Welcome back to another edition of Subway Domer’s Wu Am I?series. This is a look at who the 36 players of impact are on this Notre Dame Football team for 2010. If you have missed some of the previous Wu Am I? posts from 2010, please check out: Chambers 1&2, Chambers 3&4, Chambers 5&6, Chambers 7&8, Chambers 9&10, Chambers 11&12, Chambers 13&14, Chambers 15&16, Chambers 17&18, Chambers 19&20, Chambers 21&22 , Chambers 23&24, Chambers 25&26, Chambers 27&28 Chambers 29&30 and Chambers 31&32.
So close to the end, as we open Chambers 33 & 34…
Dan Wenger #51
Center
6’4″ 298 lbs.
5th Year Senior
Coral Springs, Florida
Wu Name: Masta Cow
Dan Wenger looked like a sure thing coming out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida as the #3 rated center in the country. Dan chose the Irish over Florida, Oklahoma, and Penn State. You might even say that his commitment to Notre Dame in December of 2005 helped the Irish land Sam Young a month later, and help establish a pipeline from one of the top high schools in the most talent rich state. Dan redshirted his freshman year and was slowed down a bit by injuries. He started his sophomore season by being the #1 right guard, but was hampered by injuries throughout the season. He started the last two games of the 2007 season at center. Dan started all 13 games at center in 2008, and looked like he might have put his injury plagued past behind him.Things changed, once again, for Dan in 2009. Dan was passed over as the number one center in place of Eric Olsen. Dan started only one game in 2009, and that was at LG against Navy.
It’s curtain call time for Wenger. Dan has been in a big battle for the starting job at center against Braxston Cave since the spring. It has shaped up to be one of the most “back-and-forth” position battles on the team this year, as contradicting reports come out daily about which of the two are starting. From the sound of it, Dan is the most healthy that he has ever been while at Notre Dame. The wrist injuries that he has suffered were serious setbacks- especially while playing at center. No matter where Wenger finally ends up on the depth chart, he provides good depth across the interior of the offensive line at center or a guard. In a lot of cases, a players 5th year lights a fire under their ass that is very evident on the field of play. Can Dan be placed in that category? We will know soon enough.
Jonas Gray #25
Running Back
5’10” 230 lbs.
Junior
Pontiac, Michigan
Wu Name: Dagger Darts
You could say that Jonas Gray was a huge get for the Irish in its 2008 recruiting class. Jonas had already committed to Nebraska and had offers from in-state powers Michigan and Michigan State, as well as Wisconsin and Penn State. He became a key part of a recruiting class that would finish as the #1 class in the country following a season for Notre Dame that had been one of its worst all-time with a 3-9 record. Jonas was considered to have all of the skills needed to be that every down back that Notre Dame had lacked since the days of Darius Walker. Speed. power, agility- Gray looked the part. Jonas saw time his freshman year in 2008 and played in 7 games while logging 90 yards on 21 carries. One of his most memorable notorious moments came against Navy, where his fumble along the goaline helped spark a furious comeback attempt by the Midshipmen. Gray saw increased action in 2009, but not drastically, as he shared the 3rd spot on the depth chart with the speedy, Theo Riddick.
I almost left Gray off of this list. He is, after all, the 4th running back on the list and I am not too certain that Kelly will use a 4 man rotation after Kelly said that he had 3 running backs that he really liked. Still though, it is hard to leave a guy off of a list like this with his kind of talent. Injuries happen, and at any moment, Notre Dame could find themselves going from 4 running backs to 2 in a matter of moments. The only thing that concerns me about Gray is his mental progress and his fumblitis that has been a reported problem the past two years. He has the ability to be the best RB on the team because he has a better combination of skills than the rest- but can he produce those skills into results? He will be pushed, not only by the 3 other backs, but by freshman Cameron Roberson as well. With Allen and Hughes gone in 2011, this season is a big audition for Gray.
