Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2020 Notre Dame Football Preview
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160 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Three-Star Stars Three-star recruits aren't often provocateurs of excitement. Sometimes they even prompt grumbling among fan bases. They have an inherent perception as unsexy backup plans. But that can look foolish in hindsight. There are more three-star recruits in the NFL than any other type. That is, of course, because there are about 1,000 three- stars or less per year compared to about 300 four-stars and 30 five-stars. The hit rate for three-stars becoming draft picks is much lower than that of four- and five-stars, but that small percentage of lower-rated recruits who become stars still has an impact on college football. Every team has three-star success stories. Notre Dame has signed 116 two- and three-star recruits since 2010, Brian Kelly's first recruiting class. Here are the best among them: OFFENSE Quarterback: Ian Book Position ranking: No. 15 pro-style QB (2016) Can become the first Notre Dame quarterback to win 30 games … Has 57 career touchdown passes. Running Back: Josh Adams Position ranking: No. 47 RB (2015) Ran for 1,430 yards in 2017 … Ended his career with 3,198 yards and 20 touch- downs in three years … He begins 2020 with the New York Jets. Running back: C.J. Prosise Position ranking: Unranked; No. 22 player in Virginia (2012) Moved from safety to wide receiver early in his career, and then to running back before the 2015 season … Ran for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015 and became a third-round pick. Wide Receiver: Chris Brown Position ranking: No. 81 WR (2012) Brown was a starter in 2014-15 and the second- leading receiver both years. He had 1,410 ca- reer yards on 104 catches and six touchdowns. Wide Receiver: Jafar Armstrong Position ranking: No. 77 WR (2017) This spot required some creativity because Notre Dame has signed only five three-star players who spent their careers at receiver … Has 761 career scrimmage yards and 27 catches. Tight End: Tommy Tremble Position ranking: No. 20 TE (2018) Had 183 yards and four touchdowns as Cole Kmet's backup in 2019. A popular breakout pick in 2020. (Note: Tyler Eifert was signed by Charlie Weis.) Offensive Line: Kona Schwenke Position ranking: No. 34 WDE (2010) More creativity was required here, because Notre Dame just hasn't signed that many three-star linemen and the results have been spotty … Seven-game starter on the defen- sive line in 2013, but moved to the offensive side during his brief NFL stint. Offensive Line: Nick Martin Position ranking: No. 66 OT (2011) Two-time captain played guard and center, and was a second-round pick of the Houston Texans in 2016 … Is currently the Texans' starting center. Offensive Line: Jarrett Patterson Position ranking: No. 29 OT (2018) Took over as Notre Dame's center in 2019 after a redshirt year and will hold the role again in 2020. Offensive Line: Colin McGovern Position ranking: No. 37 OT (2013) Played in 21 career games … Started eight times in 2016. Offensive Line: Trevor Ruhland Position ranking: No. 30 OG (2015) Backup from 2016-18 that started the final six games of 2019 at right guard. DEFENSE Defensive End: Ade Ogundeji Position ranking: Unranked; No. 32 player in Michigan (2016) One-time Western Michigan commit notched 10.0 tackles for loss as a backup from 2017-19. Likely starter at strong-side end this season with some early NFL buzz. Defensive End: Romeo Okwara Position ranking: No. 35 WDE (2012) Two-year starter had 8.0 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss in 2015 … Went un- drafted in 2016 but plays for the Detroit Lions. Defensive Tackle: Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa Position ranking: No. 39 DT (2017) Entering his second year as a starter after posting 22 tackles (2.5 for loss) in 2019. Defensive Tackle: Andrew Trumbetti Position ranking: No. 14 SDE (2014) Was a defensive end but moved inside to get a spot on the team … Starter from 2016-17 … Signed with the Chicago Bears as an un- drafted free agent. Linebacker: Drue Tranquill Position ranking: No. 32 S (2014) Starter at safety in 2016 and linebacker from 2017-18 … Had 160 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks as a line- backer … Fourth-round pick in 2019 was a two-time captain. Linebacker: Drew White Position ranking: Unranked (2017) Tied for the team lead with 80 tackles in 2019 … Locked in as the starting Mike linebacker for 2020. Linebacker: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Position ranking: No. 40 OLB (2017) Recorded no stats from 2017-18, but broke out as the starting rover in 2019 … Might be Notre Dame's top 2021 NFL Draft prospect. Cornerback: Bennett Jackson Position ranking: No. 61 WR (2010) Moved to cornerback, started in 2012-13, and was named a team captain … Was a sixth-round draft pick. Cornerback: TaRiq Bracy Position ranking: No. 36 ATH (2018) Had a team-high seven passes broken up last year … Projected to start in 2020. Safety: Matthias Farley Position ranking: Unranked (2011) Had 192 career tackles, eight interceptions and 26 starts at safety from 2012-15 … Currently plays for the New York Jets. Safety: Austin Collinsworth Position ranking: Unranked; No. 7 player in Ken- tucky (2010) Starter in 2013 with 43 tackles and three in- terceptions and, like Farley, became a captain … (Note: Former two-star Alohi Gilman transferred from Navy and was not a freshman recruit.) — Patrick Engel Former three-star recruit Josh Adams was the engine for the 2017 Notre Dame offense. PHOTO BY RICK KIMBALL