Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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26 APRIL 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED DEFENSIVE LINEMEN 2019 SPRING FOOTBALL OVERVIEW N otre Dame's run to the 2018 College Foot- ball Playoff was fueled by its defense, which was propelled by a dominant line. Despite the graduation of All-American defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, the Fighting Irish should once again field one of the top fronts in the country. It starts outside, where Notre Dame returns a deep, long, strong and highly athletic group of edge players. According to Pro Football Focus and its count, the Irish return 1 3 1 q u a r t e r- back pressures at end. Drop end Julian Okwara should push for All-America status as a senior after racking up a team-leading 12.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks last season to go with 61 QB pres- sures (per PFF), which ranked seventh in the nation. On the opposite flank is classmate Khalid Kareem, who added 10.5 tackles for loss on the strong side. Ka- reem wore down late, but he was a clutch figure, and if he can make strides as a senior he will be an ideal complement in the pass rush. Senior drop end Daelin Hayes and senior strongside end Adetokonbo Ogundeji would start for a lot of Power Five teams. Junior nose tackle Kurt Hin- ish provides stability up the middle, but Notre Dame needs Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and Jayson Ademilola to replace the production it lost from Til- lery's departure. BY THE NUMBERS 16 Straight years that associate head coach/defensive line coach Mike Elston has been with head coach Brian Kelly, dating back to Central Michigan in 2004. After a two-year stint with linebackers (2015-16), Elston led a resurgent line in 2017 and 2018, and the unit could be a top strength once again in 2019. 21 Quarterback hurries recorded by Julian Okwara last season (in addition to eight sacks), per Notre Dame's stats. The hurries stat has been informally and inconsistently kept since the turn into the 21st century, but during the Kelly regime it's been a little more aligned. The previous high in this decade was 14 by Freshman All-American Aaron Lynch in 2011 before he transferred to the University of South Florida the next season. 240 Career tackles from the senior end quin- tet of Okwara, Daelin Hayes, Khalid Kareem, Adetokonbo Ogundeji and Jamir Jones, with 48.5 for lost yardage and 24.5 quarterback sacks. Only Ogundeji for now has a fifth year of eligibility remaining in 2020. WHO'S GONE Jerry Tillery The Louisiana native broke out with an All-America campaign, emerging as one of the nation's top interior pass rushers. Jonathan Bonner Although not a statistically produc- tive player at nose tackle, he was a steady presence inside for the Irish in his final season. WHO'S BACK Senior Julian Okwara After serving in a specialist role in 2017, he rounded out his game in a big way last fall while becoming the team's top edge rusher. Senior Khalid Kareem He was a steady edge player throughout 2018, handling himself well against the run and coming up with clutch late-game quarter- back pressures. Senior Daelin Hayes A starter in just one game last year, he re- mained an integral part of the defensive end rotation and was playmaker in his own right. Junior Kurt Hinish He played starter snaps (354, about 30 per game) as a sophomore nose tackle, and his late-season surge was a boost to the defense. TOP NEWCOMERS Freshman Jacob Lacey The current lack of depth inside and his tal- ent will give him a chance to earn immediate playing time. Returning Returning Year-End Year Starts Tackles Tackles 2018 67 303 245 2019 39 303 (again) — PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL Brian Kelly's Take "There's not enough reps for everybody at defensive end. You'd even look at can you redshirt somebody there? There's great depth there. "They're all going to want to com- pete, they're all going to want to play. It's going to be hard to get all those guys on the field. It's a great situation to have." POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH Junior defensive tackle Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, who missed 11 games in 2018 with a broken foot, and sophomore Jayson Ademilola are both going to play important roles next fall, and the spring will begin the battle for who starts. Tagovailoa-Amosa is a plugger with playmaking potential, while Ademilola put his impact tools on full display in his first season. A year older and another year of weight room work should serve both well. JULIAN OKWARA