Players to watch
By ANDREW SOUKUP
Associate Sports Editor
Quarterbacks
According to Bob Davie, Matt LoVecchio will be the starter on opening day at Nebraska. But Davie also said that he will play Carlyle Holiday and Jared Clark regularly, maybe even as early as Nebraska. Davie plans to utilize a multiple-quarterback system to begin the year. LoVecchio will take the first snaps in Saturday's scrimmage. The speedy Holiday will probably follow, and the strong-armed Clark will finish the day.
Running backs
With Julius Jones unable to partake in spring practice because for suspension and Tony Fisher out with an injury, the door is wide open for Terrance Howard (left) to seize the starting spot. But he could be challenged by Mike McNair, who has had a rather impressive spring. McNair, a highly touted recruit who has never fully developed only logged about 12 minutes of playing time last season, has shown considerable promise in spring practice He is listed as a fullback, but the coaching staff has also experimented with him in the tailback slot.
Offensive line
The big offensive hole to fill is the pair of guard spots vacated by Jim Jones and Mike Gandy. Several players could step up to fill the gap, including Sean Mahan and Ryan Scarola. At tight end, Gary Godsey, who played quarterback for two games last season, and John Owens will replace graduating seniors Jabari Holloway and Dan O'Leary.
Wide receivers
David Givens and Javin Hunter are clearly going to be the main receivers. But Arnaz Battle (left) has done a remarkable job making the transition from quarterback to flanker. While he's had trouble learning the routes, Battle has proven to be extremely quick in the open field once he catches the ball. Also, a trio of highly touted rising sophomores, Lorenzo Crawford, Omar Jenkins and Ronnie Rodamer, have made considerable progress during the spring and have shown they are capable of replacing Joey Getherall
Defensive line
Anthony Weaver (right) and Ryan Roberts are the only two returning members of the defensive line. However, the Irish will get an added boost by the return of Grant Irons. The rising fifth-year senior, who is still recovering from a shoulder injury, will not play Saturday. At the nose guard position, Andy Wisne and Cedric Hilliard are competing to replace Lance Legree. Darrell Campbell will probably fill the gap vacated by B.J. Scott at defensive tackle
Linebackers
With 2000 team MVP Anthony Denman graduating and rising senior Rocky Boiman hampered by injury, the linebacker corps are a thin this spring. Tyreo Harrison earned a lot of playing time this spring, and Carlos Pierre-Antoine also saw quality time on the field. Mike Goolsby, one of only three true freshmen to monogram last season, Patrick Ryan and Courtney Watson have also shown dramatic improvement this spring.
Secondary
The biggest question mark for the Irish is the secondary. Brock William's decision to leave early for the NFL hurt the cornerbacks greatly. The only other returning cornerback is Shane Walton, who hasn't seen much action this spring because of an injury. Most of the playing time has been split between Jason Beckstrom, Clifford Jefferson, and Vontez Duff (right). The fastest man on the team, Duff, is also working with the kickoff return team. At safety, Ron Israel has been injured, and Glenn Earl and Gerome Sapp have seen the most playing time.
Special teams
Although fans won't see much of the special teams, the Irish have devoted an extensive amount of their spring practice toward this area. Nick Setta will most likely continue as the field goal kicker, and Setta and Joey Hildbold are battling for punting duties. However, Davie doesn't feel the Irish have a solid kickoff man. The primary contenders for return spots include Vontez Duff, Julius Jones and Arnaz Battle.
All Sports Stories for Friday, April 27, 2001
