As we begin to reveal the top 25 players on Notre Dame’s roster, our raw numbers point to an intriguing amount of depth on this football team. As you consider the returning talent on this football team—only Ben Koyack, Matt Hegarty and Cody Riggs depart from the Music City Bowl’s starting lineup—the depth chart and high end personnel is there, and that proof seems to be in our numbers.
A total of 38 players received votes in our poll, down slightly from 2014. Seven members of our Top 25 fell in rankings. Two stayed in the same place. Eleven made double-digit jumps.
For as interesting as the Top 25 turns out to be, the players just missing the cut are maybe even more unique. They include Notre Dame’s returning sack leader. As well as the team’s all-purpose yardage leader. Two talented freshmen were just left off the ballot as well, along with two key defenders who could be asked to start plenty of games.
Let’s go through the near-misses as we get ready to start our countdown.
JAMES ONWUALU
Onwualu may have played in all 13 games and started eight last season—his first as a linebacker—but he was left off of seven of eleven ballots. Whatever the reason, the Irish’s returning starter at outside linebacker tallied 18 total points, with his highest ranking 19th on a single ballot.
JUSTIN YOON
Arguably the Irish’s most important freshman recruit, Yoon is taking over for Kyle Brindza as the team’s placekicker, all but uncontested. Yoon was on three ballots only, but received a single ninth-place vote. Yoon’s 19 points was good for a two-man tie at 29th.
ALIZÉ JONES
Yoon tied with freshman tight end Alizé Jones, viewed by some recruiting services as the finest tight end in the country. At 6-foot-5 and pushing 240 pounds, Jones will have a chance to immediately fight for playing time at a tight end position with exactly one returning catch. Jones was on five ballots, tallying 19 total points.
AMIR CARLISLE
Notre Dame’s all-purpose yardage leader finished 28th in our voting, the exact same place he finished in 2014. But this time, Carlisle is coming off his best season in South Bend, a successful transition to slot receiver. The fifth-year player will look to take on a larger role in the passing game with C.J. Prosise’s transition to running back. (Interestingly, Prosise only received two votes last year, good for 32nd.)
ANDREW TRUMBETTI
A promising freshman season wasn’t enough to vault Trumbetti into the Top 25. While he had only one sack, Trumbetti had 5.5 TFLs, good for sixth on the team. He started the Music City Bowl at defensive end, missing only the Purdue game due to injury.
ROMEO OKWARA
Trumbetti’s running mate at defensive end, Okwara finished the poll just two votes shy of the No. 25 spot. Okwara is a polarizing player—he was left off seven ballots, but was 14th on one ballot. Notre Dame’s senior defensive end started 12 games.