ESPN College Football

As part of "College Football Live's" 100 Days Till Kickoff countdown, here's a look at Notre Dame's top 10 players.

1) Manti Te'o: The senior passed up NFL millions and returns as perhaps the top inside linebacker in the nation. He will look to build off consecutive 120-plus tackle campaigns and anchor a front-seven primed to take the next step under third-year coordinator Bob Diaco.

2) Tyler Eifert: Like Te'o, Eifert also passed up NFL dollars and dreams to return for one more year. And, like Te'o, Eifert may just be the nation's best player at his position as well. But the tight end will resemble more of a receiver this season, moving all over the field and serving as the No. 1 target for whoever ends up throwing the ball for Notre Dame.

3) Cierre Wood: Coming off a 1,000-yard season in which he lost snaps to Jonas Gray late in the campaign, Wood returns as the Irish's No. 1 running back. Depth in the backfield may keep carries down again, but Wood figures to have another strong season with a proven line blocking for him.

4) Jamoris Slaughter: He probably won't be a first-round draft pick the way Harrison Smith was, but the fifth-year senior is a versatile playmaker who can move up and play linebacker while serving as the voice for a young secondary.

5) Stephon Tuitt: He didn't put up the big numbers like fellow class member Aaron Lynch, but he may be even better. Tuitt has shown the versatility to play end and nose guard, and he will only get better after bursting onto the scene as a freshman.

6) Zack Martin: Want to know what helps with the quarterback transition the most? A proven offensive line. At left tackle, Martin keys that group, as he enters his senior year with 26 straight starts under his belt (two at right tackle).

7) Theo Riddick: You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who stood out more this spring. The running back/slot receiver is a playmaker when he gets the ball in his hands. If he can stay healthy and succeed as a punt returner, he will find his name much higher on this list a few months from now.

8) Braxston Cave: Another veteran piece on this line, Cave stars in the middle and is an important locker room voice. Limited this spring after a foot injury sidelined him late last season, Cave is back for a fifth year, his third in a row as the starting center.

9) Louis Nix: A sub-par spring forced Nix behind Kona Schwenke on the depth chart, but the nose guard is an invaluable cog in the middle for the Irish's young line. A strong preseason camp -- and a capable replacement in Schwenke -- should only make Nix better in his second year of game action. (He redshirted his freshman year.)

10) George Atkinson III: Atkinson returned a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns as a freshman. Now, he's hoping that play-making ability translates on the offensive side of the ball. He netted 178 yards of offense in the spring game but coughed it up twice, and he'll have to ease the staff's concerns since Wood and Riddick are ahead of him.

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.

Just how the Rangers drew it up ...

• Big East commish John Marinatto is out, after a process that colleague Dana O'Neil says was doomed from the start. Andrea Adelson looks at where Marinatto went wrong.
• Our Gene Wojciechowski says that spring football has been a time for healing.
• Missed this from last week, but the Charleston Post and Courier's Travis Sawchik says that Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick has a lot to think about.
• BlueandGold.com's Dan Murphy previews Michigan coming out of spring.
• Harrison Smith lets the people of Minnesota get to know him a little bit better in this conversation with the Pioneer Press' Bob Sansevere.

Abro was all that was right about college sports. Cheers.

• SI.com's Andy Staples looks at what postseason reforms could mean for Notre Dame.
• Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt tells the NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano that Larry Fitzgerald wasn't involved in the franchise's decision to draft Michael Floyd.
• Harrison Smith won over the Vikings at the Senior Bowl, Mike Strange writes in the Knoxville News Sentinel.
• The Minneapolis Star-Tribune's Sid Hartman says the Vikings are getting an Irish accent with so many draft picks from Notre Dame.
• Darius Fleming thinks his early role with the 49ers will be on special teams, Eric Branch writes in the San Francisco Chronicle. (Also, Fleming used to room with new San Francisco teammate Ian Williams at Notre Dame.)

On Thursday, Michael Floyd and Harrison Smith gave Notre Dame multiple first-round draft picks for the first time in 18 years. Chances are the Irish won't have to withstand another drought like that anytime soon, as they may just have players get taken from each side of the ball next April 25.

Notre Dame breathed a sigh of relief this winter when Manti Te'o and Tyler Eifert announced their returns to school, and with good reason. Each is considered to be among the best players at his respective position entering the 2012-13 season.

NFL.com's Bucky Brooks has Te'o as the sixth overall prospect in his early top-30 prospect rankings for 2013, and his colleague Chad Reuter has Te'o as the No. 2 inside linebacker prospect and Eifert as the top tight end prospect.

Inside linebackers aren't routinely valued at a premium, given the proliferation of the passing game at the pro level, but Te'o is a special player with extraordinary skills. He is athletic enough to roam freely from sideline to sideline against the run or pass while also providing a stout presence within the box. Given his unique skills and versatility, Te'o could emerge as a blue-chip talent by season's end.

CBSSports.com has Te'o as its No. 1 inside linebacker for the 2013 class. It actually has Eifert listed as the No. 1 tight end for the 2014 class, as he would technically have another year of eligibility remaining after this upcoming season. Still, the chances of him playing a fifth year in college are, to be generous, slim to none.

SI.com's Andrew Perloff, meanwhile, has neither player in his early 2013 mock first round.

Ryan Braun. Yikes.

• Colleague David Ubben is looking forward to the Irish's clash with Oklahoma.
• RecruitingNation looks at the top uncommitted DBs, many of whom are high on Notre Dame. In a video, Craig Haubert examines the top safeties from the class of 2013.
• BlueandGold.com's Dan Murphy examines Notre Dame's first opponent, Navy, coming out of the spring.
• The South Bend Tribune's Eric Hansen looks at five players who could alter the Irish's fortunes coming out of spring.
• Harrison Smith is ready to handle some of the NFL's top tight ends, Dan Wiederer writes in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Happy Birthday to one of the biggest Irish fans I know, my grandma. (Who doesn't own a computer and therefore will never see this message.)

• Our NFC West blogger Mike Sando says Arizona taking Michael Floyd shakes up the division. Sando also details the rude welcome to the division that Floyd has gotten from Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.
• Harrison Smith and Robert Blanton weren't the only set of college teammates the Vikings drafted, Kevin Seifert writes in the NFC North blog.
• RecruitingNation looks at some of the top uncommitted linebackers, including Jaylon Smith.
• The Saturday stress was worth it for Darius Fleming when he was drafted, Brian Hamilton writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• Blanton returned to some unfinished business upon being drafted, Wes Morgan writes on BlueandGold.com.

Expect a little more purple and gold than usual on the Notre Dame campus this fall.

Robert Blanton became the latest in the Irish-to-Vikings pipeline Saturday, going to Minnesota in the fifth round (139th overall) one day after the franchise drafted the cornerback's teammate from Notre Dame's defensive backfield, Harrison Smith.

Minnesota now has five former Irish players on its roster: Blanton, Smith, Kyle Rudolph, John Carlson and John Sullivan.

Darius Fleming was drafted a round later (165th overall) by the 49ers, who made Fleming the first Notre Dame linebacker drafted since 2004, when the Saints took Courtney Watson. San Francisco had not drafted a Notre Dame player since taking Arnaz Battle in the sixth round in 2003.

Several former Irish players signed free-agent deals with NFL teams -- defensive end Ethan Johnson with the Chiefs, running back Jonas Gray with the Dolphins and offensive tackle Taylor Dever with the Cowboys. Guard Trevor Robinson posted on Twitter on Sunday that he signed with the Bengals.

There were no big pre-draft parties, no three-piece suits for Harrison Smith to celebrate making it to the next level.

The former Notre Dame safety and captain watched the NFL draft unfold Thursday night from his Knoxville, Tenn., home with family and friends, a fringe first-round prospect who knew better than to put all his eggs in one basket in case he had to wait another 24 hours to hear his name called.

"I knew it was possible," Smith said of going in the first round. "I really didn't want to put too much pressure on myself thinking I have to go as high as I can go. I just watched with friends and family and just waited and see what happens. If I didn't go, no big deal, just come back the next day and watch again. I was watching and kind of just waiting."

The Vikings took Smith with the 29th pick, less than 90 minutes after his former Irish teammate, Michael Floyd, was taken 13th by the Cardinals, giving Notre Dame multiple first-round draft picks for the first time in 18 years.

Smith had not had much contact with Minnesota -- at least not in the last three months.

Smith played in the 63rd Senior Bowl in late January. His team, the North, was coached by Leslie Frazier and the Vikings' staff, and they came away impressed with what they saw in Mobile, Ala. But they never talked to him afterward.

"I thought I played well and did a good job and tried to do what they wanted me to do, but they never said anything about that they were going to draft me," Smith said. "There were a lot of good players down there. I think it was just trying to get to know each other well and at the end of the day, I think they think I'm a good fit for them and I 100-percent agree"

Smith is hoping his versatility pays off in the pros, as he can play either safety spot and cover the ever-growing tight end position. Notre Dame's ninth all-time tackler said that he and the Vikings' staff got a good feel for each other at the Senior Bowl, and he is happy to have landed with a franchise he was already familiar with.

"Just taking in their coaching," Smith said when asked what stood out about them three months ago. "There are a few different coaching points from here and there that are different from college and the pros. I tried to do it the way they wanted me to do it and sticking to the scheme."

Is it too early to call Notre Dame the minor league affiliate of the Vikings?

Minnesota added its fourth Irish player, trading up to take safety Harrison Smith with the 29th pick of the NFL draft.

Smith now joins former Notre Dame teammates Kyle Rudolph, John Carlson and John Sullivan in Minnesota. The former captain becomes the Irish's highest defensive player drafted since 1997, when the Jaguars took Renaldo Wynn 21st overall. He is also Notre Dame's highest defensive back selection since 1994, when the Bills took Jeff Burris 27th.

"Harrison Smith is one of the best leaders I've ever had on any of my teams," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said in a statement. "He is an intelligent and instinctual player on the field and a true student of the game off the field. He'll be a great fit for Minnesota's defense and I can't wait to watch his long and successful pro career."

That 1994 draft was the last time Notre Dame had multiple first-round picks, as Burris followed Bryant Young (No. 7, 49ers) and Aaron Taylor (No. 16, Packers). The 18-year stretch came to an end Thursday, as Smith was taken 16 spots after Michael Floyd was drafted by the Cardinals.

Smith finished his career second in Notre Dame history with 28 career pass breakups, and he is ninth on the school's tackles list, with 309 for his career.

Scouts Inc.'s Todd McShay chips in with one last first-round mock before the NFL Draft gets underway later Thursday night. If he's right, Michael Floyd may not be making a return trip home anytime soon.

A day after pegging the former Notre Dame wideout for Buffalo at No. 10, McShay has Floyd Jersey-bound at No. 16, to the Jets .

Harrison Smith stayed at No. 31 with the Patriots.

Our Dave Hooker, meanwhile, re-visited some of the top draft prospects' high school story lines, and look back, it's no wonder why Floyd ended up in South Bend.

Class of 2008
Kiper rank: 13 | McShay rank: 17
ESPN 150: 29 | Position rank: 9 | Grade: 83 | High school eval
The receiver out of St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham fielded offers from several big-time schools but was always infatuated with the Fighting Irish. He only took one official visit, to Notre Dame, before committing to the school in October during his senior season.

One step closer to a win for all.

• BlueandGold.com's Dan Murphy has an insightful Q&A with agent Eugene Lee.
• Another insightful piece, this one from NBCSports.com's Keith Arnold on Ethan Johnson.
• Harrison Smith is coveted supply, Brian Hamilton writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• Manti Te'o cracks Matt Hayes' list of college football's top 25 players on SportingNews.com.
• Charlie Weis is starting from scratch with Kansas, colleague David Ubben writes in the Big 12 blog.

One last Wednesday, one last roundup of our experts' forecasts for this weekend's NFL draft.

One thing I think we can all agree on after some earlier offseason debate: Michael Floyd will be chosen Thursday.

Floyd, who will be in New York for the draft, is ranked as the No. 15 prospect on Todd McShay's 32-man draft board , 14 spots ahead of safety Harrison Smith, who's at No. 29. Mel Kiper has Floyd 12th on his 25-man Big Board .

Kiper has both players going in the first round in his latest mock , with Floyd Buffalo-bound at No. 10 and Smith headed to New England at No. 31.

There are plenty of draft boards that will have Floyd as the best overall WR in this class. The Bills could go a few different ways here, but they really need another threat in the passing game, and Floyd gives them size and smarts. He'll grasp the route tree early, and can both stretch the field and work underneath.

The Patriots will address the pass rush with one of the first two picks, but I think they'll also look for help in the secondary if they like the value. Smith is a very good player. He takes great routes to the ball, and he doesn't shy away when he's closer to the line and has to take on runners. Corner could be a target here, but Smith also makes your coverage better.

McShay, meanwhile, teams up with Scouts Inc. partners Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl to mock the entire seven-round draft . In addition to Floyd and Smith, the group has Darius Fleming going in the fifth round (No. 143, Panthers), Robert Blanton going in the sixth round (No. 185, Cardinals) and Jonas Gray going in the seventh round (No. 249, Falcons).

R.I.P., Dick Clark.

• Surprise, surprise: Brian Kelly says a QB decision won't come before August, Brian Hamilton writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• Matt Waldman of The New York Times' Fifth Down blog says Michael Floyd is the draft's top receiver.
• Harrison Smith has the tools if the Packers are looking to choose a safety early, Tyler Dunner writes in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
• Eilar Hardy wears his heart on his arm, Bob Wieneke writes in the South Bend Tribune.
• Harry Hiestand is making a good first impression, Dan Murphy writes on BlueandGold.com.

Mel Kiper took a look at the best-case scenario for each of the 32 NFL teams Wednesday, assembling every franchise's potential draft picks through the first three rounds should every domino fall into place for each.

Kiper has former Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd Buffalo bound at the 10th pick, and safety Harrison Smith going to Minnesota at No. 35 .

There are front offices that have Floyd as the top wide receiver in the draft, so getting him at No. 10 is pretty fair, given I've had him at about that spot on my Big Board. Floyd is a big target who will pick up the route tree quickly and give Ryan Fitzpatrick a much-needed new option.

Floyd dropped one spot to No. 13 on Kiper's 25-man Big Board this week and moved up one spot to No. 17 on Todd McShay's 32-man draft board. Smith moved onto McShay's board this week, checking in at No. 29.