While most of the attention from NFL scouts has landed on Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph as far as Notre Dame prospects are concerned, there are other draft eligible Golden Domers who have caught the eye of the NFL. On Monday, two of them, Ian Williams and Armando Allen, were invited to the NFL combine.
Both Williams and Allen missed the final four games of the regular season during this senior years due to injuries, but that didn’t stop the NFL from extending invitations to them for the combine in February.
Allen spent most of the past three seasons as a starting running back for Notre Dame but never could quite stay healthy. He missed four games in each of the last two seasons. To make matters worse, it always seemed like Allen was on the cusp of breaking out right before suffering an injury.
Allen’s durability will no doubt raise some flags from scouts, but if he is 100% at the combine, Allen has the ability to catch someone’s eye with a strong showing in the 40 yard dash.
The injuries and poor offensive line play for much of his career limited Allen’s effectiveness. He ended his career with 2,144 yards and 8 touchdowns – solid numbers no doubt, but not the eye popping stats most envisioned for the Florida native when he enrolled at Notre Dame.
Williams, another Florida native, had better luck with injuries, but also had an up and down career. After impressing as Pat Kuntz’s backup at nose tackle as a true freshman in 2007, Williams bounced around the defensive line as Notre Dame’s defensive philosophies changed.
Back at his more nature nose tackle position this year, Williams was Notre Dame’s most consistent defender before getting injured against Navy. Williams was able to return for the Sun Bowl and finished the season with 38 tackles (3.5 for loss).
Outside of Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph, Williams figures to be the highest selected Notre Dame draft prospect.
Cornerback Darrin Walls did not receive an official invite to the combine yet, but is an alternate at this point. Chris Stewart, Brian Smith, and Robert Hughes, however, were the most notable combine snubs for Notre Dame.
