ESPN: Notre Dame LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah A Top Draft Prospect
When former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Mike Elko and then linebackers coach and current DC Clark Lea were hired following the 2016 season, one of the first prospects they went after was a relatively unknown athlete from Virginia, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
A three-star recruit according to Rivals and 247Sports, Owusu-Koramoah ultimately picked Notre Dame over Virginia and Michigan State.
During his first two seasons on campus, Owusu-Koramoah was a practice standout, but a redshirt season as a younger than normal freshman and an injury as a sophomore kept him from stepping on the field for a single defensive snap.
That all changed in 2019, as the first-year starting linebacker burst onto the scene with a team-leading 13.5 tackles for loss to go with 80 tackles and 5.5 sacks, which tied for the best marks on the defense.
His combination of length, speed, range, instincts and all-around skill allowed Owusu-Koramoah to quickly grow into one of the best players on the defense.
Going into his second season as a starter, Owusu-Koramoah is now being recognized by some as a possible first round NFL Draft pick. ESPN's Todd McShay ranks Owusu-Koramoah as the 17th best draft eligible player in the country for the 2021 NFL Draft.
"With 80 tackles -- including 13.5 for loss -- Owusu-Koramoah was an impact player for the Fighting Irish last season. I love everything about his tape. He is fast, he is instinctive and he is only getting stronger as he develops."
Owusu-Koramoah is the second ranked inside linebacker on McShay's board, behind only Penn State's Micah Parsons and ahead of Alabama's Dylan Moses, a pair of former five-star recruits.
Notre Dame faces five prospects from McShay's big board, which consists of 32 players. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence ranks No. 1 on the board and his expected top target in 2020, wide receiver Justyn Ross, ranks No. 12.
Wake Forest wide receiver Sage Surratt (No. 24), USC defensive tackle Jay Tufele (No. 26) and Stanford cornerback Paulson Adebo (No. 29) were also on the list.
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