Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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24 JANUARY 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR 1. Kyle Hamilton — One word: STUD! Despite the presence of two proven senior captains at his posi- tion, the coaches could not keep him off the field and he averaged about 32 snaps per game. He was seventh in tackles (39) — an underrated as- pect of his game — while pacing the team in interceptions (four) and tied for first in passes broken up (six). 2. Jacob Lacey — Provided strong value in the defensive interior with about 20 snaps per contest and dis- playing physicality and technique that belied his years, thus resulting in minimal drop-off in a confident rotation. 3. Jay Bramblett — Starting punter went beyond all expectations after a shaky spring, and his hang-time skills helped result in only 64 yards of returns by opponents. As the holder on kicks, he also made a save of a low snap in the closing seconds of the 21-20 win versus Virginia Tech that allowed Doerer to kick the win- ning point. TOP ROLE PLAYER 1. Shaun Crawford — Nobody on the roster better epitomizes head coach Brian Kelly's favorite buzz- word — grit — than the fifth-year senior cornerback/nickel, who ap- peared to have suffered his fourth season-ending injury with four torn ligaments in his elbow in game four. Yet he returned two games later and finished with 353 snaps. There is a positive mojo when he is on the field. 2. Tommy Tremble — Redshirted as a 2018 freshman, the sophomore was utilized frequently (285 snaps) in double-tight-end alignments with Kmet, finishing with 15 catches for 174 yards and four touchdowns (a year earlier Kmet had 15 for 162 yards and no scores as the second tight end) while also blocking ef- fectively. Tight End U. is literally in great hands for years to come. 3. Braden Lenzy — No one pos- sesses more game-breaking speed on offense, as reflected by his 10 catches that averaged 27.4 yards (with two touchdowns). To aid a pedestrian ground attack, Lenzy also was uti- lized on jet sweeps — and finished third in rushing with 188 yards on 10 carries (18.8 yards per attempt), high- lighted by the 51-yard score versus USC. Injuries helped limit him to 226 snaps this season. ✦ 1. Ian Book, Sr., QB Stats: Completed 220 of 371 passes (59.3 per- cent) for 2,787 yards with 33 touchdowns and six interceptions for a national pass efficiency ranking of No. 35. Also was the team's second- leading rusher with 516 yards, 4.9 yards per carry and four scores. Season: His passer rating dropped from 154.0 last year (17th nationally) to 148.5, but he com- pensated some with his running skills. 2. Julian Okwara, Sr., DE Stats: Recorded 18 tackles (six for loss with four sacks) before season-ending injury (frac- tured fibula) in the ninth game at Duke Nov. 9. Season: Often projected as a potential first- round pick, Okwara was less conspicuous than last year, especially against the run. Had his top performance by far in the 35-20 comeback win versus Virginia Sept. 28 with three sacks, two hurries and two forced fumbles. 3. Chase Claypool, Sr., WR Stats: Was the team's top receiver with 59 catches for 891 yards (15.1 yards per catch) and 12 touchdowns. Season: His 80.3 grade from Pro Football Focus was the best among any Irish player on offense with at least 50 snaps. He earned a quality grade in both the passing game (79.2) and blocking (80.4). 4. Troy Pride Jr., Sr., CB Stats: Started every game, finishing eighth in tackles (37) and third in passes broken up (five) to go with one interception. Season: Graded out "average" by PFF stan- dards with a 66.9 mark, neither dominating nor backsliding significantly. 5. Robert Hainsey, Jr., OT Stats: Started the first eight games before a fractured ankle on the second series in game eight versus Virginia Tech shelved him the re- mainder of the 2019 campaign. Season: PFF had him as the second-highest rated Irish offensive lineman with a grade of 74.9, strong in both pass blocking (79.6) and run blocking (72.7). 6. Khalid Kareem, Sr., DE Stats: The rock at strongside end was fifth in tackles (45), tops among the linemen, plus first in stops for loss (10.0), hurries (nine), sacks (5.5) and forced fumbles (three). Season: Achieved the highest PFF grade on the team at 83.0, above 80 in both pass rushing and run defense. 7. Jalen Elliott, Sr., S Stats: Sixth in tackles (41) while starting ev- ery game, with two passes broken up and no interceptions, a drop-off from 67 tackles, 11 passes broken up and four interceptions in 2018, although there was some different structure. Season: The 61.3 PFF grade was the lowest among the starting defenders. 8. Alohi Gilman, Sr., S Stats: Recorded 66 tackles (fourth on the team), two passes broken up and an intercep- tion. Season: Like Elliott, the numbers dropped from last season when he had the top PFF grade at 91.7 to 74.8 this year, with 13 missed tackles playing a role. 9. Liam Eichenberg, Sr., OT Stats: Started every game at left tackle for the second straight year. Season: Had the second-highest grade on the team among anyone who played at least 75 snaps with an overall rating of 77.6. Eichenberg had the highest pass-blocking grade on the team (85.1) and was solid in run blocking (74.2). He also led the offense in penalties with 10 (next closest were Hainsey and tight end Cole Kmet with six apiece). 10. Cole Kmet, Jr., TE Stats: Second in catches (41), receiving yards (482) and tied for second in touchdowns (six) despite missing first two games with an injury. Season: Solid overall grade of 68.9 was taken down by low numbers in run blocking during the course of the season. — Andrew Mentock 2019 Difference Makers Revisited In the August preseason edition, Blue & Gold Illustrated listed 10 potential difference makers for Notre Dame in 2019. Here's how they fared during the season. Senior cornerback Troy Pride Jr. anchored the Irish secondary and tallied 37 tackles, one interception and five passes broken up. Because of his impact as a cover man, he led the entire defensive unit with 681 snaps. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL