Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2020 Notre Dame Football Preview
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DEFENSIVE LINEMEN BY THE NUMBERS 5 5 National ranking of the Notre Dame defense last season in the Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI), after placing 16th during its College Football Playoff campaign in 2018. During the 2014-16 era it had been 65th, 58th and 54th, respectively. 17 17 Consecutive years associate head coach and defensive line coach Mike Elston has been on Brian Kelly's staff, dating back to Kelly accepting the head coaching position at Central Michigan in 2004. Now in his 11th season with the Fighting Irish, Elston has had the longest on-field stint at Notre Dame since linebacker coach George Kelly's 17 straight from 1969-85. 22.5 22.5 Tackles for loss — 14.5 of them sacks — recorded by the graduated end trio of Khalid Kareem, Julian Okwara and Jamir Jones last season. Yet it speaks very well to the recruiting at that position when little drop-off is anticipated with the return of Daelin Hayes, medically redshirted last year after playing the best football of his career, Ade Ogundeji and a rising star in sophomore Isaiah Foskey. Nose tackle Kurt Hinish has been a reliable, durable figure in the nose tackle rotation while playing 38 games the past three seasons. PHOTO BY MIKE MILLER Starters ★★★½ With fifth-year seniors Daelin Hayes and Ade Ogundeji back and ready to fill the voids at defensive end left by NFL draftees Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem, this position re- mains one of strength rather than need. Hayes, who medically redshirted last year after shoulder surgery, leads all active Irish linemen in career tackles (78), stops for loss (14.5) and sacks (6.0). In 2019, Ogundeji paced all the 2020 return- ing linemen in tackles (34), tackles for loss (7.0) and sacks (4.5), and he also added three forced fumbles. Steady senior nose tackle Kurt Hinish started all 13 games last season (433 snaps) and se- nior tackle Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa added 22 stops with 2.5 tackles for loss — leaving the Irish interior line in good shape also. Experience ★★★★ The durable Hinish has played in 38 games at a demanding position and recorded 36 stops, 15 of those in 2019. Hayes has not yet lived up to his five-star recruiting hype, but he has still played in 41 games, the most of any returning Irish defen- sive player. Ogundeji has appeared in 31 career games, while the group of Tagovailoa-Amosa (12 games), sophomore nose tackle Jacob Lacey (11), junior end Justin Ademilola (eight) and junior end Ovie Oghoufo (nine), among oth- ers, enjoyed significant snaps in 2019. Depth ★★★★ Notre Dame's recruiting and development under defensive line coach Mike Elston has become a hallmark of this program in a posi- tion group considered a deficiency less than a decade ago. Ten different players rotated in for at least 114 snaps in 2019, and that doesn't include Hayes' 97 before his injury. With 25 stops last season to lead all Irish interior linemen — including four tackles for loss — junior tackle Jayson Ademilola high- lights a talented group of Notre Dame re- serves. Overall Grade ★★★★ The hype for this unit didn't run as hot this preseason as it did last year anticipating the return of Okwara and Kareem. But with a blend of experience, talent and depth, this 2020 group could become even better than it was in 2019, especially if Hayes and/or Ogundeji enjoy breakout fifth seasons. Consider that sophomore Hunter Spears, a former four-star defensive line recruit, was moved to offense in the spring because of a logjam of talent ahead of him. PRESEASON ANALYSIS ★★★★★ National Title; ★★★★ Top 10; ★★★ Top 25; ★★ Too Unproven; ★ Major Concern 86 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW