Notre Dame at this point in time has no clue what to expect heading into the 2014 season. They would obviously like to get back into championship contention, but the common consensus is that they will go into the year right outside the top 10 as far as rankings are concerned. They have a lot of talent on the roster, but KeiVarae Russell is developing into one of the most important pieces on their team.
In college football, the most pro potential does not always mean that a player is dominant. However, Russell is really emerging as a guy who can shut down the passing game with his ability at cornerback. The junior is projected at this time to be a potential top 50 pick in the NFL draft if he comes out a year early. For now, he is focused on helping the secondary for Notre Dame and getting them into the 1st BCS playoff.
At the beginning of his career, Russell came to Notre Dame as a running back. He quickly turned into a cornerback, and that has obviously worked out very well for him. He will be really tested this upcoming year thanks to the schedule Notre Dame has. In particular, he will be facing some of the best wide receivers in the country, including Nelson Agholor out of USC and Rashad Greene from Florida State. People in fantasy football feel like if he can shut those guys down, he will have no issue in the pros.
Russell is known around Notre Dame as a guy who does his job and is not really command the type of attention the other star players do. Guys like Everett Golson, Jaylon Smith and other stars will probably get the bulk of attention all season long. Even though he does not exactly stand out off the field, he is the most important piece on defense for the Fighting Irish heading into 2014. He has a chance to have a very special season in what could be his last year in South Bend.
Author: Shawn Drebbits
