Point/counterpoint: Which Notre Dame player helped themselves most in Blue-Gold Game?
Several Notre Dame players stood out in the 93rd Blue-Gold Game. But who helped themselves the most?
Blue & Gold writers Todd D. Burlage and Jack Soble debate in a new edition of Point/Counterpoint.
Burlage: Production and opportunity made it Gi’Bran Payne
To say that junior tailback Gi’Bran Payne was overshadowed during his first two seasons at Notre Dame would be a grand understatement.
This time last year, Payne entered the 2023 season as one of the frontrunners to become the No. 2 option behind junior standout Audric Estimé.
Instead, Payne never became much of a rotational regular — though he appeared in all 13 games in 2023 — and he finished only fourth on the Irish with 168 rushing yards and a 3.7 yards per-carry average, the lowest among all Notre Dame tailbacks.
Still somewhat lost in the shuffle this preseason even after the departure of Estimé to the NFL, Payne seized his opportunity in the Blue-Gold Game and put himself in line for a more prominent role in the fall when he tied for game-high honors with 10 carries and led all running backs with 58 rushing yards.
One spring scrimmage proves little. But the way Payne passed the eye test in the Blue-Gold Game after showing noticeable improvements in speed, shiftiness and patience compared to his first two seasons on the job leaves a great opportunity for him to expand his role.
With budding star tailbacks in sophomore Jeremiyah Love and junior Jadarian Price both back and at the top of the tailback depth chart to finish spring, carries for Payne this fall are not guaranteed.
But given the effort and production Payne showed in the spring game, he’s certainly put himself in a great position to increase his workload, big-time.
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Soble: Notre Dame QB Kenny Minchey put himself on the map
Sophomore quarterback Kenny Minchey didn’t play a perfect game April 20. He threw an ill-advised interception to sophomore safety Luke Talich and nearly let another sophomore safety — Ben Minich — pull off a pick six.
But Minchey showed something in the Blue-Gold Game, and he put it on tape for all to see.
Finishing his second spring with the Irish, Minchey went 12-of-19 for 123 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed 5 times for 48 sack-adjusted yards and an additional score. Minchey showed why many consider him the “gunslinger” of Notre Dame’s quarterback room, and why that’s an endearing term.
Minchey is adept at making plays with his legs, but his electric arm really jumped off the tape. He threw a 26-yard over-the-shoulder dime to freshman wideout Micah Gilbert for a touchdown, and he couldn’t really step into the throw.
With his spring game performance, Minchey accomplished two things. First, he reminded both Irish fans and his coaches that he can be Notre Dame’s long-term answer at quarterback with four years of eligibility remaining.
Second, if that does not happen, Minchey dramatically increased his chances of starting somewhere else.
If Minchey entered the transfer portal before the Blue-Gold Game, teams would have very little college tape to work off of. Now, other schools have seen what he can do.
That’s not a scenario Notre Dame fans want to think about, but it’s reality in college football. If Minchey is not the eventual starter in South Bend, he will be somewhere else. The spring game helped ensure that.
