Notre Dame TE Troy Niklas declares for 2014 NFL draft

How good remains to be seen, given that the Irish now lost a linchpin defender (defensive end Stephon Tuitt), receiver (Niklas) and regular backfield

Notre Dame tight end Troy Niklas will forgo his senior season to enter the 2014 NFL draft :: Frank Fraklin II/AP

How good remains to be seen, given that the Irish now lost a linchpin defender (defensive end Stephon Tuitt), receiver (Niklas) and regular backfield contributor (George Atkinson III) all to early-exit decisions for the draft. When also considering that the Irish must replace coordinators on both sides of the ball and deal with the absence of leading returning receiver DaVaris Daniels for the spring semester due to academic issues, it seems much more like another offseason teeming with problems instead of progress for Notre Dame.