2015 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

2015 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Fiesta Bowl, L 28–44 vs. Ohio State
Conference	Independent
Ranking
Coaches	No. 12
AP	No. 11
Record	10–3
Head coach	Brian Kelly (6th season)
Offensive coordinator	Mike Sanford Jr. (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Brian VanGorder (2nd season)
Base defense	4–3 multiple
MVP	Will Fuller
Captains	Sheldon Day Nick Martin Joe Schmidt Jaylon Smith Matthias Farley
Home stadium	Notre Dame Stadium

2015 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records

	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 11 Notre Dame			–						10	–	3
BYU			–						9	–	4
Army			–						2	–	10
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2015 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In their sixth year under head coach Brian Kelly, the Irish compiled a 10–3 record, outscored opponents by a total of 445 to 313, and were ranked No. 11 in the final AP poll and No. 12 in the final Coaches Poll. They lost to No. 12 Clemson, No. 9 Stanford, and No. 7 Ohio State, the latter loss in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Irish had 14 plays of over 50 yards during the season, which was a school record. They also had two touchdowns of over 90 yards, a 91-yard touchdown run by C.J. Prosise and a 98-yard touchdown run by Josh Adams. The Irish only had two such plays in the previous 126 years. The team's statistical leaders were quarterback DeShone Kizer (2,884 passing yards), running back C.J. Prosise (1,032 rushing yards), wide receiver Will Fuller (62 receptions for 1,258 yards), and kicker Justin Yoon (95 points scored). Fuller was selected as the team's most valuable player. Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley and linebacker Jaylon Smith were consensus first-team picks on the 2015 All-America college football team.

The team played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 5	7:30 p.m.	Texas	No. 11	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN	NBC	W 38–3	80,795
September 12	3:30 p.m.	at Virginia	No. 9	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	ABC	W 34–27	58,200
September 19	3:30 p.m.	No. 14 Georgia Tech	No. 8	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	NBC	W 30–22	80,795
September 26	3:30 p.m.	UMass	No. 6	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN	NBC	W 62–27	80,795
October 3	8:00 p.m.	at No. 12 Clemson	No. 6	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC (College GameDay)	ABC	L 22–24	82,415
October 10	3:30 p.m.	Navy	No. 15	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	NBC	W 41–24	80,795
October 17	7:30 p.m.	USC	No. 14	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (rivalry)	NBC	W 41–31	80,795
October 31	8:00 p.m.	at No. 21 Temple	No. 9	Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA	ABC	W 24–20	69,280
November 7	12:00 p.m.	at Pittsburgh	No. 5	Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA (rivalry)	ABC	W 42–30	68,400
November 14	3:30 p.m.	Wake Forest	No. 4	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN	NBC	W 28–7	80,795
November 21	7:30 p.m.	vs. Boston College	No. 4	Fenway Park Boston, MA (Shamrock Series, Holy War)	NBCSN	W 19–16	38,686
November 28	7:30 p.m.	at No. 9 Stanford	No. 6	Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA (rivalry)	Fox	L 36–38	51,424
January 1, 2016	1:00 p.m.	vs. No. 7 Ohio State	No. 8	University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, AZ (Fiesta Bowl)	ESPN	L 28–44	71,123
Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 3 released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

Before the season

On May 19, 2015, quarterback Everett Golson announced he was transferring to Florida State to complete his college eligibility. During the off-season, Notre Dame lost three assistant coaches to other opportunities: Kerry Cooks left for University of Oklahoma. Matt LaFleur departed for the Atlanta Falcons, and Tony Alford left for Ohio State. Also, outside linebackers coach Bob Elliott moved into an off-the-field coaching role within the program. To replace their losses, Notre Dame added four new assistant coaches. Mike Sanford Jr. former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Boise State accepted the same position on the coaching staff. Todd Lyght, a former All-American at Notre Dame and cornerbacks coach at Vanderbilt, accepted the same position at Notre Dame. Keith Gilmore, previously the defensive line coach at North Carolina, accepted the same position on the coaching staff. Autry Denson, Notre Dame's all-time leading rusher and running backs coach at the University of South Florida, accepted the same position at Notre Dame.

A Season with Notre Dame

The 2015 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was featured in the miniseries, A Season With Notre Dame Football on Showtime, which premiered on Tuesday September 8, 2015. It followed Fighting Irish football players and coaches at University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Each episode reviews highlights of every football game played during the current season of Notre Dame football. The series was narrated by actor and Fighting Irish fan Barry Pepper. The tagline was "It's more than just a game."

Rankings

Further information: 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	11	9	8	6	6	15	14	11	9	8	6	5	4	9	8	11
Coaches	11	11	10	8	7	15	13	10	9	9	6	5	4	10	9	12
CFP	Not released									5	4	4	6	8	8	Not released

Game summaries

Texas

Texas at Notre Dame

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Longhorns	0	0	3	0	3
• No. 11 Fighting Irish	14	3	14	7	38

• Date: September 5, 2015
• Location: Notre Dame Stadium
  South Bend, IN
• Game start: 7:42 p.m. EDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 11 minutes
• Game attendance: 80,795
• Game weather: Temperature: 82 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Clear • Wind: E 3 MPH
• Referee: Mike Defee
• TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

See also: 2015 Texas Longhorns football team

Notre Dame started the year out strong by beating Texas by a score of 38–3. Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire completed 19 of 22 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns. The Irish offense outgained Texas 527 to 163 and had 30 first downs compared to eight for the Longhorns.

Virginia

Notre Dame at Virginia

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 9 Fighting Irish	12	0	14	8	34
Cavaliers	0	14	0	13	27

• Date: September 12, 2015
• Location: Scott Stadium
  Charlottesville, VA
• Game start: 3:36 p.m. EDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 36 minutes
• Game attendance: 58,200
• Game weather: Temperature: 73 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SSW 4 MPH
• Referee: Gary Patterson
• TV announcers (ABC): Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham and Jerry Punch (sideline)

See also: 2015 Virginia Cavaliers football team

While leading 26–14 midway through the third quarter, the Irish lost their starting Quarterback Malik Zaire to a broken ankle. Virginia took advantage, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to take the lead 27–26 with 1:54 left in the game. Irish backup quarterback DeShone Kizer then led Notre Dame on a game-winning drive. Kizer converted a 4th and 2 with a four-yard run and then three plays later hit Will Fuller with a 39-yard touchdown pass with :12 left in the game to seal the win for the Irish. It was reported after the game that Zaire would be out for the remainder of the season.

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech at Notre Dame

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 14 Yellow Jackets	0	7	0	15	22
• No. 8 Fighting Irish	7	6	3	14	30

• Date: September 19, 2015
• Location: Notre Dame Stadium
  South Bend, IN
• Game start: 3:42 p.m. EDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours 32 minutes
• Game attendance: 80,795
• Game weather: Temperature: 66 °F (19 °C) • Weather: Clear • Wind: NW 15 MPH
• Referee: Jeff Flanagan
• TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

See also: 2015 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team

Despite being ranked higher than Georgia Tech in both the AP and Coach's Polls, Notre Dame would come into the game as underdogs, due to the injury to starting QB Malik Zaire. 19 year old quarterback DeShone Kizer would make his first career start. The result would be an impressive Irish win, 30–22. Despite the score, Notre Dame thoroughly dominated the game. Irish running back C.J. Prosise would score on a 91-yard touchdown run (longest in Notre Dame Stadium history) late in the fourth quarter to put Notre Dame up by a resounding 30–7 score. The Yellow Jackets would make a rally late, but it was too late and Notre Dame would hold on for the win. Kizer would finish 21 for 30 with 242 passing yards, one touchdown pass and an interception. Georgia Tech came into the game averaging 67 points a game and 457 rush yards a game, but the Irish defense would stifle them, holding them to just 216 rush yards and not allowing the Yellow Jackets to convert a third down until the fourth quarter.

UMass

UMass at Notre Dame

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Minutemen	6	14	0	7	27
• No. 6 Fighting Irish	14	21	20	7	62

• Date: September 26, 2015
• Location: Notre Dame Stadium
  South Bend, IN
• Game start: 3:40 p.m. EDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
• Game attendance: 80,795
• Game weather: Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Weather: Partly Sunny • Wind: W 13 MPH
• Referee: Pat Garvey
• TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

See also: 2015 UMass Minutemen football team

Though Notre Dame would have just a 21–20 lead over heavy underdog UMass, the Irish would score 41 consecutive points to put the game out of reach. Notre Dame would accumulate 681 total yards of offense, 457 of it from rushing and would score 62 points. It was the most points the Irish would score since 1996, when they beat Rutgers 62–0.

Clemson

Notre Dame at Clemson

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 6 Fighting Irish	3	0	0	19	22
• No. 11 Tigers	14	0	7	3	24

• Date: October 3, 2015
• Location: Memorial Stadium
  Clemson, SC
• Game start: 8:22 p.m. EDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 20 minutes
• Game attendance: 82,415
• Game weather: Temperature: 64 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Rain • Wind: ENE 12 MPH
• Referee: Jeff Heaser
• TV announcers (ABC): Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Heather Cox (sideline)

See also: 2015 Clemson Tigers football team

In a game where Notre Dame did everything it could to lose, they came just a 2-point conversion from sending the game into overtime. Down 21–3, the Irish storm back with three fourth quarter touchdowns, but failed to convert the 2 point conversion with :06 left in the game, and Clemson holds off the furious Irish comeback. Four turnovers and eight dropped passes (one which would've been a touchdown) doomed the Irish.

Navy

Navy at Notre Dame
(Rip Miller Trophy)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Midshipmen	7	14	3	0	24
• No. 15 Fighting Irish	7	17	14	3	41

• Date: October 10, 2015
• Location: Notre Dame Stadium
  South Bend, IN
• Game start: 3:40 p.m. EDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 14 minutes
• Game attendance: 80,795
• Game weather: Temperature: 63 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: W 8 MPH
• Referee: Michael Roche
• TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

See also: 2015 Navy Midshipmen football team and Navy–Notre Dame football rivalry

USC

USC at Notre Dame
(Jeweled Shillelagh)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Trojans	10	14	7	0	31
• No. 14 Fighting Irish	21	3	0	17	41

• Date: October 17, 2015
• Location: Notre Dame Stadium
  South Bend, IN
• Game start: 7:42 p.m. EDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 23 minutes
• Game attendance: 80,795
• Game weather: Temperature: 43 °F (6 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind: WNW 7 MPH
• Referee: Land Clark
• TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

See also: 2015 USC Trojans football team and Notre Dame–USC football rivalry

Looking to get revenge after last years blowout loss to USC, the Irish would respond by defeating the Trojans 41–31. USC would get the ball first and score a touchdown. It was the third consecutive game the Irish allowed an opponent to score an opening drive touchdown. The Irish would return the favor with a 75-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Deshone Kizer to Will Fuller on their first offensive play of the game to even the score at seven. Later in the first, Notre Dame would block a USC punt and Amir Carlisle would return it for a touchdown. Notre dame would score 21 first quarter points, the most the Irish have scored in the first quarter against USC in the history of the rivalry. After taking a 24–10 lead in the second, the Trojans would score 21 unanswered points to take a 31–24 lead in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Irish would take control and score 17 unanswered points themselves. Deshone Kizer's ten-yard touchdown pass to Corey Robinson would give Notre Dame a 38–31 lead, and put the Irish up for good. The 41 points the Irish scored against USC would be the most since 1977.

Temple

Notre Dame at Temple

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 9 Fighting Irish	7	7	3	7	24
No. 21 Owls	3	7	0	10	20

• Date: October 31, 2015
• Location: Lincoln Financial Field
  Philadelphia, PA
• Game start: 8:15 p.m. EDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 24 minutes
• Game attendance: 69,280
• Game weather: Temperature: 52 °F (11 °C) • Weather: Mostly Cloudy • Wind: SSE 3 MPH
• Referee: Tracy Jones
• TV announcers (ABC): Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Heather Cox (sideline)

See also: 2015 Temple Owls football team

For this Primetime matchup, the Irish would travel to Philadelphia for a game against the 7–0 Temple Owls. For the first time in Temple school history, the Owls would host a top ranked team while ranked themselves. Despite Temple sporting the 14th best defense in the country, Notre Dame came into this game as double digit favorites. Notre Dame would outgain Temple in yardage 467 to 295, but turnovers and consistent miscues in the red zone by the Irish offense kept the game close. With 4:45 left in the game, and Temple leading 20–17, Irish freshman Quarterback Deshone Kizer would lead Notre Dame on a game-winning drive, finished off with a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Will Fuller. The game was sealed when Irish cornerback KeiVarae Russell intercepted Temple quarterback PJ Walker's pass with 1:09 left in the game. Deshone Kizer would finish the game with 299 passing yards and 143 yards rushing, including a 79-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Pittsburgh

Notre Dame at Pittsburgh
(rivalry)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 5 Fighting Irish	7	14	7	14	42
Panthers	3	0	14	13	30

• Date: November 7, 2015
• Location: Heinz Field
  Pittsburgh, PA
• Game start: 12:05 p.m. EST
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 28 minutes
• Game attendance: 68,400
• Game weather: Temperature: 52 °F (11 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: 9 MPH W
• Referee: Jeff Flanagan
• TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman and Todd McShay (sideline)

See also: 2015 Pittsburgh Panthers football team and Notre Dame–Pittsburgh football rivalry

Notre Dame's 12 point win is the largest margin of victory over Pittsburgh since 2005. Up until today, nine out of the last ten games were decided by 8 points or less.

Wake Forest

Wake Forest at Notre Dame

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Demon Deacons	0	0	7	0	7
• No. 4 Fighting Irish	14	7	0	7	28

• Date: November 14, 2015
• Location: Notre Dame Stadium
  South Bend, IN
• Game start: 3:40 p.m. EST
• Elapsed time: 2 hours and 59 minutes
• Game attendance: 80,795
• Game weather: Temperature: 52 °F (11 °C) • Weather: Clear Skies and Sunny • Wind: S 10 MPH
• Referee: Jeff Flanagan
• TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

See also: 2015 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team

Freshman running back Josh Adams, who was fourth on the depth chart during the summer, broke off for a Notre Dame record 98 yard rushing touchdown. It was the longest play from scrimmage in the FBS this year and tied for NCAAF record for longest run by a freshman. Despite looking sluggish all day, the Irish were able to keep Wake Forest out of the endzone for the most part and win 28–7. Wake Forest had more passing yards, total yards, first downs and red zone trips than the Irish.

Boston College

Notre Dame vs Boston College
(Holy War / Shamrock Series)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	0	3	13	16
• No. 4 Fighting Irish	10	0	6	3	19

• Date: November 21, 2015
• Location: Fenway Park
  Boston, MA
• Game start: 7:43 p.m. EST
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 22 minutes
• Game attendance: 38,686
• Game weather: Temperature: 42 °F (6 °C) • Weather: Mostly cloudy • Wind: ENE 7 MPH
• Referee: David Epperley
• TV announcers (NBCSN): Dan Hicks, Doug Flutie and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)

See also: 2015 Boston College Eagles football team, Holy War (Boston College vs. Notre Dame), and Notre Dame Fighting Irish football § Shamrock Series

Notre Dame's explosive offense would rack up 447 yards of offense against Boston College's defense, which was the #1 ranked defense in the country. But 5 Notre Dame turnovers kept the game closer than it should have been. Notre Dame's defense would only give up 88 passing yards, but failure to score in the redzone continued for the Irish, which leads the country in red zone turnovers with 15.

Stanford

Notre Dame at Stanford
(Legends Trophy)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 6 Fighting Irish	7	13	9	7	36
• No. 9 Cardinal	14	7	7	10	38

• Date: November 28, 2015
• Location: Stanford Stadium
  Stanford, CA
• Game start: 4:35 p.m. PST
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 20 minutes
• Game attendance: 51,424
• Game weather: Temperature: 55 °F (13 °C) • Weather: Perfect • Wind: 7 MPH
• Referee: Duane Heydt
• TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Molly McGrath (sideline)

See also: 2015 Stanford Cardinal football team and Notre Dame–Stanford football rivalry

In arguably one of the best college football games of the year, a game that had ten lead changes and almost 1,000 yards of offense, Notre Dame's playoff hopes ended as Stanford kicker Conrad Ukropina hit a game-winning field goal as time expired. With 6:48 left in the game, and the Irish trailing 35–29, the Irish marched 88 yards in 15 plays (using up 6:18 of the game clock). The drive was capped off by Irish Quarterback Deshone Kizer's two-yard touchdown run to give Notre Dame the lead with just :30 left in the game. The Irish defense could not hold, however, as Stanford drove 45 yards in just 28 seconds to finish off the game with the win.

The Irish offense accumulated 533 yards of offense, 299 of those yards from rushing. The Irish had three scores of over 62 yards in the game. The first was a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by C.J. Sanders. The second was a Deshone Kizer 73-yard touchdown pass to Will Fuller. And the third was a 62-yard rushing touchdown by Freshman running back Josh Adams. At one point in the second half, the Irish offense was averaging 11.6 yards a play.

The Irish defense left a lot to be desired though as they allowed Stanford's offense to have touchdown drives of 75, 78, 75, 76 and 74. And the most costly, allowing Stanford to get into field goal range with :30 left in the game. Stanford scored five touchdowns in five red zone trips.

Ohio State (Fiesta Bowl)

Notre Dame vs Ohio State
(Fiesta Bowl)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 8 Fighting Irish	0	14	7	7	28
• No. 7 Buckeyes	14	14	7	9	44

• Date: January 1, 2016
• Location: University of Phoenix Stadium
  Glendale, AZ
• Game start: 11:07 a.m. MST
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 31 minutes
• Game attendance: 71,123
• Game weather: Temperature: N/A • Weather: Indoors • Wind: N/A
• Referee: Hubert Owens
• TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman and Todd McShay (sideline)

See also: 2015 Ohio State Buckeyes football team and 2016 Fiesta Bowl (January)

Personnel

Players

2015 Roster - und.com
Quarterbacks 17 Nolan Henry – Freshman 14 DeShone Kizer – Sophomore 19 Robert Regan – Freshman 4 Montgomery Van Gorder – Sophomore 12 Brandon Wimbush – Freshman 8 Malik Zaire – Junior Running backs 33 Josh Adams – Freshman 46 Josh Anderson – Senior 25 Tarean Folston – Junior 49 Bailey Ross – Junior 28 Austin Ross – Junior 34 Dexter Williams – Freshman 20 C. J. Prosise – Senior Wide receivers 11 Justin Brent – Sophomore 81 Miles Boykin – Freshman 2 Chris Brown – Senior 32 Cam Bryan – Senior 3 Amir Carlisle – Graduate Student 87 Keenan Centlivre – Sophomore 27 Chris Finke – Freshman 7 Will Fuller – Junior 83 Jalen Guyton – Freshman 15 Corey Holmes – Sophomore 37 Omar Hunter – Junior 16 Torii Hunter Jr. – Junior 20 C. J. Prosise – Senior 88 Corey Robinson – Junior 9 C. J. Sanders – Freshman 85 Buster Sheridan – Junior 86 Equanimeous St. Brown – Freshman 26 Austin Webster – Sophomore Tight ends 18 Chase Hounshell – Graduate Student 10 Alize Jones – Freshman 13 Tyler Luatua – Sophomore 80 Durham Smythe – Junior 89 Ben Suttman – Junior 82 Nic Weishar – Sophomore		Offensive Lineman 71 Alex Bars – Sophomore 70 Hunter Bivin – Junior 63 Sam Bush – Sophomore 67 Jimmy Byrne – Sophomore 79 Steve Elmer – Junior 75 Mark Harrell – Senior 66 Tristen Hoge – Freshman 72 Nick Martin– Graduate Student 68 Mike McGlinchey – Junior 62 Colin McGovern – Junior 60 John Montelus – Junior 53 Sam Mustipher – Sophomore 56 Quenton Nelson – Sophomore 57 Trevor Ruhland – Freshman 78 Ronnie Stanley – Senior Defensive Lineman 92 Grant Blankenship – Sophomore 55 Jonathan Bonner – Sophomore 75 Daniel Cage – Sophomore 91 Sheldon Day – Senior 97 Micah Dew-Treadway – Freshman 95 Marquis Dickerson – Junior 54 Lincoln Feist – Freshman 93 Jay Hayes – Sophomore 94 Jarron Jones – Senior 64 Ryan Kilander – Sophomore 89 Jacob Matuska – Junior 87 Patrick Mazza – Junior 96 Peter Mokwuah – Sophomore 45 Romeo Okwara – Senior 44 Doug Randolph – Junior 90 Isaac Rochell – Junior 58 Elijah Taylor – Freshman 77 Brandon Tiassum – Freshman 99 Jerry Tillery – Freshman 98 Andrew Trumbetti – Sophomore 11 Ishaq Williams – Senior		Linebackers 30 Josh Barajas – Freshman 27 Asmar Bilal – Freshman 4 Te'von Coney – Freshman 59 Jarrett Grace – Graduate Student 49 Brandon Hutson – Freshman 52 Austin Larkin – Junior 48 Greer Martini – Sophomore 5 Nyles Morgan – Sophomore 40 Kier Murphy – Freshman 17 James Onwualu – Junior 38 Joe Schmidt – Graduate Student 9 Jaylon Smith – Junior 51 Devyn Spruell – Freshman Cornerbacks 34 Jesse Bongiovi – Junior 12 Devin Butler – Junior 40 Connor Cavalaris – Graduate Student 24 Nick Coleman – Freshman 14 Shaun Crawford – Freshman 41 Matthias Farley – Graduate Student 35 Grant Hammann – Sophomore 36 Cole Luke – Junior 6 KeiVarae Russell – Senior 21 Nick Watkins – Sophomore 26 Ashton White – Freshman Safeties 29 Nicky Baratti – Junior 46 Eamon McOsker – Junior 32 Nick Ossello – Graduate Student 39 Drew Recker – Junior 10 Max Redfield – Junior 8 Avery Sebastian – Graduate Student 22 Elijah Shumate – Senior 23 Drue Tranquill – Sophomore 31 John Turner – Senior 18 Mykelti Williams – Freshman		Kickers/Punters 43 John Chereson – Junior 85 Tyler Newsome – Freshman 85 Jeff Riney – Freshman 19 Justin Yoon – Freshman Long snappers 40 Kyle Conrad – Freshman 61 Scott Daly – Senior 99 Hunter Smith – Senior

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Year at Notre Dame	Alma mater (Year)
Brian Kelly	Head coach	6th	Assumption (1982)
Mike Denbrock	Associate head coach/wide receivers	6th	Grand Valley State (1987)
Mike Elston	Linebackers/recruiting coordinator	6th	Michigan (1998)
Harry Hiestand	Offensive line/run game coordinator	4th	East Stroudsburg (1983)
Scott Booker	Tight ends/special teams coordinator	4th	Kent State (2003)
Brian VanGorder	Defensive coordinator	2nd	Wayne State (1980)
Mike Sanford Jr.	Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks	1st	Boise State (2005)
Autry Denson	Running backs	1st	Notre Dame (1999)
Keith Gilmore	Defensive line	1st	Wayne State (1981)
Todd Lyght	Defensive backs	1st	Notre Dame (1991)
Paul Longo	Director of football strength and conditioning	6th	Wayne State (1981)
Ryan Mahaffey	Graduate assistant	2nd	Northern Iowa (2011)

Recruiting class

Notre Dame received 24 commitments including one five-star, Alizé Jones. The class included student-athletes from 13 different states.

College recruiting (2015)
Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Josh Adams RB	Warrington, Pennsylvania	Central Bucks South HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	208 lb (94 kg)	–	Jun 30, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (77)
Josh Barajas LB	Valparaiso, Indiana	Andrean HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	–	May 30, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (80)
Asmar Bilal LB	Indianapolis, Indiana	Ben Davis HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	–	Oct 16, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (80)
Miles Boykin WR	Tinley Park, Illinois	Providence Catholic HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	4.41	Jul 2, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (80)
Nick Coleman CB	Dayton, Ohio	Archbishop Alter HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	–	Jun 12, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (78)
Te'von Coney LB	Palm Beach Gardens, Florida	Palm Beach Gardens HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	222 lb (101 kg)	–	Oct 23, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (80)
Shaun Crawford CB	Lakewood, Ohio	St. Edward High School (Lakewood, OH)	5 ft 9.5 in (1.77 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	4.50	Jun 15, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (82)
Micah Dew-Treadway DE/DT	Bolingbrook, Illinois	Bolingbrook HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	275 lb (125 kg)	–	Jun 11, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (79)
Nicco Fertitta S	Las Vegas, Nevada	Bishop Gorman HS	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	–	Jul 17, 2013
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (74)
Jalen Guyton WR	Irving, Texas	Allen HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	–	Mar 30, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (80)
Tristen Hoge OC	Pocatello, Idaho	Highland HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	276 lb (125 kg)	–	Dec 7, 2013
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (83)
Aliz'e Jones TE	Las Vegas, Nevada	Bishop Gorman HS	6 ft 4.5 in (1.94 m)	218 lb (99 kg)	–	Jan 15, 2015
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (86)
Trevor Ruhland OG	Cary, Illinois	Cary-Grove HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	–-	Apr 23, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (80)
C. J. Sanders WR	Granada Hills, California	Notre Dame HS	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	177 lb (80 kg)	4.32	May 6, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (80)
Equanimeous St. Brown WR	Anaheim, California	Servite HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	4.44	Feb 4, 2015
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (84)
Elijah Taylor DT	Cincinnati, Ohio	Moeller HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	285 lb (129 kg)	–	Jun 13, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (79)
Brandon Tiassum DT	Indianapolis, Indiana	Park Tudor School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	285 lb (129 kg)	–	Jun 8, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (78)
Jerry Tillery DT	Shreveport, Louisiana	Evangel Christian Academy	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	308 lb (140 kg)	–	Jun 22, 2013
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (81)
Bo Wallace DE/LB	New Orleans, Louisiana	John Curtis Christian HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	213 lb (97 kg)	–	Oct 12, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (80)
Ashton White CB	Clinton, Maryland	Bishop McNamara HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	182 lb (83 kg)	–	Jul 2, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (79)
Dexter Williams RB	Orlando, Florida	West Orange HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	192 lb (87 kg)	4.54	Nov 1, 2013
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (84)
Mykelti Williams S	Indianapolis, Indiana	Warren Central HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	198 lb (90 kg)	–	Dec 19, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (76)
Brandon Wimbush QB	Hackensack, New Jersey	St. Peters Prep School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	4.65	Oct 7, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (86)
Justin Yoon K	Nashville, Tennessee	Milton Academy	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	–	Jun 24, 2014
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (78)
Overall recruit ranking:   Scout: 7    Rivals: 11    ESPN: 13
‡ Refers to 40-yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2015 Notre Dame Football Commitment List". Rivals. Retrieved February 4, 2015. "Scout.com Football Recruiting: Notre Dame". Scout. Retrieved February 4, 2015. "2015 Player Commitments – Notre Dame". ESPN. Retrieved February 4, 2015. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout. Retrieved February 4, 2015. "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 4, 2015.

Statistics

Passing

1. DeShone Kizer (QB) - 211 of 335 (63.0%) for 2,884 yards, 21 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 150.0 passer rating
2. Malik Zaire (QB) - 26 of 40 (65.0%) for 428 yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 187.9 passer rating

Rushing

1. C.J. Prosise (RB) - 1,032 yards on 156 carries, 6.6-yard average, 11 touchdowns
2. Josh Adams (RB) - 835 yards on 117 carries, 7.1-yard average, 6 touchdowns
3. DeShone Kizer (QB) - 520 yards on 134 carries, 3.9-yard average, 10 touchdowns
4. Malik Zaire (QB) - 103 yards on 19 carries, 5.4-yard average, 0 touchdowns
5. Brandon Wimbush (QB) - 96 yards on 7 carries, 13.7-yard average, 1 touchdown

Receiving

1. Will Fuller (WR) - 62 receptions for 1,258 yards, 20.3-yard average, 14 touchdowns
2. Chris Brown (WR) - 48 receptions for 597 yards, 12.4-yard average, 4 touchdowns
3. Torii Hunter Jr. (WR) - 28 receptions for 363 yards, 13.0-yard average, 2 touchdowns
4. Amir Carlisle (WR) - 32 receptions for 355 yards, 11.1-yard average, 1 touchdown
5. C.J. Prosise (RB) - 26 receptions for 308 yards, 11.8-yard average, 1 touchdown
6. Corey Robinson (RB) - 16 receptions for 200 yards, 12.5-yard average, 1 touchdown
7. Alizé Mack (TE) - 13 receptions for 190 yards, 14.6-yard average, 0 touchdowns

Scoring

1. Justin Yoon (K) - 95 points, 50 of 52 PAT, 15 of 17 field goals
2. Will Fuller (WR) - 84 points, 14 touchdowns
3. C.J. Prosise (RB) - 72 points, 12 touchdowns
4. DeShone Kizer (QB) - 60 points, 10 touchdowns
5. Josh Adams (RB) - 42 points, 7 touchdowns
6. Chris Brown (WR) - 24 points, 4 touchdowns

Tackles

1. Jaylon Smith (LB) - 114 total tackles, 69 solo tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks
2. Joe Schmidt (LB) - 78 total tackles, 42 solo tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks
3. Elijah Shumate (S) - 70 total tackles, 52 solo tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 0 sacks
4. Max Redfield (S) - 64 total tackles, 39 solo tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks
5. Isaac Rochell (DL) - 63 total tackles, 31 solo tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks
6. KeiVarae Russell (CB) - 60 total tackles, 48 solo tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks
7. Romeo Okwara (DL) - 48 total tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 12.5 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks
8. Sheldon Day - 45 total tackles, 33 solo tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks

Awards and honors

All-Americans

Name	AP	AFCA	FWAA	TSN	WCFF	Athlon	CBS	ESPN	FOX	PFW	Rivals	Scout	SI.com	USAT
Sheldon Day, DT	2		2			2						2	HM	1
Will Fuller, RE	2		2	2		2	2		2			2	2	2
Nick Martin, C													HM
C. J. Prosise, RB													HM
Jaylon Smith, LB	1	1	2	1	1	1	1		1			1	1	1
Ronnie Stanley, OT	2	1	1	1	1	2	1	1	2			2	2
†denotes unanimous selection. NCAA recognizes a selection to all five of the AP, AFCA, FWAA, SN and WCFF 1st teams for unanimous selections and three of five for consensus selections

Wide receiver Will Fuller, who led the team with 14 touchdown and 1,258 receiving yards, was selected by his teammates as the most valuable player on the 2015 team.