Houston Griffith finished oh-so-close. In the annual “Counting Down the Irish” series, the freshman safety finished just three points outside Notre Dame’s top-25, leading the way among both freshmen and those “Others Receiving Votes.”
The annual polling of a dozen media members on the Irish football beat hopefully results in a wisdom of the crowd ranking, one that neither overhypes nor underestimates Griffith’s potential impact this season. That impact may not be specifically felt in stats — though Griffith breaking up a few passes or, gasp, intercepting a pass would elevate him above Notre Dame’s recent safety play.