Notre Dame football: 5 position battles to watch this spring
By Jacob Wilson
2. Wide Receiver
It was tough to decide between the wide receiver and running back battles here, but I think the former will end up being the most competitive as Kelly could utilize a running back by committee approach in the backfield. While it will be interesting to watch Dexter Williams and Tony Jones Jr. battle it out this spring, I believe those in the wide receiver group have more on the line.
With the loss of Equanimeous St. Brown to the draft and the dismissal of Kevin Stepherson looming large, there are plenty of holes to be filled among the receiving corps. Thankfully, the Irish have done their due diligence in recruiting wide receivers over the past couple of years, giving them players such as Micah Jones, Micheal Young, and Jafar Armstrong to use immediately.
As it stands right now, senior Miles Boykin and junior Chase Claypool are expected to get first looks on the outside, with senior Chris Finke operating in the slot. Former Michigan transfer Freddy Canteen is also available to provide depth if needed. Again, there are still numerous spring practices to be held, leaving many questions without answers.
In addition to some of the young players previously listed, the Irish have an assortment of depth that hasn’t yet arrived in South Bend. The freshmen who haven’t yet been included on the official Notre Dame roster include Kevin Austin, Lawrence Keys III, and Braden Lenzy. Despite potentially late starts, these freshmen will all have the chance to earn snaps once summer rolls around.