Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1359205
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MAY 2021 25 Next "in line" were interior men Kurt Hinish (372) and Myron Ta- govailoa-Amosa (312), vyper Isa- iah Foskey (282), strong-side end Justin Ademilola (233) and twin Jayson Ademilola (224) — all of whom return. After averaging about 20 snaps per game last year, the 6-5, 257-pound junior Foskey has the look of the next top pro prospect along the Notre Dame defensive line, with sophomore Jordan Botelho, who was ranked as the nation's No. 176 over- all recruit in 2020, primed to be a regular in the rotation this year as well at vyper. At strong-side end, Tagovailoa- Amosa has been shifted to aid the unit there in what this year will be a more liberal mixture of fronts under new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, while Justin Ademilola likewise will be a regular. "Our defensive structure, we'll in- corporate on first and second down more of a multiple look," head coach Brian Kelly said. "We were much more of a four-down defense [in re- cent years]. We will have hybrid of three and four down on first and sec- ond down, so it'll be more multiple on first down." At a listed 6-1¾, 248 pounds, Jus- tin — who claims he is more in the 255-pound range — doesn't quite have the prototype size for the posi- tion like predecessors Ogundeji and Kareem, who were both measured at 6-4 and were in the 265- to 270-pound range. And in a three-man front, Ta- govailoa-Amosa's 282-pound weight should help him hold up physically on the flank. However, Justin figures to be a sig- nificant element. A sound technician who is consistently assignment cor- rect, he finished tied for third last year in tackles by a lineman with 17 (2.5 for loss, including a sack). "When you have guys that all know the scheme, all play fast and are just effort and physicality to the point of attack, we try to get as many guys as we can on the field," Jus- tin Ademilola said of the rotation. "We're all fresh, we're all ready to go and we're all ready to make plays." Kelly believes that both Ademilo- las are primed as seniors to take their games to a more advanced level, just like their predecessors the past cou- ple of years. "One thing about Justin is he's a pretty smart player," Kelly said. "He doesn't make a lot of mistakes. You're not going to [bootleg] on him. He's going to be up field in the right position, reverses, he's really gap conscious. "We want him obviously to cut it loose a little bit more, and I think he'll be given that opportunity in the role that he's in now that he's going to be getting more reps. Very funda- mentally sound player that now can take that next step." The prospect of lining up with best friend and twin Jayson only adds more fuel to his already filled energy tank. Although Jayson was rated as the four-star prospect com- ing out of New Jersey's powerful St. Peter 's Prep (along with linebacker Shayne Simon), three-star Justin has earned his stripes as well to be a regular. "I'm always prepared," Justin Ademilola said. "I really get in the film room, I'm constantly asking my coaches questions about different sets, formations, everything. When I'm on the field it's just go time and I try to make plays. "… I'm just trying to prove myself right, I'm supposed to be here, I'm grinding every day and just working to be on top because I know what type of player I am. And then when I'm on the field, people know what type of player I am." The opportunity to have a tag-team role will continue the quality depth and fresh legs that have been a staple of one of the nation's top defenses the past three years. "It's been awesome getting the op- portunity work with Myron — a one- A, one-B punch right there, so stay tuned for that one," Justin said. "If people think I'm under the radar this year, or in the shadows, you guys are going to feel me this year. We'll see." ✦ Double Benefit Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa's move to defensive end from the interior line ought to help two positions. It fills a hole at the strong-side end spot vacated by Ade Ogundeji. It also gives a starting-caliber defensive tackle, senior Jayson Ademilola, a clearer path to grabbing a No. 1 role. Tagovailoa-Amosa and Ademilola were Notre Dame's primary three-technique defensive tackles in 2020, and the former was designated as the starter. Between them, they played 536 snaps, with Tagovailoa-Amosa earning 312. They were reliable run defenders and played in sub packages because of their pass-rushing ability. Rarely, if ever, did they play on the field together. As a starter, Ademilola could find himself doubling his 224 snaps from a year ago. A boost in produc- tion would naturally follow if he's as active as he was in a rotational role the last two seasons. "He doesn't stay blocked and he makes plays, makes tackles," Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said. "He's a guy who grades out very high. When he's in there, he has been very, very efficient as a football player. … It's almost an innate ability to do it." Notre Dame will need more from Ademilola than 11 tackles (1.5 for loss) if he starts, but those 2020 numbers don't quite illustrate his impact. In 145 pass-rush snaps, he had 15 quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus. That's a 10.3 percent pressure rate, which was the highest among Notre Dame's four primary interior linemen. His 2020 season was the second straight year in which he increased his pressure rate. Ademilola's run defense production dipped in 2020, but he was active in that area in 2019, with 25 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and 13 run stops in just four more snaps than he played in 2020. That drop- off, to him, was an anomaly. In the ACC Championship loss to Clemson and the College Football Playoff defeat to Alabama, he had six total pressures and three of the four run stops he posted in 2020. All 1.5 tackles for loss he had in 2020 came against Alabama, and those included 0.5 sacks. Those were his first two games back from a meniscus tear suffered against Clemson Nov. 7 that knocked him out for three games. He played them as if he was shot out of a rocket launcher on each snap. "I just had that chip on my shoulder," Ademilola said. "I feel like I brought over that chip from be- ing injured in the (Nov. 7) Clemson game to the ACC Championship and the playoff. I feel like I was a dominant player, and that's where I'm picking up next year." If he's a starter, is healthy and Tagovailoa-Amosa works only at end, Ademilola's snap count could settle around 450. How Notre Dame divides the defensive tackle snaps in three-down fronts between Kurt Hinish and Ademilola — or if both play in those situations — remains to be seen. Whatever the plan for his role becomes, Ademilola's mindset isn't changing. "Coach [Marcus] Freeman, he wants us to go eat," Ademilola said of the new coordinator. "He wants us to go make plays and have fun with the unit. That's what the whole scheme is about, guys just fly- ing around." — Patrick Engel