ESPN College Football

Notre Dame receiver DaVaris Daniels was one of 29 people cited for consumption of alcohol by a minor early Sunday morning, according to a report from the Vernon Hills (Ill.) Police Department.

Police responded to a call for an ambulance at a residence with the same address as Daniels', where "all subjects were found to be participating in an underage party and had consumed alcohol while under the age of 21."

Daniels, 19, and the other 28 people are due in a local court June 14.

A rising sophomore, Daniels redshirted last fall but figures to be in the mix for a starting spot in 2012.

2011 overall record: 8-5

Returning starters: Offense: 7; defense: 7; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners
QB Tommy Rees, QB Andrew Hendrix, RB Cierre Wood, RB/WR Theo Riddick, RB/WR George Atkinson III, TE Tyler Eifert, LT Zack Martin, LG Chris Watt, C Braxston Cave, C/G Mike Golic Jr., WR Robby Toma, WR John Goodman, WR T.J. Jones, DE Stephon Tuitt, NG Louis Nix, DE Kapron Lewis-Moore, ILB Manti Te'o, ILB Dan Fox, OLB Prince Shembo, S Jamoris Slaughter, S Zeke Motta

Key losses
WR Michael Floyd, RB Jonas Gray, RG Trevor Robinson, RT Taylor Dever, DE Aaron Lynch, NG Sean Cwynar, DE Ethan Johnson, OLB Darius Fleming, S Harrison Smith, CB Gary Gray, CB Robert Blanton

2011 statistical leaders (* returners)

Rushing: Cierre Wood* (1,102 yards)
Passing: Tommy Rees* (2,871 yards)
Receiving: Michael Floyd (1,147 yards)
Tackles: Manti Te'o* (128)
Sacks: Aaron Lynch (5.5)
Interceptions: Robert Blanton/Gary Gray (2)

Spring answers

1. Tyler Eifert: His offensive teammates -- and the next starting quarterback, in particular -- owe Eifert the world for returning. New offensive coordinator Chuck Martin will use Eifert in a variety of different ways this season, and his position will resemble that of Michael Floyd's more than it will a traditional tight end's. A strong season will likely propel Eifert into the first round of next year's NFL draft.

2. No shortage of skill players: Yes, the all-time leading receiver is gone. But the Irish still boast a plethora of skilled, versatile assets who can make big plays with their speed. Tony Alford is in charge of the running backs and slot receivers this season, and Cierre Wood, Theo Riddick, Robby Toma and George Atkinson III all have the ability to make things happen out of the backfield. Look for a big year from DaVaris Daniels on the outside as well.

3. Defensive leaders: Manti Te'o would appear to be a shoe-in for a captain role this season, and he'll have plenty of help bringing along some of the unit's young talent. Jamoris Slaughter is back for a fifth year, and becoming a father this spring has forced him to grow up fast. Kapron Lewis-Moore is back for a fifth year as well, and the defensive end is one of the more respected voices on the team.

Fall questions

1. What will happen to Tommy Rees and, by extension, the QB race? Rees' immediate future is up in the air following his May 3 arrest, though his chances of starting this season figure to have greatly diminished in light of being charged with four misdemeanors. Andrew Hendrix and Everett Golson will likely benefit the most and should enter camp as the favorites, while prep phenom Gunner Kiel continues to adjust after enrolling in January.

2. What about those corners? Bennett Jackson has the talent to play well at the boundary in his first year starting but will likely have to endure some growing pains, especially against some of the elite passing offenses the Irish will face in 2012. At the field, Josh Atkinson has pushed Lo Wood for the No. 1 spot, and that will be one of the more intriguing position battles once preseason camp opens.

3. Can anyone handle this schedule? The two Big Ten favorites, the Big 12 favorite, the Pac-12 favorite. A trip to Dublin. The 2012 schedule is absolutely loaded, and the Irish will have several new pieces in key places entering the season. How quickly everybody can adjust to their roles will go a long way in determining whether Brian Kelly's third season at Notre Dame is a success.

It's been real, spring football.

• Before their spring game, Notre Dame players took part in a great cause: The Bald and the Beautiful.
• NBCSports.com's Keith Arnold breaks down the Blue-Gold game, with video interviews from the broadcast.
• In a video captured by the Kansas City Star's Rustin Dodd, Charlie Weis tells Kansas players that he wants them to celebrate wins the right way. (Credit colleague David Ubben for the find.)
• Notre Dame kicker Nick Tausch is eager to start again, Lou Somogyi writes on BlueandGold.com.
• DaVaris Daniels has shifted into the next stage, Tim Prister writes on IrishIllustrated.com.

Irish wideout DaVaris Daniels talks about expectations going into his second year.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame's coaches clinic Saturday made for a crowded audience inside the LaBar Practice Complex, as media members and more than 600 high school coaches were allowed to watch the Irish's 12th spring practice in its entirety.

John Goodman, Troy Niklas and Luke Massa were the latest players to be injured. Brian Kelly said afterward that Goodman had a right ankle sprain and probably could have practiced; the Irish were just being cautious. Niklas, meanwhile, had been battling flu-like symptoms.

The prognosis is less favorable for Massa, who suffered what Kelly said was an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament that would likely require surgery.

Prince Shembo, who had been suffering from turf toe, had surgery to insert a screw, which will likely shelve him for the next six weeks. Dan Fox was out once again because of the effects of a PCL injury suffered this spring.

Both DaVaris Daniels and Daniel Smith saw some time with the first-team receivers with Goodman out. The right side of the offensive line consisted of Braxston Cave, Mike Golic Jr. and Christian Lombard during tempo drills, with Golic, Nick Martin and Lombard facing off against the defense while scrimmaging. Cave does not yet know whether he will play in Saturday's spring game.

Kelly said that with the way things are playing out right now, Lombard has the inside track for the starting right tackle spot, with Golic and Martin likely battling it out for right guard.

The linemen had a little more riding on them Saturday, with the quarterbacks going live during scrimmaging. The biggest roars from the crowd, however, came during the rodeo drill and kick-coverage drill, with walk-on cornerback Joe Romano at the center of attention during two separate returns.

First, Romano got lit up by Justin Utupo, going to the sideline to recover for a few plays. Upon his return, Romano absorbed a vicious hit from Josh Atkinson, leaving the would-be tackler in his wake and firing up his teammates, who all gathered around him.

Following practice, Kelly clarified a comment that he made one night earlier during a speaking engagement at the Rockne Athletic Banquet in Chicago, as the rumor mill had swirled about the coach allegedly saying he was shooting for eight wins in 2012.

"No, that's not accurate," Kelly said. "What I said was that Notre Dame had not strung together three years in a row of eight wins or more, so if we win eight games next year or more, it will be the first time in 16 years [actually 19]. Thank you for getting that accurate.

"You shoot for eight wins around here, you won't be around very long. Believe me, trust me. My boss is up there, he already told me that. No 8-win seasons around here. We can build towards that, that's part of what we're doing is the building blocks of putting together a football program. We want consistency. The point of that whole statement was you need consistency, you need stability. Consistency is you can't have a 10-win season and then a three-win season, you've got to build consistency, and that's what we're all shooting for."

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.

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."

Busy weekend, no?

Notre Dame more than doubled the size of its 2013 recruiting class, picking up commitments Sunday from ESPNU 150 Watch List quarterback Malik Zaire (Kettering, Ohio/Archbishop Alter) and Watch List offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey (Philadelphia/William Penn). On Saturday, offensive tackles Colin McGovern (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) and Watch List member Hunter Bivin (Owensboro, Ky./Apollo) pledged their allegiance to Brian Kelly and the Irish.

Notre Dame also invited us in for the last half-hour or so of its first padded spring practice Saturday, with Kelly holding court for a few minutes afterward before we interviewed all four quarterbacks for the first time this spring.

You can read about Gunner Kiel's first session with reports here. I have to say, the kid was very impressive and candid given the circumstances.

You will also be seeing four different stories today on the quarterbacks, including another one on Kiel, this one focusing on him being, as Chuck Martin called it, "overexuberant" since arriving in January.

As for practice, former NBA star David Robinson was the first person to stand out upon entrance, as the 7-foot-1 Hall of Famer was chatting it up with Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick. Robinson's son, Corey, was visiting for Junior Day.

DaVaris Daniels (leg) did not participate in the mini-scrimmage when we were viewing, but Kelly said he was expected back at practice Wednesday. Cierre Wood (quad) was held out at the end as well, but Kelly said he went live in the rodeo drill.

A big thanks to all of you who stopped by the Notre Dame chat today. Lots of good questions, all of which can be found here.

Among the highlights:

• Carl LaFong (Indiana): Matt, I don't understand the panic when it comes to the defensive backfield. Motta and Slaughter have both started and played alot of minutes at Safety. Yes we are young at Corner but there is some good talent there. Couple that with the front seven talent and I think we will be ok.
• Matt Fortuna (3:11 PM): Carl, safety isn't the worry. The Irish were down to four scholarship cornerbacks after Tee Shepard left last week, forcing them to move running back Cam McDaniel to corner as well. The projected starters -- Bennett Jackson and Lo Wood -- COULD turn out to be very good, but they have minimal experience, and there is no proven depth yet. Couple that with the high-powered passing offenses they will face next year -- say, USC or Oklahoma -- and it is definitely a cause for concern on March 23.

• Ted (Columbus): What is the reason for Nicklas' move to TE? Need at TE, or was he not going to contribute at LB?
• Matt Fortuna (3:27 PM): Ted, big-picture, I think everyone sees that Troy Niklas has more of an upside at tight end than he does at linebacker, where he was almost too tall to play. The ability to move a safety up on defense also contributed to the LB depth. ND will likely try a few things offensively with Niklas and Eifert on the field together, pending Niklas' progress at the position. He played it in high school and, by all accounts, has the hands. Now it's about understanding the offense and running proper routes.

• Shane (De Leon): Matt, A lot of coverage for ND football up to this point has been from somewhat of a defeatist point of view where the level of faith in how this team can perform this year has been pretty down so far. One player in particular who I think is not getting enough credit to this point for his potential to perform on the field is DaVaris Daniels. Im hearing a lot of negative comparisons to Michael Floyd (which i feel is unfair) and I have incredibly high hopes with this guy. What's your take on what he can do for this team, and some positivity would be greatly appreciated for once.
• Matt Fortuna (3:50 PM): Shane, we talked to DaVaris today and I'll have a story up on him in the near future. He certainly seems to have all the tools, and Chuck Martin raved about the kid. I'm excited to see what he can do, though, like you said, you can't compare him to Floyd just yet. (And, like he said, no one can do in one year what Floyd did in four.)

• Mick (Akron, Ohio): Do you think we will see another shade of purple on Kelly's face this season?
• Matt Fortuna (3:52 PM): If there are 10 turnovers in the first two games again we may need a doctor in the house for him and every ND fan ...

Our series continues today with wide receiver, where Notre Dame looks to replace arguably the best to ever play the position in blue and gold.

OUT: Michael Floyd. Floyd rewrote the record books during his time in South Bend, Ind. He finished his senior season with 100 catches for 1,147 yards and nine touchdowns, none more impressive than his final grab, a 5-yard score in the Champs Sports Bowl that he juggled while absorbing a pair of hits from Florida State defenders. Those blows knocked him out of the game and several ensuing pre-draft showcases with an upper body injury. All healthy now — and with the troubles from three alcohol-related brushes with the law seemingly behind him — Floyd will likely hear his name called on the first day of the NFL draft following a Notre Dame career that featured school records in receptions (271), touchdown receptions (37) and receiving yards (3,686). He was also the team's 10th two-time MVP.

IN: DaVaris Daniels, Justin Ferguson. It would be unreasonable to expect anyone to perform to the standard of someone with multiple school records, let alone expect someone who has never played a down of college football to do it. But Daniels, who redshirted as a freshman, and Ferguson, an incoming recruit, certainly have the tools to earn significant playing time early in 2012. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Daniels, the son of former NFL defensive end Phillip Daniels, was one of the top players in the state of Illinois and an Under Armour All-American while at Vernon Hills High School. Ferguson, a 6-foot-2, 205-pounder from Flanagan (Fla.) High School, was ESPNU's 85th-best player in the Class of 2012. The loss of Deontay Greenberry to Houston on national signing day hurts this unit, which could have used the four-star prospect's explosiveness early on.

Thanks for putting aside your March Madness viewing and stopping by the Notre Dame chat today. A full transcript can be found here.

And on with some highlights ...

• Kenny (Bronx, N.Y.): Did Kellys comments about Tee's cousin have any affect on him goin back to Cali? Will Carlisile get any run this year as a 3rd down back or kick returner?
• Matt Fortuna (2:08 PM): Kenny, that thought did cross my mind on national signing day, but I'm honestly not sure. There could be plenty of reasons why an 18-year-old kid does not mesh well with a school far away from home, so I won't speculate without pretty solid information. I could definitely see Carlisle getting extended playing time in the backfield this season, and you bring up an interesting point with the kick (or maybe even punt) return game. There should be some healthy options back there, so we'll see if that's an area Notre Dame can improve this season.

• Ryan (North Canton, Ohio): Nd's secondary is going to be in trouble because of lack of experience. Is there anything that you can tell me to give me some confidence?
• Matt Fortuna (2:14 PM): Nope, you're right. Four CBs on scholarship, zero combined starts. Facing Landry Jones and Matt Barkley, among others. That's not to say the guys there now can't step up and be good, but it's definitely not something to feel comfortable about at the moment.

• LG (Columbus, Ohio): Matt,With the defection of Tee Sheppard and the plethora of skilled players to go along with Carlisle being elidgable, does this all but make it a certainity that Neal will be, atleast early in his ND career, a CB? ND only has 4 (unproven) on scholly..... Barkley, Jones and D-rob most be licking their chops!!!
• Matt Fortuna (2:17 PM): LG, I'd imagine, at least early on, that's where Neal will be. That's far from an easy position to master early -- plus he won't be at ND in the spring -- and the margin for error is so small. But I don't think ND has a choice right now.

• Derrin (Plano, Texas): Who will Brian Kelly look to next season to replace Michael Floyd and provide some big plays for the offense at WR?
• Matt Fortuna (2:45 PM): Derrin, Justin Ferguson and DaVaris Daniels should have a chance, and I think TJ Jones is a very good receiver as well. None will likely do what Floyd did, especially not this early, but I think there are enough solid options for whoever ends up starting at QB.

Apologies for being a few days late with this, but the Washington Redskins hired former player Phillip Daniels as their new director of player development Friday.

Daniels played 15 NFL seasons, the last seven with the Redskins.

More importantly, at least for Notre Dame fans, he is the father of Irish wide receiver DaVaris Daniels, who redshirted this past season.

ESPN Recruiting took a look back this week at the 2011 ESPNU 150 class and how each player fared in his first year of college ball.

Several Notre Dame freshmen have made big impacts already. Others have yet to play. Let's take a look at what the recruiting experts had to say:

No. 15: Aaron Lynch, DE: "Aaron Lynch has exploded onto the scene in South Bend, drawing more personal fouls than coach Brian Kelly would approve of and dropping enough incendiary comments that he was sequestered from the media for November. But don't let those freshman mishaps belie the flashes of greatness he has shown. Lynch started five games for the Fighting Irish. Of his 28 tackles, 5½ were behind the line of scrimmage, including four sacks. He hurried the quarterback 13 times, forced a fumble and broke up two passes. The explosiveness is there. Now, Lynch must learn to be more disciplined, especially by staying in his gap, so he doesn't give up as many big plays as he makes."

Lynch has actually not spoken since late September, when he predicted Notre Dame could come up with 10 or more sacks against Pitt. Considering he was reminded in that question that Maine had recorded seven sacks against Pitt -- and considering he prefaced the answer by crediting Maine -- he earns the benefit of the doubt from this blogger. Still, the end has all the makings of a future NFL player and should be a star the rest of his college career.

No. 36: Matthew Hegarty, OT: "Hegarty redshirted this season for the Irish but impressed in scout team enough to get mention as a potential starter next year. The big lineman came to South Bend as a tackle but will be moved inside and could spend time at guard or even center next season."

No. 42: Ishaq Williams, DE: "Williams played spot duty this season, seeing time in 10 games at outside linebacker for the Irish. He finished the year with five tackles and also played on special teams. The Irish coaches are high on him and he's expected to be an impact player next season."

Plenty of upperclassmen ahead of Williams kept him from seeing the field more, but he will surely make an impact moving forward for the Irish.

No. 65: DaVaris Daniels, WR: "Daniels took a redshirt this season, even though he was the Irish's only receiver in their 2011 class. However, the Irish's depth chart looks ripe for the taking, and Daniels could be an impact player next season."

No. 77: Ben Koyack, TE: "Used more for blocking situations, Koyack has played in 11 games and started one. He caught one pass for 5 yards."

Mike Ragone's ACL tear allowed Koyack to see the field some more. If Tyler Eifert leaps to the NFL, the spotlight could be on Koyack next season.

No. 90: Stephon Tuitt, DE: "Tuitt played in eight games, starting three, and has taken over the starting end spot for the Fighting Irish. He has 27 tackles, two quarterback hurries, a sack and a pass deflection in his first season."

Tuitt also saw some time inside and was coming along really well before an illness forced him to miss the last two games. He and Lynch will make for one tough pass-rushing tandem in the years to come.

No. 123: Anthony Rabasa, DE: "Rabasa was moved to middle linebacker and was doing quite well before injuring his shoulder. He redshirted for the Fighting Irish."

No. 130: Jordan Prestwood, OT: "Prestwood enrolled at FSU in the spring and then transferred to Notre Dame, where he had originally committed in the summer of 2010. He redshirted for the Irish."

The regular season is over and the end of the semester has arrived. Here, we grade Notre Dame's 2011 campaign by position. Part six of the 10-part series brings us to the wide receivers.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Grade: B-

Summary: Michael Floyd may go down as the greatest receiver in Notre Dame history. Give one final chance after a third alcohol-related offense this past offseason, the senior hauled in 95 catches this season (Notre Dame record) for 1,106 yards. His 3,645 career receiving yards and 36 career receiving touchdowns are both tops in school history. Despite being the focus of every defense every game, Floyd managed to produce at an elite level, and he may just be a first-round draft pick this spring.

The drop-off behind Floyd, however, was noticeable. Most of Notre Dame's other production in the pass game came from tight end Tyler Eifert (we'll get to his group in a later post). T.J. Jones and Theo Riddick were solid, hauling in 37 and 36 catches, respectively, for 359 and 429 yards on the season. But Riddick, who dealt with a hamstring injury toward the end of the season, returned to running back in Week 12, and his future may be there. The most impressive receiver behind Floyd may have just been Robby Toma. The 5-foot-9, 185-pounder received three starts and took full advantage of the opportunity, catching 15 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown. His emergence has certainly helped with the decision to move Riddick to the backfield.

Backups: John Goodman had seven catches for 65 yards. Toma was a backup for much of the season before Riddick's injury — and Toma's ensuing strong performance — showed what a threat he could be. After that, the situation was pretty bleak. No other Notre Dame receiver made a reception, and the unit as a whole could take a step back next season without the big-play threat of Floyd. Freshman DaVaris Daniels redshirted this season after being ranked the 12th-best receiver in the nation by ESPNU and could emerge down the line.

Previous report cards:

Quarterbacks
Defensive line
Offensive line
Linebackers
Running backs

Nobody confuses Notre Dame fans wearing No. 5 jerseys for representing Everett Golson. And that likely won't change for the rest of the season, either.

Whether or not Manti Te'o elects to return for his senior season will be determined once his junior year is complete. Until then, he will probably be the only No. 5 on the field for the Fighting Irish.

"I think you guys can figure out what the rotation is going to be at this point," Brian Kelly said on his conference call Sunday when asked about the freshman quarterback Golson, who has not played through six games.

Told he was giving reporters too much credit, Kelly almost went there: "You know what I would like to say, but I'm not going to say it."

For those late to the party, the term is "redshirt," an eight-letter no-no in South Bend, regardless of the few fifth-year players who trot out to the field every Saturday.

It's a fate that Golson is all but assured of after sophomore -- or is redshirt freshman? -- Andrew Hendrix saw his first career action Saturday, completing all four of his passes for 33 yards and rushing it six times for 111 yards.

Kelly has played 10 freshmen through six games, one more than he did throughout last season. DaVaris Daniels would seemingly be the next freshman in line to join the list, but Kelly said Wednesday that although he wanted to get Daniels in, it was "getting close to that time," another way of saying a redshirt decision could be on the way.

With freshmen Chase Hounshell and Josh Atkinson debuting Saturday while Daniels did not, the receiver's chances of seeing the field this season went from slim to virtually none.

Kelly had plenty to say when asked about the freshmen who have seen the field so far:

"Wow, where do I start? Let's start defensively. Obviously [Stephon] Tuitt and [Aaron] Lynch are great freshmen. I wouldn't put that tag on them as seniors, but as true freshmen, they played great. They made mistakes, but you can see that they are going to be a great building block for us.

"George Atkinson on offense has provided a great spark for us on the kickoff return team. I think if you continue to look at freshmen in terms of their impact, along the line, Ben Koyack has done a very nice job in our tight end set coming in and providing us really some solid play when we lost Mike Ragone, who is an outstanding blocker. Chase Hounshell played very, very well for us at 39 snaps; that's a lot of work when you talk about week six, and his physical conditioning was outstanding. Kyle Brindza has been pretty good and kicking the football, the number of touchbacks, that's really impacted what we've done.

"You know, Troy Niklas, he comes in and has to start against a pretty good team against [Michigan State] and came in and has done a great job for us.

"So a lot of freshmen, a lot of guys that are getting in there and helping us. Cam McDaniel on special teams has been outstanding for us. Again that's a lot of true freshmen. Ishaq Williams, you look at what Ishaq has done, he has not gotten as many snaps as Lynch, but you can see him coming each and every week. How's that so far?"

The early returns are successful, particularly Tuitt and Lynch, who have combined for 21 tackles. Lynch has 3.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, eight quarterback hurries and a forced fumble, as well.

And as the season progresses and mid-terms and homesickness begin to mount, Kelly is thankful his first-year players have a chance to take a frenetic game week out of the equation.

"You have to understand, Aaron Lynch, those kids have been up here on campus since June 16," Kelly said after Saturday's win. "They have not been home since June 16, and that's hard for an 18-year-old kid. So this break comes at a good time for our guys to get home and see their families a little bit. So any momentum that is lost in that is gained by our guys getting a chance to get home."