In the last decade of these rankings of Notre Dame’s expected 25 most impactful players, never has a freshman finished in the top 20, let alone the top 15.
The Irish beat writers did not expect that much of Aaron Lynch (No. 22 in 2011), nor of Jaylon Smith (No. 23 in 2013) or Kyle Hamilton (No. 29 in 2019). Maybe tight end Michael Mayer would have reached that high last season, but with Tommy Tremble still around and seen as a strong receiving threat, it is hard to envision two Irish tight ends in the top 20, even if pandemic events had not precluded this annual series.