Cast of Characters

QB – Dayne Crist (junior-2010)
QB - Nate Montana (junior)

RB – Armando Allen (senior)
RB - Cierre Wood (sophomore)
RB - Robert Hughes (senior)
RB - Jonas Gray (junior)

WR – Michael Floyd (junior)
WR - Tai-ler Jones (freshman)
WR - Duval Kamara (senior)
WR – Shaquelle Evans (sophomore)
WR - Theo Riddick (sophomore)
WR – John Goodman (junior)

TE - Kyle Rudolph (junior)


What’s the Scoop?

The Fighting Irish kicked Charlie Weis to the curb after another disappointing season and brought in new head coach Brian Kelly.  Kelly worked some fantasy magic both at Central Michigan and Cincinnati, and most believe he’ll be able to do the same in South Bend. 

This fall he’ll have to do it with some new weapons, as both Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate depart to the NFL.  Dayne Crist is the unquestioned starting quarterback heading into the fall and he’ll have two outstanding targets to throw to in wide receiver Michael Floyd and tight end Kyle Rudolph.  The running back situation isn’t so clear as many backs could be vying for playing time.


Who’s Gone?

QB Jimmy Clausen left school early for the NFL, where he was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the 2nd round.  He threw for 3,722 yards and an impressive 28-4 TD-INT ratio last fall.

WR Golden Tate graduates after an outstanding senior season in which he hauled in 93 balls for 1,496 yards and 15 scores.  He was also a threat in ND’s rushing attack (25-185-2).


Who’s Back?

With Jimmy out of the picture, quarterback Dayne Crist becomes the new Big Man On Campus.  He returned this spring from a surgically repaired knee and performed pretty well in limited non-contact action.  When healthy, Crist appears to have the perfect skill set to run Brian Kelly’s spread offense, where the QB is asked to tote the rock a bit.  However, with Crist coming off the knee injury the running part of his game may take a while to come around.

Running back Armando Allen returns after an injury-riddled ‘09 campaign.  He left spring camp technically as the No. 1 RB, but don’t expect workhorse-like stats.

Running back Cierre Wood was one of the jewels of the 2009 recruiting class.  He had a huge spring game rushing for 110 yards and 2 scores.  Look for him to make some noise this fall, but he might be a year away from truly making his mark. Robert Hughes and Jonas Gray are also in the mix for carries.

Wide receiver Michael Floyd is an elite fantasy option.  He posted a 44-795-9 statline last season which is remarkable when you consider he only played in 7 games.  Stretch those numbers out over a full 12-game slate are you’re looking at something like 75-1,300-14.

Tai-ler Jones is a freshman January enrollee who absolutely lit it up this spring and could wind up starting opposite of Floyd this fall.  Keep a very close eye on this 6’0 184-pounder.

The rest of the receiving corps is deep with Shaq Evans, Theo Riddick, Duval Kamara, and John Goodman rounding out the bunch.

Tight end Kyle Rudolph caught 33 balls for 364 yards and 3 TDs last fall before missing the final 3 games with an injured shoulder.  Tight ends can get lost in the spread offense, and Kelly never cultivated one worth a fantasy darn in the past.  But Kelly has never had one as talented at Rudolph before, either.  Look for the coaching staff to flex out the 6’6 Rudolph as a big WR to create match up problems for the defense.


What Can We Expect in 2010?

Brian Kelly has been a fantasy owner’s best friend throughout his career.  His offenses post big yards and points everywhere he’s been.  And he’ll probably have more sheer talent at his disposal this fall than ever before in his career.  But can he make things gel in Year One?  That’s the question. 

Kelly literally threw out Chuck Weis’s playbook this spring - they didn’t keep a single play from the old pro style offense.  He is installing his spread system come hell or high water.

One would expect there to be some sort of a learning curve this fall.  You’ve got a new coach, new quaerterback, new terminology, and a new playbook.  And that quarterback - who will be asked to run the ball a lot - is coming off ACL surgery.  Thus, I wouldn’t expect the ND offense to go gangbusters straight out of the gate.  I’d expect to see steady improvement as the season goes on, and in 2011, LOOK OUT.

As for this fall, Michael Floyd will still get plenty of touches - the coaches would be crazy to diminish his role.  He could be the most talented wideout in the country and is likely to leave early for the NFL next spring.

It will be interesting to see how the coaching staff utilizes Kyle Rudolph.  They said all of the right things about him this spring - that he will be a major weapon - but Kelly has yet to produce a fantasy-worthy tight end.  Perhaps Rudolph’s talent will be too much for him to ignore.  We shall see. 

Dayne Crist has yet to truly “run” the offense (no pun intended) due to his knee injury.  He did most of his spring work in the pocket.  His first work at practicing the QB running plays will be in summer camp.  Will that give him enough time to master the offense?  And will his knee hold up?  These are the questions that will define his fantasy viability.


If Your Fantasy Draft Was Today...

Michael Floyd should be the one of the first 5 wide receivers off the board in every league format. 

Dayne Crist is a prime candidate to be over-drafted in most leagues since, well, he is the Notre Dame quarterback.  Before you make him your QB1, just remember that Crist has thrown all of 20 passes in his career and is coming off ACL surgery.  We think he’d be better suited as a QB2 in BCS leagues or QB3 in All-120 formats . 

Armando Allen is worthy of consideration in deep All-120 leagues, especially those that reward for receptions (PPR). Cierre Wood might be worth a flier in the late rounds as long as you keep your expectations in check. Remember that Brian Kelly isn’t exactly known for churning out fantasy RBs.

Tai-ler Jones is another guy to consider in deeper leagues, and he is an excellent keeper league option.  The ceiling is high on this youngster.

Kyle Rudolph will be drafted as one of the top three tight ends this draft season in what amounts to be a major down year for the position.