Notre Dame Football: All-time Brian Kelly era team

Wide Receivers

These particular selections were made with a four-receiver set (three wide receivers, one tight end) in mind. While Kelly has put forth numerous offensive sets and schemes in the past, a four-receiver set tends to be the safest bet. First up is wide receiver Michael Floyd, one of the Irish’s most talented receivers over the last few decades.

Not only was Floyd among the top in the nation towards the end of his college career, he also managed to solidify himself as one of the top young receivers in the game straight out of high school. As a freshman, Floyd managed 719 yards and seven touchdowns alongside star wide receiver Golden Tate.

Some chalked Floyd’s success up to former quarterback Jimmy Clausen’s unrivaled talent, but two 1,000 yard seasons and 22 touchdowns under the combination of Dayne Crist and Tommy Rees confirmed that Floyd was more than just a product of the system. At this point in time, Floyd may go down as one of the best wide receivers to ever put on a Notre Dame uniform.

While Floyd had played two seasons before Kelly took over as Notre Dame’s head coach, wide receiver Will Fuller was a sole product of Kelly’s recruiting and development prowess. With TJ Jones, Davaris Daniels, Corey Robinson, and Chris Brown all ahead of him on the depth chart, Fuller wasn’t awarded the same opportunities as Floyd early in his college career.

However, brighter days were ahead for the sophomore as Fuller proceeded to log 1,094 yards and 15 touchdowns under quarterback Everett Golson. While that kind of production is hard to match, Fuller put forth an even more compelling season in 2015, finishing with 1,258 yards and 14 touchdowns with DeShone Kizer under center.

Fuller’s consistency in the midst of numerous quarterback changes caught the eyes of many in the Houston Texans organization, enough so that they selected him with the 21st overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Fuller has since formed quite the rapport with quarterback Deshaun Watson as he looks to follow the paths of Tate and Floyd in the NFL.

While TJ Jones didn’t have the collegiate careers of either Floyd or Fuller, he was an extremely consistent option for Kelly over the course of his four years with the Irish. Similarly to Fuller, Jones played out the entirety of his college football career under Kelly. Over that span of time, Jones had played primarily with Crist, Rees, and Golson under center.

Jones put together very similar seasons in his freshman and sophomore years, recording 306 and 366 yards, respectively. He also found the end zone six times over the course of those two seasons, establishing himself as a solid option early. Naturally, things would take a step up in his junior year as Jones finished the 2012 season with 649 yards and four scores.

Jones was given another chance to serve as the team’s No. 1 receiver in 2013. This time, Jones realized his full potential on his way to a 1,108 yard and nine touchdown finish as a senior. While Jones never quite exploded like some of his teammates before and after him, he served as a significant source of depth and consistency during his time at Notre Dame.

Tight End

Despite Notre Dame’s rich tight end history, naming Tyler Eifert to Kelly’s all-time team was a no-brainer. While current Minnesota Viking Kyle Rudolph contributed heavily to Notre Dame’s success during his time with the Irish, he only recorded 328 yards and three touchdowns under Kelly. Troy Niklas and Durham Smythe, also drafted under Kelly’s tenure, fail to measure up to Eifert’s results.

Unlike many former Notre Dame tight ends, Eifert was not the recipient of much hype as he entered the college football landscape as a three-star prospect. However, it wouldn’t take Kelly’s coaching staff very long to find out that they had a potential star in the making. While Eifert made little noise as a freshman, his sophomore year served as a launchpad for a successful college career.

Eifert would finish his sophomore season with 340 yards and two scores, but things would only go up from there as he collected a combined 1,488 yards and nine touchdowns over the course of his junior and senior years. Needless to say, it could be a long time before we see an Irish tight end put up an Eifert-caliber season for Notre Dame.