Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 28, 2023 9 UNDER THE DOME If you want a case study in commitment and reliability, look no further than Irish senior defensive lineman Rylie Mills. Often overshadowed at a deep position group, Mills has steadily and dutifully improved since arriving to Notre Dame as a freshman in 2020, to the point where he's gaining NFL interest and will face a decision after this season on whether to stay or go in 2024. The Lake Bluff, Ill., native enjoyed his breakout season as a junior in 2022 when he played in all 13 games with 9 starts and recorded 24 tackles, 6 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Through seven games this season, the 6-foot-5, 306-pound menace had already set his single season-high with 27 tackles — which was third among Irish defensive linemen — including 1 sack. The versatile Mills has done it all along the Irish defensive line during his career, playing some on the interior and some off the edge. But the four-star Lake Forest (Ill.) High School product insists that he's settled into his comfort zone this season, working only on the interior. Blue & Gold Illustrated and other local me- dia recently caught up with Mills and asked him about his time on campus, the ups and downs of this season, and what's ahead. BGI: You've made steady improvement since your arrival at Notre Dame. What went into that? Mills: "I think the big thing is that I put a lot of effort into practice, and that's what's going to help you on Saturday. We all breed a certain amount of competition. We all want to be the best versions of ourselves. So, it's just great to have a great group of people to practice with." BGI: How would you describe yourself as a player? Mills: "For me, I try to be as versatile as possible and that's kind of my biggest strong point with the coaches. Last year, I played defensive end. I came to defensive tackle. I've played nose. I'm comfortable wherever you put me. My mindset is I want to go out there every play and play the best football I can." BGI: Is defensive tackle, playing interior, your best position? Mills: "I love playing inside. Honestly, I just love being on the field. But I feel like defen- sive tackle suits me a little better only doing one job. I feel like I have the best matchup on the guards. I can take advantage of my athleticism and size on the inside." BGI: You made a big production jump each of your last two seasons. What did you do to make that happen? Mills: "For me, each year, it's learning more, getting better, learning new things, it just leads to me getting better in games. So, I wouldn't say, 'Oh, he's made a huge jump on things.' It comes down to the work and the effort you want to put in." BGI: Have you given any thought to returning for a fifth year next season? Mills: "I just haven't given too much thought into it. It's week by week right now. Definitely at the end of the season, I'll get together with the coaches and figure it out." — Todd D. Burlage Five Questions With … SENIOR DEFENSIVE TACKLE RYLIE MILLS Jeremiyah Love Has Been Invaluable By Todd D. Burlage When freshman running back Jeremiyah Love arrived at Notre Dame in June as a first-year college player, it was logical to assume that he'd spend most of his freshman year learning from the experi- enced players around him. Junior workhorse Audric Estimé was back after leading the Irish in rushing last season. Graduate student Devyn Ford entered the Irish running backs room after transfer- ring from Penn State with 31 games under his belt. And with sophomores Gi'Bran Payne and Jadarian Price both healthy and ready for breakout years, it seemed like Love would spend this season biding his time. Instead, Love has claimed his spot as the No. 2 tail- back behind Estimé and has done nothing to disappoint. Entering the USC game, Love was second on the team with 36 carries and 257 yards, and his 7.1 yards per carry led all Irish tailbacks. The St. Louis native has emerged as a shifty and speedy complement to the bruising Estimé, and the freshman is only hitting his stride as his chances and production seem to grow with every game. Love, who was listed as the nation's No. 5 running back and the No. 77 over- all recruit in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking, brought high expectations with him to Notre Dame. Most of us just didn't expect for a first-year player to start reaching those heights in less than one half of his first season while becoming the most encouraging freshman on the Notre Dame roster along the way. Jaden Greathouse Is A Stud At A Key Position By Jack Soble While Love will clearly be a great player (if he isn't already) and running backs do have value in college football, wide receiver — even one who pri- marily plays in the slot — is the more valuable position between the two. Jaden Greathouse looks every bit like a future stud at that spot. Greathouse was the only Notre Dame player to catch at least 2 passes in each of the first five games, before suffering a hamstring injury, despite coming in at No. 6 among wide receivers and tight ends in snap count during that time. He also caught 3 touchdown passes in that span. Beyond the box score, though, is where fans and reporters have really seen Greathouse's potential. He runs the most crisp and precise routes on the team — there are no false steps with Greathouse; every cut has a purpose. Greathouse is also a terrific player after the catch, demonstrated by several screens called for the freshman early in his career. While he does not have great speed, he's more than fast enough to be an elite player in college foot- ball. A comparison I like for him is former Purdue wideout David Bell, who played more on the outside but had similar size and good-not-great speed. Bell racked up 2,935 yards in three years in West Lafayette, Ind. I'd be remiss not to mention fellow wideout Rico Flores Jr., who is going to be really good, too. But I like Greathouse's upside just a bit more. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHO HAS BEEN THE MOST ENCOURAGING NOTRE DAME FRESHMAN THIS SEASON? Love Greathouse Mills has already set his single-season high with 27 tackles through seven games this season. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER