season.

Gunner Kiel: Your surprise arrival on campus saved Notre Dame's recruiting class and has reinvigorated this fan base. You have never taken a college snap; no one knows what to expect; and you're currently the least experienced of the four undergrads competing for the starting quarterback job. In other words, you are currently the most popular, likable player on the roster. If nothing else, you deserve a little love after Les Miles' cheap shot on national signing day.

Cierre Wood: Jonas Gray received much of the attention for his breakout season. All anyone wants to talk about now is Amir Carlisle or Will Mahone. But you rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season, a feat that should not be overlooked. Here's a little appreciation for a stellar junior campaign.

T.J. Jones: Let's just say this day has had your name on it ever since Brian Kelly's now-infamous, purple-shaded face ripped into you on the sidelines in Week 1.

Tyler Eifert/Manti Te'o: You two passed up potential millions because of your love of school. That love should be reciprocated today. Glad to have you back.

Aaron Lynch: Your outstanding freshman season shows that you have a bright future. But please stop committing penalties after the whistle. Days like today can help bring out your softer side, which could help tone down some of your antics and keep your team out of harm's way. Then, Irish fans will really love you.

Dan Fox: Because Fabio is probably jealous of that long hair of yours.

Tony Alford: An interview with the Packers is flattering. And though you said your heart tells you that Notre Dame is where you belong -- NFL offer or not -- we figured a little extra love couldn't hurt, in case you have any second thoughts.

Ozzy Osbourne: Irish fans rallied against you more than anyone else this year. For that, you deserve some love on this special day.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Bob Diaco met Bob Elliott, one of his soon-to-be coaches at Iowa, in 1990. In the 22 years since, Elliott has been, in Diaco's words, a friend, a co-worker, almost a brother.

Now Elliott, Notre Dame's new safeties coach, technically works for Diaco, the Irish's defensive coordinator. It's a twist that suits both coaches and their fellow Notre Dame assistants -- some of whom also worked with or for Elliott themselves -- just fine.

"I was excited," Elliott said. "I love those guys. Bob and Kerry [Cooks] and Tony [Alford], I worked with Tony at Iowa State. He's a good friend. And Paul Longo, Paul's a guy, he was our strength coach at Iowa, I've known him forever, and he's a close friend as well. So there's a lot of close ties on this staff, so it was very, very comfortable for me to come here and get a chance to start working with these guys."

Longo is now Notre Dame's director of strength and conditioning. Cooks is the Irish's co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach, and Alford is the running backs/slot receivers coach. Cooks was one of Iowa's co-MVPs in 1997, when Elliott was the Hawkeyes' secondary coach. When Elliott held the same position at Iowa State three years later, Alford was the Cyclones' running backs coach.

In the spring game before the 2000 season, Elliott coached the White team, made up of second- and third-stringers, against Alford's Cardinal squad, comprised of first-teamers. Spotted 16 points, Elliott's team did not score in a 48-16 loss.

"Oh man, Bobby Elliott's big time, in every sense of the word," Alford said. "Big-time coach. Big-time mentor. Teacher. Recruiter. Bigger than all: big-time person. And Joey, his wife, they are phenomenal people. We got better. We got better as a football family with Bobby Elliott, in my opinion."

Irish head coach Brian Kelly said Elliott's relationships with Cooks and Diaco made him an easy fit. Elliott wanted to make sure his former players were OK with the reunion.

"You have to be self-confident, you have to be sure of yourself to be able to sometimes work with somebody that was a mentor early in your career," Elliott said. "Some guys can't do that. You have to be pretty secure. Bob and Kerry are confident, secure guys. That's not an issue, a role reversal for them. And it isn't for me.

"I'm at a stage in my career where I really don't need a title, I don't have an ego. It's not about advancement for me. I'm not looking for that, that's not what I'm after. I wanna contribute, have a great experience here and win at the highest level and continue to have great relationships with players, and that's why I'm still in this."

Elliott's 33-year coaching career has featured stints as defensive coordinator at Iowa, Kansas State and San Diego State. With the Hawkeyes and Wildcats, his units finished fourth and second, respectively, in scoring defense.

"It's great," Diaco said of the addition of Elliott. "And I said this before: Void of our relationship, including the NFL, college institutions and the NFL, you're really hard-pressed to find someone that has a higher level of knowledge, and knowledge at a high level, for a secondary player, all phases. And when you factor in his knowledge of coordinating defense, he's had top-five defenses at two different institutions: Iowa and Kansas State."

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- In discussing his reshuffled coaching staff and new additions Friday, Brian Kelly repeatedly used the phrase "shared vision." For a team that will feature a third different position coach in four years among certain spots, that philosophy is vital to a seamless transition.

"It's absolutely crucial," the third-year Notre Dame coach said. "And the specifics of that would be, they manifest themselves in the sense that when you get out on the field, that everybody is on the same page. Every coach is talking the same language. Every player is hearing the same thing. And that's absolutely crucial to a shared philosophy and vision as to how we do things on a day-to-day basis.

"So I believe it shows itself when you get into the practice area, it shows itself on game day. And when you have that, where everybody's on the same page, that's where it becomes, nobody sees it. 'Boy they look pretty good today.' Well, it's probably because we're all on the same page."

Among the most noticeable offseason shifts is former safeties coach Chuck Martin taking over as offensive coordinator, a position he held during his six-year head-coaching stint at Grand Valley State from 2004-09.

The only returning full-time offensive staff members from last season are Mike Denbrock and Tony Alford. Denbrock moves from tight ends coach to coaching outside wide receivers and coordinating the passing game.

Alford, who has coached running backs and later receivers while with the Irish, will return to running backs coach while also working with slot receivers and coordinating the team's recruiting, a position formerly held by Martin.

Martin will try to shore up a streaky offense that has failed to live up to the defense's standard for much of Kelly's first two seasons with the Irish. Notre Dame turned the ball over 29 times last season, tied for 10th-most in the nation.

"The biggest thing is just the execution," Martin said. "Coach talked about lacking consistency, which we did. But we've done a ton of great things on offense. We can put together an offensive highlight tape of the last two years that we look like world-beaters, but he hit a lot at his talk today about being inconsistent [and] trying to get us to play at the highest level all the time, and that's my job."

Cornerbacks coach Kerry Cooks is now the co-defensive coordinator with Bob Diaco, who assumes assistant head-coaching duties in addition to his previous roles of defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

Diaco, who worked under Kelly at Central Michigan and Cincinnati, will become the face of the program when Kelly cannot handle outside assignments, joking he could man the "Batphone."

"Coach is incredible," Diaco said. "And if you guys looked at his mileage and air miles and time spent away from his family, it's sad, and it's pretty incredible what he's done. And he's pulled like that, and that's one choice he makes in a day and he's gotta say no to 10. So when time allows, if he could not be torn with going here or there, or go there and send me ... somewhere else, that's really pretty exciting."

"The beauty of it is through three institutions we can do that, because he's been such a fantastic boss," he later added. "He mentioned a shared vision, but also a shared heart. There's a shared heart. We're in lockstep with matters of all things professional and matters of the heart and with young people."

Former Iowa State secondary coach Bob Elliott was hired to replace Martin, and former Tennessee offensive line coach Harry Hiestand was hired for the same position with the Irish, in addition to becoming running game coordinator.

Scott Booker was promoted from offensive intern to tight ends coach, and he will coordinate the special teams as well. The latter duty previously belonged to defensive line coach Mike Elston, though Kelly said special teams are a shared approach by the staff. The Irish's punt return unit ranked 112th in the nation in 2011.

With three new faces and just four assistants coaching the same units they did last season, Kelly acknowledged the changes could make for a tricky balancing act. But he is counting on the shared vision he so often discussed Friday -- the same language, formations and structure among the staff -- to ease the turnover.

"We talk about this all the time: Our guys go to class and get probably the most dynamic professors in front of them on a day-to-day basis, teaching them," Kelly said. "So when they come here, you better meet or exceed that level, or you're gonna lose your players. So all I think it means is that we're gonna be more dynamic in the way we communicate to our players on a day-to-day basis, but it's gonna be the same pieces that they've already heard."

Scott Booker, who was promoted from offensive intern to full-time staff member last month, will coach the tight ends and be the special teams coordinator, Notre Dame announced Friday.

Former wide receivers coach Tony Alford will now coach running backs and slot receivers in addition to becoming the team's recruiting coordinator. Former tight ends coach Mike Denbrock will coach outside wide receivers and be the team's passing game coordinator.

The announced moves complement the offseason hires of former Tennnessee offensive line coach Harry Hiestand (offensive line/running game coordinator) and former Iowa State secondary coach Bob Elliott (safeties).

The Irish's staff dealt with offseason defections from Charley Molnar (offensive coordinator), Tim Hinton (running backs) and Ed Warinner (offensive line/running game coordinator). Molnar took over head-coaching duties at Massachusetts, and Hinton and Warinner left for Ohio State, where they will coach the tight ends/fullbacks and offensive line, respectively.

Notre Dame announced in early January that former safeties coach Chuck Martin would become the offensive coordinator, that defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Bob Diaco would add the title of assistant head coach, and that cornerbacks coach Kerry Cooks would receive co-defensive coordinator duties.

Defensive line coach Mike Elston will no longer be the special teams coordinator, though head coach Brian Kelly said the unit as a whole will be a team effort among his staff.

Josh Reardon (defensive) and Pat Welsh (offensive) were also hired as graduate assistants, the school announced Friday. Bill Brechin (offensive) and David Grimes (defensive) will be the staff's interns this spring and become GAs in August, when the NCAA legislation will change and allow schools to have four.

LANDOVER, Md. — Robby Toma was fielding postgame questions from reporters Saturday night when Tony Alford stuck his head in.

"What did you do?" the receivers coach asked. "What did you do?"

"I don't know," Toma replied with a smile. "This is new to me."

The career-best seven catches for 73 yards was new. The starting role in place of the injured Theo Riddick (hamstring) was a change. And the ability to capably fulfill Notre Dame's next-man-in philosophy in the Irish's 45-21 rout of a hapless Maryland team made the not-so-easy look not only simple, but rewarding.

Notre Dame beat a two-win Terrapins team, as expected. But they did it by improving their play in nearly all facets of the game, most notably on offense.

In notching their fifth 500-plus-yard offensive performance this season, the Irish ran 84 plays, the most in the Brian Kelly era. They showed a steady balance, with 46 runs and 38 passes. And they ran the offense at a tempo that embodied the pace Kelly has wanted to push at, one his quarterback ran efficiently throughout the evening.

"We wanted to kind of go with a hurry up, no-huddle — we're always no-huddle, more of a hurry-up, push the tempo a little bit," Tommy Rees said. "I think it worked out. I think we caught them and they weren't lined up. And you can tell throughout the game that — hats off to Maryland — but throughout the game the guys were getting tired, and I think that has a lot to do with how we pushed our tempo."

Rees finished 30 of 38 for 296 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers. During one stretch that ended in the third quarter, the sophomore completed 17 of 18 passes.

The run game, which has looked dominant at times, was never as sharp as it was before a Notre Dame-heavy crowd at FedEx Field.

Jonas Gray finished with a career-high 136 yards and two touchdowns. Cierre Wood finished with 99 yards and a score.

But the numbers cannot convey the helplessness of the Maryland defense, evident on two separate plays involving the two running backs.

Facing a third-and-10 from his own 8 on Notre Dame's third drive, Wood rushed for 13 yards. Facing a third-and-17 from his own 20 on the Irish's first drive of the second half, Gray bursted up the middle for 19 yards.

Notre Dame ended up scoring on both drives, the latter kicking off a 14-point third quarter that extended the Irish lead to 38-7 and their third-quarter margin this season to 77-13.

"I think our guys settle into the game, they're tuned in, we can talk to them and they know exactly what we want to do in the third quarter and they go out and do it," Kelly said. "Again, our guys understand how important it is to get some adjustments made at halftime. There's good communication. Our guys go out and execute."

There were other signs of improvement across the board aside from Toma, the run game and Rees. Namely, reserve cornerback Lo Wood stepping in for Robert Blanton (stinger), taking a third-quarter interception back 57 yards for a touchdown and making it 38-7.

There was Mike Golic Jr. filling in nicely for Braxston Cave at center, and Ethan Johnson bringing his veteran presence to the defensive line in his first game since Oct. 1.

And, of course, there was that tempo, which showed that opponent and circumstance were irrelevant in the Irish's attempt to make something of this week and next, when three-win Boston College comes to town.

"It was a big emphasis this week, to play at a fast tempo, and we did that well," Gray said. "A few guys were getting gassed — we're not used to doing it, even myself. But that's a dimension of this offense we're trying to continue to keep doing. And when we do that we're a pretty good offense and hard to stop."

And if the offense was getting gassed, does that make for an exhausted defense?

"Oh yeah, yeah," Gray said. "Just a lot of exhaustion. They can't line up as fast as they want to, just small things like that. And Coach Kelly's done a great job of dialing plays up."

Notre Dame officially announced the hiring of three assistant coaches, all of whom have strong previous ties to new head coach Brian Kelly. His first staff appears to be nearly complete.

As expected, Chuck Martin resigned as head coach at Division II Grand Valley State -- where Kelly led the Lakers to two national titles -- to coach Irish defensive backs. Mike Elston rejoins Kelly from Cincinnati to coach defensive line, which he oversaw with the Bearcats. And Mike Denbrock, who spent last season at Indiana State and worked with Kelly at Grand Valley, will coach tight ends.

"Because these guys have worked with me in the past, all three guys understand the importance of player development and we share the same philosophies for making our team better," Kelly said in a statement.

Notre Dame had already announced that running backs coach Tony Alford would be the lone holdover from Charlie Weis' staff. The rest of the assistants will be named once they are vetted through the school's human resources department.

Kelly is expected to bring three more Cincinnati assistants with him: defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, passing game coordinator Charley Molnar and Tim Hinton, who coached Bearcats running backs and served as recruiting coordinator. It's also been reported that Kelly has tapped former Kansas assistant Ed Warriner as offensive line coach, and Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg reports that Wisconsin assistant Kerry Cooks will head to South Bend to coach linebackers.

1. Wyoming’s victory over Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl raises the Mountain West Conference’s bowl record over the last four seasons to 11-4. The 35-28 two-overtime victory is what the MWC needs in its quest to obtain national respect. Fresno State has earned that respect by playing anyone anywhere. The Cowboys, really won by coming back from 11 points down in the fourth quarter. Wyoming converted three fourth downs on the game-tying drive.

2. The lack of a tough nonconference game probably hurt Penn State. When Iowa showed up for the Big Ten opener on Sept 26, the Nittany Lions hadn’t had a tough game to prepare them. Penn State won’t have that problem next year. After the opener at home against FCS Youngstown State, Penn State plays at Alabama. With road games at Iowa and at Ohio State, Penn State has a 2010 schedule that can’t be described as soft.

3. A year ago, running backs coach Tony Alford didn’t hesitate to join Charlie Weis’ staff at Notre Dame, even though Weis might not last beyond 2009. Alford said that when he and the entire Iowa State staff got fired in 2006, “It scared me to death. Professionally, it was very traumatic. Now that I’ve been through it, you get up and find another place to lay your head.” Not this time -- Alford appears to be the only Weis assistant whom Brian Kelly will keep.

Several reports say that new Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has decided to retain only one assistant coach from Charlie Weis' staff, and that's running backs coach Tony Alford.

Interestingly enough, Alford was at Louisville before coming to Notre Dame in 2009, where he competed against Kelly's Cincinnati team in the Big East.

Kelly has not said a lot publicly about who he will bring on staff, but he's expected to hire several of his former Cincinnati assistants. If Jeff Quinn, who will coach the Bearcats in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, does not get a head-coaching job in the next few weeks, he will almost certainly join Kelly in South Bend as offensive coordinator/offensive line coach. He's been Kelly's right-hand man for about 20 years.

Current Cincinnati defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, defensive line coach Mike Elston, quarterbacks coach Greg Forest and receivers coach Charley Molnar all have long associations with Kelly and can be expected to come to Notre Dame as well.

In addition, Grand Valley State head coach Chuck Martin -- a former Kelly assistant -- has said publicly that he would join Kelly's staff if asked. Kelly asked him to be his assistant when he took the Central Michigan and Cincinnati jobs, but Martin declined those opportunities.

I think Kelly would be well served by hiring someone who has recruited nationally before as this will be a new experience for him. Alford has proved to be a strong recruiter in his own right. I'm a little surprised that former special-teams coach Brian Polian wasn't retained just because of his reputation as a top-notch recruiter.

But Kelly most of all needs a staff with which he can feel comfortable, because he has said his philosophy is to "coach the coaches" and have them do a lot of player development.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame's first preseason practice is officially under way.

The media got to watch the first 20 minutes of the session, and I can tell you that ... the Irish know how to stretch.

Seriously, there wasn't much to see, except some stretching and the beginning of individual drills. Still, a few random observations:

• Freshman linebacker Manti Te'o is every bit the physical beast he was reputed to be. Doesn't look like a freshman at all. He's as big and maybe a little bigger than senior Brian Smith. It remains to be seen if Te'o can master the mental part of college football, but he looks ready to play now physically.

• Head coach Charlie Weis looks much trimmer and more mobile than he did last year when he was battling knee problems. Weis seemed happy about the breezy conditions outside for practice.

"This is a perfect day for receivers' concentrations," he told quarterbacks Jimmy Clausen and Dayne Crist, urging them to put "some heat on it" during their throwing sessions. Weis also joked around with offensive lineman Chris Stewart, telling him he looked light on his feet. Then, he added to the 6-foot-5, 330-pounder, "When was the last time somebody told you that you looked light on your feet?"

• I always like watching the faces of freshmen in first practices like these. A lot of times, you'll see the newbies with a look of sheer terror, as if to say "What have I gotten myself into?" Running back Cierre Wood wore one of those expressions early on, as Weis and running backs coach Tony Alford got on him for not securing the ball tightly enough.

• The best news for the Irish is probably their health. As Weis said Friday every player is able to practice without limitations, save for backup defensive lineman Hafis Williams, who's awaiting clearance from some medical tests. But the depth and experience is obvious from watching the number of bodies at practice.

That's about all there was to glean from our short peek. I'll be back with more from player interviews later ...

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

1. Notre Dame should be better: There were flashes of Notre Dame's potential at times last season and it gave a glimmer of hope that this Fighting Irish team could be a contender again. It returns enough starters and made the right moves on the coaching staff to make that happen. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen -- if he can get out of his own way -- can put up big numbers against a soft schedule and lead the Irish back into the hunt for a major bowl.

2. Navy offense could surprise: Navy's backfield will be entirely new this season and that's a concern considering the backfield was the source of almost all of the Midshipmen's offense in 2008. But there are good players in place and new quarterback Ricky Dobbs proved last season that he's ready to take the reins of this team. He admits that he still needs to work on the option, but he also has the potential to make Navy a more diversified offense in 2009.

3. Army will be a work in progress: Don't expect a quick turnaround at Army. New head coach Rich Ellerson doesn't have the right players on the roster to make the Black Knights the next Navy or even the next Cal Poly. However, Army will be a team that works hard and battles in games. That might not translate into wins, but at least it will be progress from a year ago.

4. Notre Dame's running game will be better: Tony Alford was a great hire as the running backs coach. He brings in a workmanlike effort that was missing from the running backs corps the past two seasons. Armando Allen should have a breakout year and incoming freshman Cierre Wood will also be a vital part of the backfield. If the offense can become more balanced, it will take a lot of pressure off Clausen's shoulders.

5. Navy's defense is one of the best: Navy's defense was underrated last year and ended up being a strength for the team. With seven returners, including Ross Pospisil and Jabaree Tuani, the Midshipmen are poised to have not only the best defense among the independents, but perhaps one of the top defenses in the country. The question is in the secondary, especially with the loss of safety Emmett Merchant. But if it can come along this spring, Navy will be tough to beat.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Maybe some are surprised by how Victor Anderson has started his college career. Not Mike Glaser.

	AP Photo/Garry Jones
	Victor Anderson ranks 15th in the nation in rushing, averaging 110.5 yards per game for the Cardinals.

The longtime coach of Louisville high school football power Saint Xavier remembers how Anderson burst onto the varsity scene as a sophomore, running for 27 touchdowns and leading the Tigers to the state title.

"On his first touchdown in the state championship game, he almost broke a guy's leg with a move he put on him," Glaser said. "I can still see it in my head to this day."

Anderson has already done that to several college defenders during his redshirt freshman year at Louisville. He ranks 15th in the nation in rushing, averaging 110.5 yards per game for the Cardinals (4-2, 0-1 Big East). He's gaining seven yards per carry and has scored seven touchdowns, including an 88-yard dash last week against Middle Tennessee State.

"He's got so much speed and he's just so shifty," said South Florida coach Jim Leavitt, whose team will try to slow down Anderson on Saturday. "He plants and he's gone."

Anderson is definitely one of the fastest Cardinals on the team, but it's the 5-foot-9, 182-pounder's strength that usually catches people off guard. When he takes a hit, he's likely to bounce away. Glaser recalls another play from high school, when his running back seemed to disappear in a crowd of four or five tacklers on a sweep play, only to re-emerge and drag defenders into the end zone.

"He plays a lot bigger than 182 pounds," Louisville running backs coach Tony Alford said. "He keeps his feet moving on contact, and you've really got to wrap him up to bring him down."

You want pound-for-pound power? Anderson said he squats 600 pounds.

"That alone is what a running back really needs -- leg strength," he said. "I try to work on that every day. I'm not the biggest guy on the field so I've got to have a big, strong heart."

On top of all that, he has plenty of jukes in his box of tools. Just see the three long touchdown runs he had against Kansas State or the fake-outs he put on UConn while turning a short run into an 18-yard touchdown.

Alford, who has coached at Iowa State and Washington, said few tailbacks have the whole package like Anderson.

"All things being equal, with everything combined, he has the most ability of all of the players I've coached put together in one," Alford said. "One guy might have been more powerful, another guy more shifty. But he brings a lot to the table. And the good thing is, he's just a young guy, so hopefully he'll continue to get even better."