Notre Dame's Future All-American Theo Riddick

Theo Riddick

Well Fall Notre Dame Football Camp for 2011 is in the books. 

The story lines have been written…………

**  Who will start at quarterback? 

**  The return of Michael Floyd. 

**  Team confidence, physical fitness/conditioning and a second year of understanding Coach Brian Kelly’s spread offense all good things.

**  The emergence of the incoming freshman into the mix on offense, defense, and especially special teams. 

**  No injuries thus far (knock on wood) to anticipated starting players.

**  The depth at running back will again force Kelly to pencil-in freshmen to take up the slack for the inevitable injuries and dinks at that position.

Kelly made a comment at the end of practice on Friday (August 19) during the wrap-up meeting with the press that set off alarm bells all here in the Station.
Junior Theo Riddick would be returning punts and kick-offs. 

Riddick a converted running back produced the following statistics in 2010.  Remember he only played in nine games.

29 yards rushing on 11 attempts.

414 yards receiving with 40 receptions and 3 touchdowns.

36 yards in kick returns on two tries.

Nothing impressive with those numbers.

#32 Theo Riddick

You give the football as much as you can to the player than can best respond and produce positive results.  We expect a breakout All-American year out of Riddick.  He is going to get his hands on the football an awful lot.  Only good things can happen.

While Floyd is being double-teamed by the best safety and cornerback the opponent has to offer, Riddick will be one-on-one with what’s left over.  The quarterbacks first read will be blitz, the second read Floyd and the ball will be thrown to Theo.

The game plan, nuances as the scoring develops during the game, effectiveness of the quarterback will all determine whether Kelly will employ the “Leprechaun.”  Expect to see former running back Riddick taking some snaps from the shotgun as the situation dictates.   

Last year Kelly had no confidence in the punt return game and instructed sure hands John Goodman to take fair catchers unless John spied a hole large enough to drive a Mac Truck through.
Bennett Jackson did a fair job at returning kick-offs but again Kelly had issues with blocking and the skills of the players he had to use on kick-offs.  Not this year, depth and strength at special teams will be a strong point for the Irish.

We predict Theo Riddick will have a breakout year propelling him into his senior year and a run at the Heisman.

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