BY KEN PACZAS:
Notre Dame fans always wonder who will replace production after a player graduates. “How will they replace Golden Tate?” “With Michael Floyd gone, who will pick up the slack?”
This year it seems to be “Who is going to replace the 113 passes that Tyler Eifert caught the last two years?”
Replacing Eifert will be even tougher, because last season when quarterback Tommy Rees came into games, it was Eifert’s direction he looked. The good news for Irish fans is that somebody always steps up and comes up big.
That somebody this year will be a mixture of T.J. Jones, Davarius Daniels, Troy Niklas and C.J. Prosise. Jones is a reliable senior, who draft experts are already saying should be a lock to be drafted in first four rounds. However, two wildcards are Daniels and Niklas.
Daniels by far has the most explosiveness to the offense. He caught 31 balls for over 400 yards last year which had him missing two games late in year for a broken collarbone. His production should skyrocket this season, with a full offseason of practice with Rees.
Niklas will be the main tight end replacement for Eifert. Even though he has a different skill set, many expect him to be the next great tight end at Notre Dame, following Eifert’s, Kyle Rudolph’s and John Carlson’s foot prints. He is a big body with great athletic ability, where if he gets open and catches a ball, he is a nightmare to take down.
The last player who will ease the loss of Eifert is Prosise. He wowed spectators at the spring game and has drawn many comparisons to Wes Welker. He catches everything and with a slight juke, he can take a five yard pass 30 yards in a hurry. The key for him will be finding a balance between slot receiving and punt return duties.
All in all, Irish fans can rest easy, as Notre Dame’s receiving core is more than capable of picking up the slack left behind with Eifert graduating.
The only question left for them to ask is “Who will pick up Manti Te’o’s production?”
