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.
So, lets get rolling and open Chambers 7&8. Kyle Rudolph and Ethan Johnson step forward…
Kyle Rudolph #9
Tight End
6’6″ 265 lbs.
Junior
Cincinnati, Ohio
Wu Name: Dynamic Bandit
Kyle Rudolph was one of the first handful of commits in 2008 for the Irish, and one of the very best. The 2008 class was considered to be the #2 ranked class in the country after Alabama, but after Alabama failed to qualify a few players- The 2008 class rose to #1. So, there is something to be said about a player that was one of the best players in a class that was the best in the country. Rudolph chose the Irish over in state power, Ohio State, and he did it early. Once in South Bend, this dynamic athlete quickly became “the man” at tight end, as turned into a starter during his first game as a freshman. Kyle has accumulated 62 receptions for 704 yards and 5 TD’s in his two years at Notre Dame. Those stats are intimidating by themselves, but getting a ball thrown your way with Golden Tate and Micheal Floyd on the same field is no easy task. Make no mistake about it, Kyle Rudolph is a fucking beast. He was a finalist for the Mackey Award in 2009 and is the front-runner for the award in 2010.
Speaking of 2010… Kyle Rudolph is everybody’s All-American. He, along with Arkansas TE, DJ Williams are the elite, elite. Kyle could have one of those banner years, but there is a big change in offensive philosophy with the arrival of Brian Kelly. Can this prototypical Pro-Style TE become an effective offensive threat in the spread? Well, yes- he can. In fact, Kelly is not “married” to one particular system and will find ways for his playmakers to get the ball. But not only does Rudolph catch and run well with the ball, he is a very good blocker on the edge and will be a key component of the running game. Expect Rudolph’s numbers to rise in 2010. We could be witnessing the greatest tight end in Irish History.
Ethan Johnson #90
Defensive End
6’4″ 280 lbs.
Junior
Portland, Oregon
Wu Name: Tha Lonely Donkey Kong
Sometimes it’s hard to get a lot of early recognition as a high school player in the upper Northwest. It isn’t the biggest hotbed of talent, but it does produce giants from time to time. Ethan Johnson is one of those giants. Ethan sprained his knee in the first game of his senior year and was for the rest of the season. That probably cost him some spots in the recruiting rankings, but he was still considered one of the top 50 players in the country regardless of position. It also put him in the pool for his high school swim team to help rehab his knee. Swimming helped keep Johnson’s lean muscle, and gave him good strength and extra flexibility. He was recruited primarily as a defensive end in the 3-4 system and as a freshman he saw action in all 13 games and even started 4 of those. As Notre Dame moved to the 4-3 in 2009, he moved down to play tackle, and although he played pretty well, it was obvious that he was playing out of position.
Notre Dame moves back to the 3-4 in 2010 and Ethan Johnson is going to be re-released into the wild with a switch of numbers (#90) and Johnson moves back to DE. Notre Dame’s defensive line has took a lot of criticism from the media, fans, and even myself in the past however many years and counting- but this may be the year. Johnson has some quality veteran help along the line and playing back at his natural position gives him an advantage that he didn’t have last year. The 3-4 gives a lot of glory to the outside linebackers as they are used so well in a pass rush, but the athleticism of Ethan Johnson will allow the Irish defense to do a wide variety of things with him as he rushes off the edge, takes on blockers, stunts, and even dropping into coverage. Nationally, Ethan Johnson may not be the most recognizable name on the defensive side of the ball, but I would bet that come mid-year, his name will be dripping off of the tongues of a lot of people.
