With Notre Dame spring practice beginning later this month, CSNChicago.com is previewing each position group's depth chart and 2016 outlook. Today, we're looking at the major overhaul Mike Denbrock's wide receiver corps is undergoing (each player's 2016 status is listed in parentheses).
1. Corey Robinson (Senior)
2. Miles Boykin (RS Freshman)
1. C.J. Sanders (Sophomore)
1A. Torii Hunter Jr. (RS Junior)
2. Kevin Stepherson (Freshman)
1. Torii Hunter Jr. (RS Junior)
1A. Equanimeous St. Brown (Sophomore)
2. Corey Holmes (RS Sophomore)
2A. Kevin Stepherson (Freshman)
Overview
Some of the moving parts here are dependent on the health of St. Brown, who suffered a Grade 3 AC joint (shoulder) sprain and underwent surgery in November, with a timetable given by coach Brian Kelly of six weeks. Notre Dame may decide to keep St. Brown out of harm’s way in March and April, which would put Hunter atop the depth chart on the field side (where Will Fuller starred the last two years). Hunter has the flexibility to play inside at the slot, too, where the explosive Sanders is primed to replace Amir Carlisle.
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On the boundary, Robinson — who admitted in February he considered graduating early and leaving Notre Dame — is back, though his 16-catch, 200-yard 2015 season leaves the door open for Boykin to push him for playing time. Boykin impressed coaches and teammates during bowl practice and physically is ready to play, clearing an important hurdle for the redshirt freshman-to-be to get some targets this fall.
Boykin, Sanders and Holmes — who was passed up on the depth chart by St. Brown last year — could get a more extended look during spring practice given Robinson and Hunter’s veteran status (and Hunter’s involvement on the Irish baseball team). If St. Brown is a full participant, it’d make Holmes’ path to playing time a little more difficult. Stepherson profiles as a field-side receiver, too, and should get some run at that position this spring as well.
Outlook
Just about everyone inside the Guglielmino Athletics Complex raves about St. Brown’s potential, and combined with Boykin’s strength and Sanders’ quickness, there’s a lot to like about the rising sophomore class of Irish receivers. And given wide receivers coach Mike Denbrock’s ability to develop successful receivers recently (most notably Fuller, but also Chris Brown and T.J. Jones) there are plenty of reasons to believe this group will remain productive despite losing Fuller, Brown and Carlisle’s 142 catches, 2,210 yards and 19 touchdowns from last year.
[MORE: Looking ahead to Notre Dame's running backs]
Incoming freshmen
Stepherson, a three-star recruit from Jacksonville, Fla., enrolled in January and will participate in spring practice. Notre Dame also signed four-star Corona, Calif. native Javon McKinley and four-star Canadian Chase Claypool, both of whom could push for playing time this summer given Notre Dame’s general affability toward playing first-year receivers.