Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Texas Longhorns: Five Players to Watch

Sep 19, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly and quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) chat after Notre Dame defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 30-22 at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 19, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly and quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) chat after Notre Dame defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 30-22 at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Sep 19, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly and quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) chat after Notre Dame defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 30-22 at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will share the spotlight with the Texas Longhorns Sunday night. Both sides will have plenty of talent people need to keep their eyes on.

For the second year in a row, these two history programs open up the season against one another. The first matchup was a complete mismatch. Notre Dame routed Texas 38-3 in South Bend.

Now, the Longhorns hope they can redeem themselves when the AP No. 10 Fighting Irish come to Austin, Texas.

While the game has a lot of intrigue to it, both programs individually have concerning storylines heading into this season opener.

The Fighting Irish lost a lot of players to the NFL or graduation. Plus, the university suspended and dismissed key players from the team prior to this game.

Meanwhile, the Longhorns are coming off a rough 5-7 season. There was a lot of concerns about whether or not Charlie Strong was the right coach for Texas last year, and those concerns are still lingering at the start of this season.

On the flip side, both teams have a lot of talent. Both programs have returning stars who are ready to lead their respective football teams. Also, each side probably has a few hidden gems that could emerge when the season begins.

Specifically, here five players people need to watch when these two teams meet Sunday at Texas Memorial Stadium.

Next: Notre Dame QB Malik Zaire / DeShone Kizer