Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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36 PRESEASON 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED captains, he has the leadership and talent to anchor a top-shelf line. 6. DE KHALID KAREEM Okwara isn't alone at end — the Irish have one of the best end rota- tions in the country. As a junior, Kareem had a strong first season in the starting lineup, racking up 10.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He finished in the top 30 in run stop rate according to PFF, and he showed the ability to make big plays in clutch moments. While Okwara employs his elite athleticism to impact the game, Ka- reem uses a combination of length, size and power. The senior end is also an instinctive player, evidenced by his five passes broken up a season ago. Notre Dame must become a bet- ter run defense in 2019, and Kareem must be instrumental to make that happen. He has the skills to not only control his side of the line, but to con- trol the point of attack. When Kareem was on his game, it made running in his direction challenging. During the spring his game took a huge jump, and if that carries into games, he will become a wrecking ball against the run game. 7. S JALEN ELLIOTT Heading into the 2018 season, there were major question marks about the Irish safeties, and part of that was due to the struggles that Elliott suf- fered through as a sophomore in 2017. However, instead of remaining a liability, Elliott became a standout in 2018. He finished his second season in the starting lineup with 67 tackles, seven passes broken up and four in- terceptions. He was an impact player in cover- age, and his production against the run improved. Elliott helped form one of the premier safety duos in the country, giving the back end of the defense a dramatic jump in play. There is still plenty of room for El- liott to improve, especially when it comes to tackling. Notre Dame needs him to shore up that part of his game and continue to add playmaking production in the pass game, which should help the defense better handle a schedule filled with talented quar- terbacks and wide receiver units. The depth behind Elliott consists of a true freshman and a sophomore who played just three snaps last sea- son, which means Elliott must also stay healthy. 8. S ALOHI GILMAN Elliott may have been Notre Dame's best all-around safety last season, but the Irish might not have had a better impact figure at any po- sition on the defense than Gilman. The Navy transfer finished second with 94 tackles, while adding five passes broken up, two interceptions and three forced fumbles. Beyond the production, Gilman was a clutch performer. Whether it was him breaking up a pass in the end zone against Michigan, his forced fumble against Vanderbilt just inches away from the goal line, his two interceptions against Syracuse or his forced fumble at USC, Gilman seemed to come up big at the most important moments. His penchant for big plays helped him earn All-America honors from Pro Football Focus, and he enters the season as the No. 1-ranked re- turning safety in the country by that organization. Gilman plays with a reckless style, which makes him effective but also leads to a greater chance he gets banged up, something Notre Dame cannot afford. 9. OT LIAM EICHENBERG Getting rugged play at offensive tackle is a must if the Irish line is going to thrive this season, and that can't happen if senior left tackle Eichenberg doesn't play with more consistency. Last fall in his first campaign as a starter, senior offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg gave up 16 quarter- back pressures in the first six games and just four in the final six regular-season contests. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL