John Walters

Just days before Notre Dame kicks off the 2008 season versus San Diego State, we give you a Top 25 ranking of Irish impact players this season. This is not a ranking of the best players on the roster (if it were, David Bruton would be No. 1), but instead a rating of players based on their value to the team’s success.

Feel free to save and remind us how off-base we were by omitting Asaph Schwapp or Kerry Neal, or by ranking James Aldridge lower than Golden Tate. Or submit a list of your own. Here we go: 

25. Dayne Crist, QB
God forbid. Evan Sharpley did a commendable job last season in an untenable situation. But if Jimmy Clausen were to suffer a season-ending injury in September, would Weis go to Sharpley and basically mortgage another season? Or would he kick-start the future with Crist, a heralded true freshman?

24. Eric Maust, P
The Irish punted 6.3 times per game in 2007 and Charlie Weis surely hopes that Maust, who averaged 42.1 yards per kick, sees fewer long snaps this year.

23. Robert Blanton, CB
The word out of summer camp is that this true freshman may be the Irish’s best — and cockiest — corner since Shane Walton. One of more than a handful of true frosh who should see playing time this Saturday.

22. Brandon Walker, K
One of the most emblematic moments of last season’s failure was Walker not being called on to kick the potential game-winner versus Navy because Weis felt that it was out of his range. The kick would have been a 41-yarder. Walker, who was 6-for-12 last year with a long of 48, must be more productive this season.

21. James Aldridge, RB
Why do we have last year’s leading rusher so low on this list? Because while Aldridge may look the best in shoulder pads, Armando Allen is quicker and Robert Hughes hits holes harder — and lower. Aldridge did not score a touchdown last season and had the lowest yards-per-carry average of the trio. He is a mystery.

20. David Grimes, WR
We haven’t forgotten the incredible touchdown catch at Stanford of which Grimes was robbed. It’s just that Grimes is merely a possession receiver, not a game-breaker. And his yards-after-catch are minimal.

19. Morrice Richardson, DE
It’s time for the 6-2, 255 pound Richardson, who had just one more tackle (7) a year ago than tight end John Carlson (don’t ask), to begin making his mark in a gold helmet.

18. Dan Wenger, C
Started the final two games of ’07 after John Sullivan was injured and performed well with Clausen as his quarterback.

17. Terrail Lambert, CB
With Darrin Walls taking a leave of absence, more pressure falls on Lambert, the team’s best coverage corner.

16. Chris Stewart, RG
There was a time last autumn when it seemed quite probable that the mammoth Stewart (6-5, 337) would join the list of South Bend defectors. Now he and Sam Young should team up to create a pancake shack on the right side of the line.

15. Kyle Rudolph, TE
Weis loves tight ends, as the two who have started for him (Anthony Fasano, John Carlson) are now in the NFL. Rudolph runs well and is more physically reminiscent of the latter, who led the Irish in receptions last season. Though a true freshman, Rudolph has impressed from the start.

14. Harrison Smith, OLB
Call it a feeling. Smith, who never saw the field as a freshman last season, just looks like a gamer. He returned an interception for a TD in the Blue-Gold game, and the fact that he moved from safety to this spot tells us that the coaches just couldn’t see a way to keep him off the field.

13. Armando Allen, RB
Yes, he is quick, but can Allen break a tackle? The sophomore broke the dubious school record last season for most kick returns in a year, but his longest was 38 yards. It was a respectable freshman season, as Allen had more than twice as many all-purpose yards (98 per game) than any of his teammates. Now he just needs to be more consistent.

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