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Notre Dame Strategy and Personnel

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Updated Dec 7, 2009 4:21 AM ET
     
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2010: WR Michael Floyd -- Injured early in the third game, Floyd missed the next five games before returning with a broken collarbone. In his six full games, he posted five 100-yard efforts (and he just missed at Stanford, with 85 receiving yards). He's tall and a great leaper, but it remains to be seen how productive he could be as a junior if he is without QB Jimmy Clausen and receiving mate Golden Tate. Floyd ended with 44 catches for 795 yards and nine touchdowns in essentially half a season.

LB Manti Te'o -- One of coach Charlie Weis' best recruiting gets, Te'o became the fourth Notre Dame freshman in school history to post more than 60 tackles. He has 63, including 5.5 for loss. Will he be a centerpiece for a new coach, or will he take a two-year Mormon mission? He said he would decide after the season.

TE Kyle Rudolph -- Missed a couple of games late in the season because of a shoulder injury, but had a productive sophomore season with 33 catches for 364 yards and three touchdowns. Should be one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the country in 2010.

DE/LB Darius Fleming -- The defense needs playmakers, and Fleming led the tam with 12 tackles for loss as a sophomore. He had three sacks and seven quarterback hurries.

RB Armando Allen -- Led the team with 697 rushing yards and averaged 4.9 yards per carry, but he hasn't yet been a home run threat. In 362 career carries, the junior's longest run has been 26 yards. He has only six career rushes of more than 20 yards.

PRO PROSPECTS:

QB Jimmy Clausen -- He threw a school-record five touchdown passes in the regular-season finale at Stanford, completing 23 of 30 passes for 340 yards. His passing efficiency rating of 161.42 was second in the country after the games of Nov. 28. "After watching him on tape, I like him better than I thought I would," an AFC scout who attended the Stanford game told the Chicago Sun-Times. "He can make all the throws and has a knack for it back there. Plus, he's a good athlete."

WR Golden Tate -- A possible first-round this season or next, Tate figures to end up as a slot receiver in the NFL because of his 5-11 height, and he'll be able to feature his run-after-catch skills. His ability on punt returns is another plus.

OT Sam Young -- The four-year starter at Notre Dame never flat-out dominated and didn't quite live up to the recruiting hype. He does have impressive size (6-8, 320) but will have to show in workouts that he has the potential to be a starting linemen in the NFL. If not, he won't rise above the middle rounds.

ROSTER REPORT:

--QB Dayne Crist is recovering from ACL surgery and hopes to be available for spring practice.

--TE Kyle Rudolph (shoulder) missed two games but returned for the finale game at Stanford.

--Starting RB Armando Allen was out for the Stanford game because of a cracked bone in his right hand, an injury suffered a week earlier against Connecticut. Theo Riddick started at tailback and fumbled at the Notre Dame 15 on the Irish's first play from scrimmage.

Tagged: Notre Dame

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