Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2020 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1264448
LINEBACKERS • Ranked by 247Sports as a four-star talent, the No. 5 player in Indiana, and the No. 13 outside linebacker and No. 191 overall player in the nation. JACK LAMB • BUCK Jr. • Temecula, Calif. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 228 • Played in eight games in 2019, before suffering a season-end- ing hip injury. • Compiled seven tackles, two stops behind the line of scrim- mage, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. • Redshirted during his first season in South Bend. • Sidelined by a knee injury for most of his senior season at Great Oak High School, but tallied 118 tackles, 18 stops for loss, five sacks, one inter- ception and one forced fumble during his junior campaign. • Named the Southwestern League Defensive Player of the Year in both 2016 and 2017. • Played in the Under Armour All-American Game and made one tackle. • Rated by Rivals as a four-star prospect, the No. 10 recruit in California, and the No. 2 inside line- backer and No. 77 overall player nationally. • MARIST LIUFAU • BUCK So. • Kalihi, Hawai'i Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 221 • Saw the field in four games in 2019, primarily on special teams. • Finished with 40 tackles, nine stops behind the line of scrim- mage and eight sacks during his senior season at Punahou High School. • Tabbed as a first-team selection for the 2017 and 2018 all-state defensive squad. • Awarded the 2018 Interscholastic League of Ho- nolulu Defensive Most Valuable Player. • Regarded by Rivals as a three-star prospect, the No. 6 player in Hawai'i and the nation's No. 36 outside linebacker. PAUL MOALA • ROVER Jr. • Mishawaka, Ind. Ht.: 5-11½ • Wt.: 220 • Played in 12 games in 2019, and notched 14 tackles (one for loss), two QB hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. • Intercepted a Navy pitch for a forced fumble and fumble recovery, and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown. • Made the move from safety to rover in the spring. • Saw snaps in eight games and recorded one tackle as a true freshman. • Recorded 79 tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interception as a senior while helping lead Penn High School to a 13-2 re- cord and the Class 6A state championship game. • Selected as the Indiana Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Indiana first-team performer by USA Today. • Named the state's Mr. Football Defensive Back by the Indiana Football Coaches Association. • Listed as a three-star recruit, the No. 8 player in In- diana and the No. 49 safety in the country by ESPN. JEREMIAH OWUSU-KORAMOAH • ROVER Sr. • Hampton, Va. Ht.: 6-1½ • Wt.: 215 • Started all 13 games in 2019 and tied for the team lead with 80 tackles. • Added a team-high 13.5 tack- les for loss with 5.5 sacks, four passes broken up, three QB hurries, two forced fumbles and two fumble re- coveries. • Was named to ESPN's 2019-20 All-Bowl Team after recording nine tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery in Notre Dame's 33-9 win over Iowa State in the Camping World Bowl. • Played in two contests in 2018 before undergoing foot surgery. • Redshirted in 2017 and spent the season on the scout team. • Notched 71 total stops, 13 tackles for loss, seven interceptions and five forced fumbles during his senior season at Bethel High School. • Earned a spot on the 2016 Virginia all-state first team. • Rated as a four-star recruit, the No. 15 prospect in Virginia and the No. 28 safety nationally by ESPN. Year G-GS Solo Ast. Total TFL Sacks 2018 2-0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 2019 13-13 54 26 80 13.5 5.5 Totals 15-13 54 26 80 13.5 5.5 SHAYNE SIMON • BUCK Jr. • West Orange, N.J. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 228 • Saw action in 10 games in 2019 and notched nine tackles with 1.5 sacks. • Finished the 2018 season with four tackles and one pass de- fended in nine games played. • Compiled 55 tackles, 15 stops for loss, three sacks and five interceptions during his senior year at St. Peter's Prep. • Played both ways in high school, and led the team in catches (53), receiving yards (848) and receiv- ing touchdowns (six) during his senior campaign. • Named to the NJ.com and USA Today New Jersey All-State first team. • Picked up 2017 Defensive Player of the Year and All-Area accolades from The Hudson Reporter. • Played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, and recorded one tackle and broke up a pass. • Rated as a four-star talent, the No. 3 player in New Jersey, and the No. 5 outside linebacker and No. 48 overall prospect in the country by 247Sports. Year G-GS Solo Ast. Total TFL Sacks 2018 9-0 2 2 4 0.5 0.0 2019 10-0 2 7 9 1.5 0.0 Totals 19-0 4 9 13 2.0 0.0 DREW WHITE • MIKE Sr. • Boca Raton, Fla. Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 227 • Played in all 13 games and made 12 starts in 2019. • Tied for the team lead with 80 total tackles, and also contrib- uted 8.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two QB hurries and two fumble recoveries. • Recorded a career-high 11 tackles at Michigan, the most by an Irish player in a game last season. • Competed in four games in 2018 and made eight tackles. • Compiled 177 total tackles, 116 solo stops and 18.5 tackles for loss while helping St. Thomas Aquinas High School win three straight 7A state titles. • Led the team in tackles (107), solo stops (63), as- sists (44) and tackles per game (8.2) as a senior. • Selected to the USA Today 2016 Florida All-State first team and picked to the Associated Press Class 7A All-State second team. • Regarded by 247Sports as a three-star prospect, the No. 38 talent in Florida and the No. 14 outside linebacker in the nation. Year G-GS Solo Ast. Total TFL Sacks 2017 4-0 2 6 8 0.0 0.0 2018 13-12 48 32 80 8.0 2.0 Totals 17-12 50 38 88 8.0 2.0 98 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Sophomore Marist Liufau is working toward be- coming another Notre Dame defensive starter from Hawai'i, joining the likes of Manti Te'o, Alohi Gil- man and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa. PHOTO BY MIKE MILLER