Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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88 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW DEFENSIVE LINEMAN Detroit Mercy … Enrolled in College of Arts and Let- ters, majoring in film, television and theatre. Year G-GS Solo Ast. Total TFL Sacks 2016 12-0 5 6 11 0.0 0.0 2017 13-13 17 13 30 6.5 3.0 Totals 25-13 22 19 41 6.5 3.0 KURT HINISH • NG So. • Pittsburgh Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 292 Career Highlights: Saw action in 12 contests as a true freshman in 2017 … Made eight tackles (0.5 for loss). Prep: Listed as a three-star pros- pect, the No. 11 player in Pennsylvania and the No. 38 defensive tackle in the land by Rivals … Re- corded 27 tackles and three sacks as a senior while helping Central Catholic to a 14-2 record and the Class 6A state championship game … Also played on the offensive line and contributed to an attack that totaled 4,034 rushing yards, 6,074 total yards and 48.1 points per game … Named to USA Today's All-USA Pennsylvania first team … Tabbed as a Class 6A all-state performer by the Pennsylvania Sports Writers … Selected to the PAFootballNews.com all- classification all-state team. Personal: Born April 27, 1999 … Enrolled in First Year of Studies. JAMIR JONES • DE Jr. • Rochester, N.Y. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 242 Career Highlights: Moved from Mike linebacker to strongside end during the spring … Saw action in 12 contests and registered four stops in 2017 … Played in 10 con- tests in 2016, primarily on special teams … Finished the year with eight tackles (seven solo). Prep: Listed as a three-star prospect, the No. 4 recruit in New York and the No. 82 outside line- backer in the nation by 247Sports … As a senior, helped Aquinas Institute finish 13-0, win the New York Class AA state championship and be named the No. 14 team in the country in the final USA Today national rankings … Compiled 98 tackles, 6.5 sacks and an interception on defense, while also catching 43 passes for 822 yards (19.1 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns as a tight end … Named first-team all-state at linebacker by the New York State Sportswriters Association … Was a second-team pick on the USA Today All-USA New York team … Played in the Semper Fidelis Bowl and notched an interception. Personal: Born June 14, 1998 … His older brother Jarron played along the defensive line for the Irish from 2012-16 … Two other older brothers, Jonathan and Matthew, played at Division II Gannon Uni- versity in Erie, Pa. … Also was a starter on Aquinas Institute's varsity basketball team … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters. Year G-GS Solo Asst. Total TFL Sacks 2016 10-0 7 1 8 0.0 0.0 2017 12-0 1 3 4 0.0 0.0 Totals 22-0 8 4 12 0.0 0.0 KHALID KAREEM • DE Jr. • Pontiac, Mich. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 270 Career Highlights: Played in all 13 games last season …Compiled 21 tackles (10 solo), 5.5 stops for loss, three sacks and one fumble recovery … Enrolled in January 2016 and saw action in four contests as a rookie. Prep: ESPN rated him as a four-star recruit, the No. 1 prospect in Michigan, and the No. 18 strong- side defensive end and No. 124 overall player na- tionally … As a senior, recorded 56 stops, 36 tack- les for loss and 16 sacks … Also posted five forced fumbles and nine quarterback hurries during a 6-3 season … Chosen as the USA Today All-USA Michi- gan Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-state pick … Selected to The Detroit Free Press Michigan Dream Team, consisting of the state's best players, as a junior and a senior … Made The Detroit News Dream Team as a senior … Named the MLive Detroit Defensive Player of the Year … Was chosen the MVP of the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, after returning one fumble 14 yards for a touchdown and another 78 yards to set up a score in the East's 28-13 win. Personal: Born April 28, 1998 … Enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business, majoring in manage- ment consulting. Year G-GS Solo Ast. Total TFL Sacks 2016 4-0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 2017 13-0 10 11 21 5.5 3.0 Totals 17-0 10 11 21 5.5 3.0 ADETOKUNBO OGUNDEJI • DE Jr. • West Bloomfield, Mich. Ht.: 6-4½ • Wt.: 251 Career Highlights: Saw action in five games last season, but did not record any statistics … Redshirted in 2016. Prep: Regarded as a three- star talent, the No. 16 recruit in Michigan and the No. 40 strongside defensive end nationally by 247Sports … During a senior season shortened by an MCL injury, recorded 18 tackles, three quarter- back hurries, two sacks and a fumble recovery … Notched 66 tackles, eight sacks and 15 pass deflec- tions as a junior. Personal: Enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters. JULIAN OKWARA • DE Jr. • Charlotte, N.C. Ht.: 6-4½ • Wt.: 230 Career Highlights: Came off the bench in 12 contests last season … Contributed 17 tackles, 4.5 tack- les for loss, 2.5 sacks, one inter- ception and one forced fumble … Played in 11 games as a reserve and recorded four tackles in 2016. Prep: Ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 7 player in North Carolina, and the No. 30 strongside defensive end and No. 243 overall player nation- ally by Scout … As a senior, registered 84 tackles and nine sacks … Also notched four forced fumbles and a blocked field goal, and also caught a pair of touchdown passes on offense … Selected to the USA Today All-North Carolina second team … Picked to the North Carolina team for the 2015 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, but did not play in the game … Recorded 90 tackles and 10 sacks as a junior. Personal: Born Dec. 27, 1997 … Is the younger brother of former Irish defensive end Romeo Ok- wara (2012-15) … Enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business. Year G-GS Solo Ast. Total TFL Sacks 2016 11-0 2 2 4 0.0 0.0 2017 12-0 10 7 17 4.5 2.5 Totals 23-0 12 9 21 4.5 2.5 MYRON TAGOVAILOA-AMOSA • DT So. • Ewa Beach, Hawai'i Ht.: 6-2½ • Wt.: 285 Career Highlights: Played in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2017 … Notched 12 tackles and 1.5 stops for loss. Prep: Rivals rated him as a three-star recruit, the No. 4 player in Hawai'i and the No. 39 defensive tackle in the nation … Recorded 34 tackles for loss and 18 sacks, while leading Kapolei to a 10-3 record and the semifinals of the state championships during his senior year … Named first-team USA Today All-USA Hawai'i and earned a spot on The Hono- lulu Star-Advertiser all-state team … Tabbed as the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I Red Defensive Player of the Year. Personal: Enrolled in First Year of Studies. JERRY TILLERY • DT Sr. • Shreveport, La. Ht.: 6-7 • Wt.: 299 Career Highlights: Moved from nose guard to defensive tackle during the spring … Started all 13 contests at nose guard last year … Led the team in sacks (4.5) and quarterback hurries (11) … Ranked sixth on the team and led all lineman with 56 tackles … Also registered nine tackles for loss, which was third on the team, and one forced fumble … Played in all 12 contests and made 11 starts in 2016 … Recorded 37 tackles, three stops behind the line of scrimmage and five quarterback hurries … Saw action in all 12 regular- season contests and made three starts in 2015 after enrolling in January … Tabbed as the Notre Dame Defensive Newcomer of the Year after notching 12 tackles, two stops for loss and one sack. Prep: Ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 6 player in Louisiana, and the No. 15 defensive tackle and No. 145 overall prospect nationally by Rivals … While playing full-time on both sides of the ball as a senior, was credited with 93 tackles, 15 stops for lost yardage and seven sacks … Recognized as a second-team offensive lineman on the 2014 MaxPreps All-America squad … Listed first-team all- state as a defensive lineman by the Louisiana Foot- ball Coaches Association, and first-team all-state as an offensive lineman by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association following his senior campaign 88 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW