Notre Dame football: Which seniors will stick around for 2017?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:11 p.m. ET

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Oct 1, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) is congratulated by offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey (68) after Notre Dame defeated the Syracuse Orange 50-33 at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Mike McGlinchey announced this past week his intention to return for a fifth year with Notre Dame football. Which of his fellow seniors will join him?

This past Wednesday, Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame’s most experienced offensive lineman and a trendy preseason pick to go in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, announced his intent to bypass the pros for another year and stay in South Bend through next season.

It was a surprise move, given how other top Notre Dame players with a year of eligibility left the school last year, such as Will Fuller and Jaylon Smith. Besides, McGlinchey is already widely viewed as a physical freak, a specimen any NFL team would want to beef up their O-Line. It’s hard to say how staying another year in the NCAA will improve upon his already sterling draft stock.

But that got me thinking: Who else might stay for a fifth year, and who might call it quits after 2016, either for the pros or simply to move on with their lives? There are 11 Irish seniors, including McGlinchey, who could theoretically come back next year. Here they are ranked, in order of most likely to leave to certain to stay.

But before we do that, it’s worthwhile to note that regardless of who ends up staying, ND will still be losing some extremely talented players, such as Cole Luke, Isaac Rochell and James Onwualu.

Alright, here we go.

Sep 24, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr. (16) catches a pass as Duke Blue Devils safety Jordan Hayes (13) defends in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The next-level guys

These are the players who, if they leave, will be headed for bigger and better things in football. When maybe not really bigger and better, but they will be moving on to the next level: the pros. That’s not to say they’ll be very successful, but the lure of a professional contract and top-flught competition might prove too much for these guys to ignore.

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11. Mike McGlinchey

Yeah, yeah, I know he said he’s gonna stay, but come on. What is he supposed to say? McGlinchey is a legitimate first-round draft pick. Staying another year will do what, exactly? Vault him into the top 10? Maybe, but I would hardly be surprised if he just decided to strike while the iron is hot and get the hell out of South Bend, especially if the rest of this season goes poorly.

10. Torii Hunter Jr.

If Hunter leaves Notre Dame, it won’t be for the NFL. It’ll be for the MLB. The son of an All-Star outfield, Hunter isn’t too shabby on the diamond himself, pinch-running and hitting for the Irish baseball team on the side. That, plus his pedigree, was enough to convince the Los Angeles Angels to select him this past summer in the 23rd round of the amateur draft. That’s not a ceremonial pick. The Angels must think he might actually be a future baseball star.

9. Malik Zaire

With all the hype over DeShone Kizer possibly going first overall in the 2017 draft, there’s been basically no talk about Notre Dame’s other quarterback: Zaire. After losing the QB battle this fall, Zaire has basically fallen off the face of the planet onto the bench, which he has left only on occasion and never with much success.

But come next fall, Irish fans could be looking to Zaire as their savior once Kizer moves on to the pros. That prospect should be enough to keep him at Notre Dame through the spring, especially as no NFL team has much incentive to pick him at the moment. But if Brian Kelly subjects Kizer to another QB battle with Brandon Wimbush, I expect he’ll pull an Everett Golson and transfer elsewhere.

Sep 12, 2015; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman John Montelus (60) participates in warm-ups prior to the Fighting Irish

The why bothers?

It may sound a little harsh, but these are the guys who, quite honestly, probably shouldn’t return. They’ve received little to no playing time through three and a half seasons, and that is unlikely to change, even with a fifth year. I don’t mean to be mean, and perhaps these players simply love the game too much to walk away before they’re finished, but at a certain point you need to start the next phase of your lives. These players probably shouldn’t put it off any longer.

8. Marquis Dickerson

Never played a single snap for Notre Dame. Not one.

7. Omar Hunter

Even with how weak and inexperienced Notre Dame was at the wide receiver position entering this year, Hunter has yet to play a game. He has just one game to his credit, in fact, last season in a rout against UMass.

6. John Montelus

The most experienced of the bunch with six career games to his name, Montelus has no career stats for the Irish. He has a bit of versatility switching from the offensive line to the defensive, but that’s not enough.

Apr 18, 2015; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Malik Zaire (8) is hit as he throws by defensive lineman Jacob Matuska (89) in the first quarter of the Blue-Gold Game at the LaBar Practice Complex. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The why nots?

The critical difference the why bothers and the why nots is what they can offer Notre Dame in 2017 in terms of on-field productions. They’re not exactly more talented, but given the roster gaps the Irish have and the particular assets they bring, the why nots are players the coaching staff wants to retain but the NFL certainly doesn’t want. So it makes perfect sense for them to stay.

5. Jacob Matuska

Backup tight end/defensive lineman Matuska is really just a special teams warrior, and a pretty good one at that. Role players such as him are vital to Notre Dame elevating a good season to a great one, or an average one to subpar. He will be extremely valuable next year, though relatively unnoticed.

4. Hunter Bivin

Bivin nearly grabbed the right guard spot this fall, but lost out to Colin McGovern. But don’t think for a second an experienced coach like Harry Hiestand will let Bivin slip away. Injuries are so common, and offensive line is such a punishing position, Bivin has already played in every game this year, and in one play he could be vital to the team’s plans for 2017.

Sep 10, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Tarean Folston (25) scores as Nevada Wolf Pack linebacker Alex Bertrando (56) defends in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The mid-level people

These are the players who would almost certainly not be drafted should they opt out of a fifth season, but are talented enough to have a semi-legitimate shot at making it, or at the very least having a big impact for Notre Dame in 2017. So they’ll stay put and try to bolster their resumes for 2018.

3. Tarean Folston

Folston has underwhelmed this year after entering the fall as co-starters with Josh Adams. With each successive week, it becomes clear that Adams is Notre Dame’s new feature back, while Folston is simply a third-down guy, if that. Still, he’s a powerful runner with a lot of potential, and while he might not have enough now to make it in the NFL, another season of collegiate play could allow him to refine his game as a pure power back.

2. Durham Smythe

Smythe is Notre Dame’s best tight end, which isn’t the compliment it used to be. He’s certainly no draft pick, but he could be one of the most experience reliable targets down field Notre Dame has next year. There’s really no reason for him to do anything other than to stay put.

1. Colin McGovern

McGovern kind of came out of nowhere to win the starting right guard spot for this season after never really seeing any significant snaps his first three years. But now that he’s on the field for most snaps alongside four other guys with years of eligibility left, something tells me Brian Kelly will like the idea of keeping his offensive line perfectly intact for another year. Who knows? Maybe another strong season and McGovern could be draft material.