Notre Dame's win at Oklahoma last season was a defining moment that announced the program's arrival back among college football's elite. Both teams feature plenty of new faces in key places this season, as the Sooners will look to reciprocate the road upset on Sept. 28 in South Bend, Ind.
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Offense: Jalen Saunders, WR. Notre Dame fans will remember Saunders for his historic performance in last year's contest, as the then-junior caught a school-record eight first-quarter passes en route to a school-record 15 grabs for 181 yards. The Fresno State transfer led the Sooners in receiving yards per game (92.1) last season, his first in Norman. Saunders finished with 62 catches in nine games, tallying 829 yards and three scores. He also returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in the regular-season finale win over rival Oklahoma State. In 2011, his final year with the Bulldogs, Saunders hauled in 50 catches for 1,065 yards and 12 touchdowns and added two more scores on the ground, earning first-team All-WAC honors.
Defense: Aaron Colvin, CB. Colvin is on the watch list for the Bednarik Award after recording four interceptions for the Sooners last season. He was third on the team with 61 tackles, and he added two sacks to go with 11 pass break-ups and 15 passes defended. He had 10 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in last season's contest against the Irish. A potential first-round NFL draft pick, Colvin is back for one more season, this after earning first-team All-Big 12 honors. The 6-foot-1, 181-pounder also started at safety as a sophomore in 2011, tying for the team-lead with 84 tackles.
