The men behind the scenes: Get to know Notre Dame’s offensive analysts

The coaching turnover at Notre Dame this offseason was a rollercoaster, to say the very least. In addition to a new head coach, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator, the Irish added five new assistants in South Bend.

Where there was some consistency, however, was in support staff. Notre Dame lists four offensive analysts on its website, all of whom have varying backgrounds and experiences. Each of them has also spent at least one season at Notre Dame.

Trevor Mendelson — senior offensive analyst

College experience: Marshall offensive line (2010-14)

Hometown: Dublin, Ohio

Mendelson joined Notre Dame in April 2021 after a season of coaching tight ends at Richmond. He previously spent two years at Wake Forest, Glenville State (W.V.) and Marshall.

Mendelson holds a bachelor’s degree in finance (2013) and an M.B.A. (2015), both from Marshall. He was the Thundering Herd’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2014. Mendelson did not see the field in college in 2010-11, and he appeared in six games in 2012.

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Dre Brown — offensive analyst

College experience: Illinois running back (2015-19)

Hometown: DeKalb, Ill.

Brown is one of the bright offensive minds in college football. He arrived at Notre Dame in July 2021 after six months at Tennessee as the football recruiting coordinator. The former running back served as the director of recruiting at Notre Dame last season before moving into an analyst role this season.

“I think he has a really easy way about him, said Tommy Rees, Notre Dame offensive coordinator. “No matter who’s coming in from what walk of life, he’s been able to connect with him. He’s been able to provide insight to our current rosters having gone through his own experience playing college football, battling through injuries, and coming out on the other side of that.

“So we have a wonderful support staff every step of the way, and Dre is a key part of that.”

After ACL injuries hampered Brown during his freshman and sophomore seasons, the 5-11, 210-pound running back got back on his feet in 2017 and had a very productive Illinois career. 

As a senior, Brown led the team in all-purpose yards and was the Big Ten’s top kick returner, per Pro Football Focus. He ultimately earned All-Big Ten third team kick returner (coaches) and All-Big Ten honorable mention kick returner (media) after averaging more than 25 yards per return. Brown was also a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, otherwise known as the “academic Heisman.” Finally, his teammates named him Illinois’ offensive MVP that season.

Brown finished his career for the Illini with 162 carries for 902 yards (5.6 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns. He also caught 11 passes for 90 yards. 

John Aylward — offensive analyst

College experience: St. Anselm College quarterback, receiver (2015-18)

Hometown: Tewksbury, Mass.

Aylward joined Notre Dame in July 2021 from the Houston Texans where he served as an intern in 2018 before accepting a full-time position as an offensive assistant from 2019-20. Aylward’s father, Brian, is a high school football coach and played college football at Brown with Alabama offensive coordinator and former Houston Texans head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien.

The Massachusetts native and former Division II player redshirted in 2015 and saw the field briefly in 2016 as a quarterback, appearing in five games. He primarily ran the ball. Aylward moved to wideout in 2017, and over the next two years, he played in 13 games and caught six balls for 32 yards.

Aylward famously spent at season at Easthampton (Mass.) Williston Northampton Prep before heading to St. Anselm and led his team to the NEPSAC Championship Bowl. He played the second half of the season with a dislocated elbow.

Gus Ragland — offensive analyst

College experience: Miami (Ohio) quarterback (2014-18)

Hometown: Cincinnati

Ragland primarily handles quarterbacks for the Irish, working with Rees’ group, and is the longest-tenured of the analysts. He was a graduate assistant at Notre Dame beginning in 2019 and has now moved into an analyst capacity.

The 6-1, 215-pound signal-caller spent five years with the RedHawks, but he redshirted his freshman season. In four seasons of playing time, Ragland made 28 starts. He missed part of 2016 recovering from an ACL injury. The Ohio native finished his college career at Miami with a 60.4 percent completion percentage, 56 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Ragland added another 14 scores on the grounds after gaining 882 rushing yards in college.

Notably, Ragland was the RedHawks starting quarterback when they came to Notre Dame in 2017. Unfortunately for him, the Irish won 52-17. He completed 19 of 37 passes for 262 yards with two touchdowns and an interception on the day. Presumably, he has had much better Notre Dame Stadium experiences since then.