ESPN College Football

Notre Dame placed 20 players on Phil Steele's preseason all-independent team, including 13 on the first team.

BYU was a close second with 18. Army and Navy each had seven.

The usual suspects (Cierre Wood, Manti Te'o, Tyler Eifert) make the first team, as does Notre Dame's entire starting defensive line, even without transfer Aaron Lynch. There are some leaps of faith here, but that's to be expected when picking 52 total players from a pool of just four schools, as many players are unproven. Bennett Jackson and Christian Lombard will likely be first-year starters, and who knows if Davonte Neal will even get the chance to return punts during his first year with the Irish.

Here are all of the Notre Dame players on Steele's preseason all-independent team:

FIRST TEAM

• RB Cierre Wood
• WR Theo Riddick
• TE Tyler Eifert
• C Braxston Cave
• OG Chris Watt
• OT Zack Martin
• DL Stephon Tuitt
• DL Louis Nix
• DL Kapron Lewis-Moore
• LB Manti Te'o
• CB Bennett Jackson
• S Jamoris Slaughter
• KR George Atkinson

SECOND TEAM

• WR TJ Jones
• OT Christian Lombard
• LB Prince Shembo
• S Zeke Motta
• K Kyle Brindza
• P Ben Turk
• PR Davonte Neal

As you may have noticed, we're wrapping up Notre Dame's spring today. That extends to our recruiting team as well.

Our Jared Shanker takes a look at five recruiting storylines following the Irish this offseason: the cornerback need, the importance of four-star linebacker and ESPN 150 prospect Jaylon Smith (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Luers), the potential Hawaiian pipeline, the Elite 11 chances of Malik Zaire (Kettering, Ohio/Archbishop Alter) and whether the Irish can finish off the 2013 recruiting season strong.

The biggest storyline, of course, deals with the cornerback situation.

The Irish already have two commitments at the position in Devin Butler (Washington, D.C./Gonzaga), ranked No. 14 among corners, and Rashad Kinlaw (Galloway, N.J./Absegami), ranked No. 29 among athletes. The Irish are hoping they can also enter the sweepstakes for five-star Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, Fla./Wharton), No. 4 in the ESPN 150, as an Irish assistant visited Hargreaves' school for a practice last week. Other potential options are ESPN 150 prospects Kendall Fuller (Olney, Md./Good Counsel) and Leon McQuay III (Seffner, Fla./Armwood), rated as a safety but who has said teams believe he can also be a cornerback.

Two interesting names at corner are Fresno, Calif., products Johnny Johnson Jr. and L.J. Moore. They are teammates at Central East and both have Notre Dame offers. There was a lot of buzz surrounding Notre Dame in the Fresno area last year with Deontay Greenberry and Tee Shepard both committing to the Irish, but Greenberry decommitted on signing day and a heart issue caused Shepard to move back home. The Irish would love to be able to rekindle that spark in the Fresno area and snag Johnson or Moore.

Here is a list of the cornerbacks Notre Dame has offered.

In other recruiting news this week: Our Dave Hooker writes that Washington Friendship linebacker Yannick Ngakoue's mother would like to see her son go to Notre Dame. He'll visit June 24.

Also, ESPN 150 four-star running back Ty Isaac (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) recently visited USC, our Tom VanHaaren reports. It is still likely that Michigan, Notre Dame or the Trojans end up getting Isaac.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A year ago Bennett Jackson was transitioning from offense to defense to help what Notre Dame's coaches then thought what was a thin cornerback group. The staff likely had no idea just how much the switch would pay dividends this spring, when the Irish were down to four scholarship corners following the sudden departure of early-enrollee Tee Shepard.

Running back Cam McDaniel was brought over prior to this spring, upping the number of cornerbacks to five.

"We're certainly short, there's no question," head coach Brian Kelly said at the start of the spring season. "There's no hiding the fact that we have a numbers issue there. But we'll be smart in how we manage our reps. We'll be smart in how we put those guys in positions. But clearly you know our philosophy and style of defense; we think that we can be a championship team with the five guys that we have there."

Multi-year starters Robert Blanton and Gary Gray are gone, and suddenly the leader of the pack is Jackson, who played mostly on special teams during his freshman year of 2010, when he was also a wide receiver.

No conversations during his recruitment centered on a possible re-location to the secondary, Jackson said, as the move last spring came as a bit of a surprise.

"I'd say at first I was a little moved by it," Jackson said. "I was a little, I wouldn't say aggravated but a little disappointed. But as I went down the road I actually enjoyed cornerback a lot more than receiver, so I thought it was a great move by the coaches."

"I always enjoyed the physical part more," he later added. "I always like hitting. Special teams my freshman year, I was always hitting. I didn't really play receiver too much so I got a feel for the physical part of the game more. And trying a new position, I fit in well. So I was doing good at it, I was having a chance to compete and I just really started to enjoy it."

Of the switch, Jackson said he would likes to hit rather than be hit. Given Notre Dame's current cornerback situation, he may just like the pressure of being one of the best the Irish have.

"Bennett is as talented a cornerback as I've ever coached," cornerbacks coach and co-defensive coordinator Kerry Cooks said. "From the speed, he's long, he's athletic, he can flip his hips. The part that he's missing is just the experience part, which he got a little bit of that toward the back half of last season. So he's still got to grow. The first few days have been awesome -- he's out there, he's talking, he's vocal. He's doing all the right things, so I like where he's at right now."

Jackson and Lo Wood are the No. 1 corners this spring, with Josh Atkinson and Jalen Brown behind them. Wood's 57-yard interception return for a touchdown last season against Maryland is the highlight among the group, which stands little more than five months from a slate featuring Heisman-caliber passers like USC's Matt Barkley and Oklahoma's Landry Jones.

The corners are welcoming the negative perception as a challenge.

"We're making sure we're just focused on getting better as a unit in the secondary because we all know that, hey, the pressure's on us," Atkinson said. "We all just wanna be great and we're all just committing ourselves to getting better each and every day."

Kelly said there are no current plans for incoming athlete Davonte Neal to play cornerback upon arrival, as he will likely be a receiver or return man.

Cooks, meanwhile, is looking at the current situation as a blessing in disguise. If nothing else, he said, there are more opportunities for each player to take advantage of.

"To me, I don't even look at it like that," Cooks said. "I got the guys that I got. If I had eight I'd be happy, if I had four, if I had three — I'm gonna coach the guys that I got and the guys that wanna be here. And to me, having five scholarship corners allows a lot of guys to get more reps, which means we're building depth at the same time as trying to find out who our two-deep is."

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.

Our series wraps up today, the start of spring practice, with a unit that will face quite the gauntlet of high-powered passing attacks this coming season. Who will step up?

OUT: Harrison Smith, Robert Blanton, Gary Gray. Smith was everything Notre Dame could have hoped for during his senior season, notching 90 tackles (second-most on the team), three tackles for loss, 10 pass break-ups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery — all the while serving as the Irish's lone captain. Smith was instrumental in keeping the squad together through tough stretches like the 0-2 start and the aftermath of coach Brian Kelly's controversial comments about the difference between his recruits and former coach Charlie Weis'. Smith finished his career with 309 tackles, ninth in school history, and the safety may just hear his name called on Day 1 of the NFL draft. Blanton came up big during his senior season, most notably with a game-sealing pick against Michigan State in Notre Dame's first win of the season. Gray, the other starting corner, took plenty of heat for allowing several big plays late in the loss at Michigan, but his presence will also be missed as the Irish break in two new starters at cornerback.

IN: Austin Collinsworth, Lo Wood, Bennett Jackson. Collinsworth, a safety, has been all over the field since arriving to Notre Dame as a receiver prospect in 2010, and he has filled in nicely as both a kick returner and on the kick coverage team. Wood has the biggest highlight of the three, returning an interception 57 yards for a touchdown against Maryland. Jackson, like Collinsworth, has been moved as well, entering Notre Dame as a wide receiver prospect and appearing in all 26 games through two seasons, mostly as a special teams player. He has participated with Notre Dame's track team this semester, and his speed will be crucial to a re-building secondary that faces a tough slate of signal callers in 2012, such as Oklahoma's Landry Jones and USC's Matt Barkley. Like the receiver position with Deontay Greenberry, this unit, too, is hurting from a recruiting departure — Greenberry's cousin, early enrollee cornerback Tee Shepard — as the Irish are down to five scholarship cornerbacks, with running back Cam McDaniel now moving to the defensive backfield. Kelly said at his spring-opening press conference Tuesday that Wood and Jackson enter spring as the starters and that, at least at the moment, there are no plans for incoming athlete Davonte Neal to start out as a cornerback.

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.

Pretty prescient with the Bennett Jackson spotlight today, no?

Jackson's -- and every other defensive back's -- responsibilities just grew significantly in light of the news today that four-star cornerback Tee Shepard, an early enrollee, has left Notre Dame. (And yes, the Jackson post was a complete coincidence.)

Brian Kelly said during national signing day that the focus for the 2012 recruiting class was on wide receivers and players in the secondary. While the Irish notched a number of safety prospects, the loss of Shepard gives them zero cornerbacks for this class, and they now have just four on scholarship. None of those four -- Jackson, Lo Wood, Josh Atkinson and Jalen Brown -- have started a college game.

Once Shepard decides on a new school, he will need a waiver just to play this fall. And this comes after he sat out his entire senior season of high school at Washington (Calif.) Union after transferring from Central East.

The late commitment of Davonte Neal is all the more important now, as cornerback will likely provide the quicker route for the athlete to get on the field, over receiver.

Regardless, following the national signing day de-commitment of Deontay Greenberry, Shepard's cousin, this is one blow Notre Dame will have to recover from quickly with spring practices less than a week away.

Thanks to everyone for the big turnout for this week's Notre Dame chat, and apologies for not being able to get to all of your questions.

For a complete transcript, click here.

Among the highlights:

• Everett Golson (South Bend, Ind.): Nobody's mentioning me in the quarterback battle. I got a shot right?
• Matt Fortuna (2:11 PM): I'd disagree, Everett. Sure, Gunner Kiel has become the flavor of the spring since his arrival, but you're also in a desirable position, as one of the great unknowns. You're skill set seems ideal for the spread offense, so I, like everyone else, am excited to see what you can do.

• Dave (Grand Rapids, Mich.): Is ND gonna beat Michigan this year?
• Matt Fortuna (2:14 PM): Recent history -- couple with Michigan's rise -- suggests no, so I'm leaning that way right now. Of course, one can never predict the kind of wild finishes that this rivalry has produced the last three years, though the fact Michigan has ended up on the winning side of all of them gives me more faith in the Wolverines than Notre Dame.

• Joe (Philadelphia): Matt, do you think that in his first year, Davonte Neal could play both sides of the ball to see where he fits best. An athlete of his potential shouldn't have a problem with this right?
• Matt Fortuna (2:57 PM): Joe, I'm sure he'll get looks everywhere in practice, but I think moving a freshman back and forth in game situations -- especially in a spot like corner, where the margin for error is so thin -- could be a bit much for a kid just arriving to campus.

• Matt (New York): What are your thoughts on the shake up in the ND coaching staff? Specifically, I am interested in Chuck Martin coming across the line to run the offense and fix our QB woes. Would you say this is "out of the box" to bring a defensive minded coach into a messy QB situation?
• Matt Fortuna (3:00 PM): Matt from New York wins reader of the day honors. To get to your question though, yes, on the surface to the outside eye, a secondary coach moving to coach QBs and coordinate the offense is a strange move. That being said, Martin held the same duties for six years at Grand Valley State and had plenty of success. You probably won't find a more engaging guy on the staff in conversation, and he is very flexible. As he told us upon his move, "I'm not looking to build my offensive empire." He's a football coach, and this is his next big challenge.

Thanks for stopping by earlier today for the weekly chat. As always, the transcript can be found here.

Some highlights:

• Ryan (North Canton, Ohio): Will Davonte Neal play slot receiver or cornerback? I think cornerback would be more of a critical position for Notre Dame moving ahead.
• Matt Fortuna (2:07 PM): Ryan, I think cornerback will be his quickest way on the field, given the holes there at the moment. I also think he has the talent to be a breakout punt returner. That being said, neither position has much margin for error, and it takes a lot for a freshman to come right in and master either.

• Mike (DC): Any word on if the Michigan game will be our night game this fall?
• Matt Fortuna (2:47 PM): Mike, no word yet. But if ND wants to have another night game this year -- and it would seem like a real possibility given how smooth this past year's went -- then you'd have to think Michigan would be the perfect game to do it.

• Kevin (Pittsburgh): Is it just me, or is Cierre Wood underrated?
• Matt Fortuna (2:49 PM): Kevin, I agree. Jonas Gray got much of the attention last year (and he deserved it) because of his breakout senior campaign, but Wood ran for more than 1,000 yards and is a very good, consistent back to have there. The question is who will step up into the No. 2 role this spring, though there are plenty of options.

• Z (PA): Matt, where do you think M. Floyd will be drafted? I am hoping Chicago.
• Matt Fortuna (2:52 PM): Z, that seems like more and more of a possibility following his performance at the Combine. I'm sure he'd enjoy staying in the area as well.

Here's a look back at the week that was in Notre Dame recruiting:

• ESPNU Watch List tight end Adam Breneman (Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff) will make his college decision March 9 at 7 p.m. at his high school, our Jared Shanker writes. Notre Dame, Maryland, Ohio State and Penn State are the finalists.
• The Irish offered Clairton (Pa.) athlete Tyler Boyd on Monday, Shanker writes.
• Ohio State beat out Notre Dame for ESPNU150 Watch List offensive tackle Evan Lisle (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville), Shanker writes.
• Junior offensive tackle Jake Campos (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley) is hoping to make it to a spring practice at Notre Dame, Shanker writes.
• The Irish are hoping to get junior cornerback Tre' Bell (Jersey City, N.J./St. Peter's Prep) on campus soon, Shanker writes.
• Ohio State became the 13th school to offer athlete LaQuvionte Gonzalez (Cedar Hill, Texas) on Monday, our Damon Sayles writes. Notre Dame is among the 13 to offer Gonzalez so far.
• Lineman Jack Kurzu (St. Louis/MICDS) hopes to visit Notre Dame following a visit this weekend to Oklahoma for the Sooners' junior day, Sayles writes.
• Nebraska offered ESPNU 150 Watch List running back David Williams (Philadelphia) last Thursday, Shanker writes. Notre Dame is among Williams' other offers.
• And from this week: five-star athlete Davonte Neal transferred Monday from Chaparral High School to Phoenix Central.

Again: Poor Northwestern.

• All six NFL.com writers have the Chicago Bears taking Michael Floyd at No. 19 in their mock drafts.
• Writing for Yahoo! Sports, Doug Farrar thinks Floyd was one of 10 combine winners.
• UND.com's Josh Flynt wraps up Notre Dame's week at the combine.
• NBCSports.com's Keith Arnold says Davonte Neal needs to make strides when the spotlight's off.
• BlueandGold.com's Lou Somogyi breaks down the chances for each of the three former Irish players on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot.

The fans have spoken, and they think Davonte Neal will be worth the wait.

With 50 percent of the 1,254 votes cast, Neal won the quickest impact poll, which asked fans which Notre Dame newcomer they thought would have the biggest impact in 2012.

Cornerback Tee Shepard finished second with 38 percent of the votes. Quarterback Gunner Kiel received 5 percent, with wide receiver Justin Ferguson receiving 4 percent and "someone else" receiving 2 percent.

It is not yet known where Neal, classified as an athlete, will play upon his arrival. He figures to factor into the return game immediately, and he can play on either side of the ball. A re-tooling secondary makes Shepard a popular choice to make an immediate impact as well. Kiel, meanwhile, steps into a crowded quarterback competition, likely hurting his chances.

Neal, of course, was the final piece of the Irish's 2012 recruiting class, announcing his intentions 20 days after national signing day on Feb. 21. As his prep career and this poll prove, he was last but certainly not least.

Breaking: Kobe Bryant is tougher than you, me and every active NBA player.

• From Monday: Davonte Neal has transferred high schools.
• Our Jared Shanker has a nice story on watch list tight end Jake Butt, who grew up rooting for Notre Dame and Ohio State but will end up at Michigan.
• The Toronto Argonauts have signed former Irish QB Jarious Jackson.
• Michael Floyd is silencing his doubters, Eric Hansen writes in the South Bend Tribune.
• The Chicago Tribune's Dan Pompei says Floyd was the most notable of several receivers who distinguished themselves at the combine.

Five-star athlete Davonte Neal withdrew from Chaparral High School (Scottsdale, Ariz.) Monday, but his status with Notre Dame likely won't be affected.

"I can't give you the update right now. There are a lot of things, that from our standpoint, we're still getting information in on," Irish coach Brian Kelly said. "But he's going to have his academics taken care of, and that's really the most important things for us."

The move comes six days after Neal committed to Notre Dame, which came roughly four hours after his originally scheduled announcement at his elementary school, which he never showed up to after roughly 600 kids were pulled from class for the announcement. His father, Luke, said that someone in his family had been seriously injured, weeks after one of Davonte's cousins was killed in a car accident.

I've said this before in a chat and I'll say it again: The full circumstances surrounding Neal are not known, and he could have plenty of good reasons for the delays with his announcement and his withdrawal today. But between now and when he arrives on the Notre Dame campus, Neal -- and any other recruit -- is better off with fewer headlines, as they only intensify the spotlight the kids will be under when they begin playing college ball.

Thanks for another strong turnout this week for the weekly Notre Dame chat. A full transcript can be found here.

And onto some highlights ...

• BW (Colorado): Matt,Why is it when a young man like D. Neal waits to sign & then signs with ND do all the haters and others come out and slam
• Matt Fortuna (2:10 PM): BW, Neal was going to get plenty of heat regardless of where he signed. I don't know the full circumstances of the kid's situation so I'm not going to slam him or speculate, but anytime a top recruit waits until after the pack on national signing day to announce his choice he will get some heat for trying to stand out and draw more attention. Add in the fact that he was a no-show without notice to anyone for his morning announcement Tuesday -- and that 600 elementary school kids were pulled out of class for virtually no reason -- and the kid is going to take some criticism, regardless of where he ends up. In the time between his scheduled announcement and actual one, several ND fans had said they didn't even want him anymore because of the circus.

• Casey (South Bend, IN): Hi MattJust wondering what the advantages would be, if any, for "redshirting" Kiel this season?
• Matt Fortuna (2:15 PM): Casey, if multiple guys prove they are more game-ready than Kiel, then what would be the point of playing him just a little bit? The kid's clearly talented, and you'd like to maximize the potential amount of time he could play. Better to have the possibility of four strong years after he learns the offense and playbook on the sideline this year than only three more years after a handful of meaningless snaps.

• Evan (Indiana): Matt, I've been an Irish fan since I was young and I feel Coach Kelly has the program positioned to be a contender. Outside of the question at quarterback right now, do you see an offense that is more talented than the Irish will be this Fall?
• Matt Fortuna (2:31 PM): Evan, I'm not sure I do. Quarterback aside, how do you expect to get better when you lose possibly the greatest WR in school history? Tyler Eifert won't sneak up on anyone again, either. And we don't what's behind Cierre Wood yet. Then again, if this team does a much better job of protecting the ball than last year's, it could have more success.

• Darren (Peoria, Ill.) If you could only take one, between Davonte Neal and Deontay Greeberry. who are you takin?
• Matt Fortuna (2:42 PM): There's no right answer here (at least that we know of yet), but I say Greenberry given the circumstances. Any coach will tell you losses hurt more than wins feel great, and losing a top recruit at a position of need to a school like Houston at the last minute stings.