Notre Dame Football: 5 biggest storylines following spring 2018

2. Will this be Alizé Mack’s breakout year?

Despite being hailed as the next big Notre Dame tight end as a senior in high school, senior Alizé Mack has yet to realize his potential for the Irish. Mack entered the scene as a four star prospect, good enough to solidify him as the best tight end in his class. However, things would not go as planned for the young star out of Las Vegas.

Mack didn’t get much playing time over the course of his freshman season, putting up 190 yards on 13 receptions in 2015. While that isn’t all too unusual to see in a freshman, Mack’s sophomore season would be quickly derailed as he was ruled academically ineligible for the 2016 season. This ruling was especially devastating as it robbed Mack of a year under star quarterback DeShone Kizer.

Expectations had been tempered by the time Mack’s junior year rolled around, but the 2017 season still had its fair share of disappointments. Mack would end up recording more receiving yards in his freshman season than in his junior year, finishing the latter with 19 receptions for 166 yards and one touchdown.

While some of his struggles can be linked to a lingering concussion and an internal suspension, less than 200 yards in Mack’s junior year cannot be overlooked. Much of his success this season will hinge on Wimbush’s success throwing the ball, but we haven’t been given enough encouragement to believe even that will be sufficient.