To whom much is given…

No truer works have ever been uttered; To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked [Luke 12:48] from the Parable of the Faithful Servant (or Parable of the Door Keeper).  Even former United States President John F. Kennedy put his own spin on the sentiment “To those whom much is given, much is expected.”

No place is this more true than on the Campus of Notre Dame in South Bend Indiana.  Brian Kelly by virtue of his position has agreed to take on huge expectations.  Bob Diacco won the Broyles Award which is given to the nation’s top assistant coach last season making him a very high profile name among college coaches.

Stephon Tuitt and Louis Nix have their names all over all kinds of preseason award watch lists as well as preseason All American Teams.  Have accolades like these and playing for Notre Dame you had better deliver.  If you don’t fans will let you know and Irish haters will yell even louder.

Sheldon day has received very high praise from all of his coaches about his play this fall especially his motor. Kelly says he wouldn't trade Day "for anybody on this football team."  Living up to those accolades is one thing, filling the space left vacant by Kapron Lewis Moore may be even more of a challenge.

Tommy Rees now has the keys to the car.  Being the quarterback at Notre Dame is tough enough.  Through into the mix Rees’s in then out carousel ride over the past three seasons and the fact he has to replace a quarterback that beat him out last season and it can be a lot to handle.  Even after all of that it doesn’t matter, when you sign that letter of intent to play quarterback in South Bend you get more praise than deserved and more pressure than most can handle.

When Jarrett Grace came to South Bend in 2011 from Cincinnati Ohio he wanted to play linebacker, inside linebacker well in 2013 he will have his chance.  You want it you got it, that’s the bright side; he will be filling the shoes of All World Irish great Manti Te’o.  No one expects Grace to have the season Manti had in 2012 but he does need to play well especially having Nix in front of him.

What keeps me up at night?

Someone asked me about my concerns for the upcoming season.  On the surface there should not be a lot to worry about for a team that went undefeated during the regular season with the great returning starters they have.  However, my response was “everything” because I am critical of every team the Irish field each year.  For better or worse, here are some from the top of my list.

Stephon Tuitt’s weight.  At 6’6.5” 322 lbs., he is not obese.  I think the fans and the media may be blowing this out of proportion a bit.  I also think that Tuitt has responded appropriately by not making a big deal of it.  What everyone needs to remember is this is a young man who is still growing and his metabolism is that of a very active young man.  He’ll be fine.

Tommy Rees’s mobility (or lack thereof).   It’s not like Rees has never rushed for a touchdown, thrown on the run or eluded a tackler. It’s not his strength and greatest talent.  Tommy is a smart and experienced quarterback who can use his head as opposed to his feet to keep him out of trouble.  Don’t get me wrong, he will be hurried and sacked where other QB’s (namely Golson) would have used their athletic talents to not only get out of trouble but gain positive yardage.  With Rees offering a lower threat of running, defenses will be able to stay home and be true to their assignments and coverages when facing the Irish this fall.

A standout receiver.   T.J. Jones may not have the stat sheet of Michael Floyd or Tyler Eifert, but he has proven to be a solid receiver for the Irish.  This is an Irish team that may not have one super dominant receiver, but many competent receivers can contribute at any given time, and they already have the nickname of Rees’s Pieces.

Starter at Running Back.  Much like the receiver position, there is not one proven super back but many options with skill and potential.  George Atkinson III appears to be the favorite to start at this time.  Each back brings something different to the table with the style they offer.

Injuries.  Danny Spond showed us this week that anything can happen at any time to change the landscape of a team.  Not every injury is going to be season or career ending, but even the loss of a pivotal player for one big game could cost a team a shot at a National Title.

Please note what is Not on my list this year; who is going to start at quarterback.