Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons to be excited about 2018 recruiting class

2. Chip Long will have a lot to work with for years to come

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long enjoyed much of his success alongside quarterback Riley Ferguson in Memphis, a time during which Long’s creativity was perfectly translated through a fast and athletic offense. The Irish certainly had their fair share of fast and athletic in 2017, but much of that speed was suppressed by a bruising ground game.

Notre Dame will be able to soften the blow of workhorse runningback Josh Adam’s departure to an extent, but what Williams and Jones Jr. lack in sustainability will have to be masked by a more dynamic passing attack. Operating under Wimbush limited the passing offense’s upside in 2017, but inconsistencies in the receiving corps didn’t help either.

However, with another year under his belt and fresh legs on offense, look for Long to implement a very different offense beyond 2018. We may see a jumpstart on this plan with Ian Book under center, but what Long truly envisions for this offense may not be totally felt until Jurkovec claims the starting job.

In addition to Jurkovec, the Irish made clear their desire for speed during the recruiting process, adding athletes Braden Lenzy, Tariq Bracy, and Joe Wilkins Jr. to the mix for 2018. Notre Dame also went in heavy at the wide receiver position, nabbing four-star products Kevin Austin and Lawrence Keys III. Needless to say, Long will have many more tools in his toolbox come Week 1 of the 2018 regular season.