Tobias Merriweather Is On The Verge Of Becoming "The Guy" In The Notre Dame Offense

Sophomore wide receiver Tobias Merriweather has a chance to become the top pass catcher for Notre Dame in 2023

Notre Dame looks a lot different at wide receiver right now than it did a season ago, and the unit has far more impressive depth and talent than it possessed last spring. Things are certainly trending in the right direction for the wideouts, but there are still questions that persist. One is who will be "the guy" in the pass game, but the spring performance of sophomore Tobias Merriweather has Notre Dame much closer to having that answer.

The return of junior Jayden Thomas gives Notre Dame a steady presence in the slot, but there's a gaping hole in the offense that tight end Michael Mayer left behind. When Notre Dame needed a big play in the pass game last season they would usually turn to their All-American tight end, but he's now off to the NFL. Notre Dame needs to replace his production, but it also needs to find a pass game threat that can have a similar big moment and big game impact.

Asking a player with just one career catch to become that player is quite the task, but Merriweather has the talent to be that player. The West Camas, Wash. native has a unique blend of size (6-4, 205), athleticism and playmaking potential to be an impact pass catcher. His ball skills, route running and athleticism were why I graded Merriweather out as the top recruit in the 2022 Irish class.

Merriweather has been the spring standout at wide receiver, and he has quickly become a favorite of Tyler Buchner and especially Sam Hartman. Merriweather is proving to be a legit downfield weapon, but he's much more than that. He shows an advanced feel for the game for such a young receiver, and he's stronger now than he was in the fall. That should allow him to not only be a productive vertical player, but also a pass catcher capable of making some of the tougher plays.

Of course, breaking out in the spring doesn't automatically guarantee success in the fall. Merriweather has just once career catch, and as impressive as that play was, he goes into his second season with very little experience. Going from what we saw from him as a freshman to being "the guy" as a sophomore won't be easy, but Merriweather has the talent to be that kind of player.

It's not unheard of at Notre Dame.

In 2007, freshman Golden Tate had just 6 catches for 131 yards and one score.

In 2013, freshman Will Fuller had just 6 catches for 160 yards and a score.

In 2015, freshman Equanimeous St. Brown had just 1 catch for.8 yards.

The sophomore seasons for reach player was a completely different story. Tate broke free with 58 catches for 1,080 yards and 10 scores in his second season. Fuller hauled in 76 passes for 1,094 yards and 15 touchdowns in his second season. St. Brown caught 58 passes for 961 yards and scored 9 times in year two.

If Merriweather can be the next sophomore standout at wide receiver for Notre Dame the Irish offense will have a chance to be outstanding. If Hartman wins the starting job, which I do expect him to do, he wants to throw the ball down the field, and Merriweather can be a major downfield weapon. Merriweather also has the tools to use his route running talent to get open for volume throws. That should allow Hartman to continue being one of the game's best downfield throwers, but also allow Merriweather to produce at a consistent level.

The key for Merriweather will be taking his strong spring and building on it during the summer. That means continuing to get stronger, continuing to enhance his craft and maintaining the confidence that has allowed him to be so productive this spring.

Merriweather truly breaking out means the Irish have someone to help replace Mayer's production, and it will make it much, much harder for defenses to zero in on the run game like they did a season ago. It's the kind of all-around impact that Notre Dame needs from its top pass catcher.

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