When a high school football player signs his letter of intent to attend the university of his choice, he does not anticipate losing 21 games in his college career. Alas, most of the 23 players who enrolled at Notre Dame in 2008 closed their career with a 29-21 record.

By Notre Dame standards, the record is subpar, especially for a class ranked second in the country by Rivals.com. However, remember that these kids took a chance on a fledgling 3-9 team and were given the difficult task of returning the program to its glory days. Some flourished, some flopped and some will return for a fifth year write their final chapter in South Bend.