Five Notre Dame Players Earn AP All-American Honors
Notre Dame had five players earn a spot on the Associated Press All-American squad.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and senior left guard Aaron Banks both made first-team honors.
Owusu-Koramoah was named the Butkus Award winner as the nation's top linebacker, and he also won the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award after racking up 56 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.
Banks thrived as a run blocker this season and showed improvement as a pass blocker. When he was on his game he was dominant, and when thrust into the left tackle spot against Florida State he thrived.
Fifth-year senior left tackle Liam Eichenberg earned a spot on the second-team All-American squad. Eichenberg was Notre Dame's best offensive lineman this season, showing dominance as a pass blocker and strong run game ability. Eichenberg has not allowed a sack since September 29, 2018.
Sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton earned third-team All-American honors, as did right guard Tommy Kraemer despite the veteran missing two games.
Hamilton tied Owusu-Koramoah for the team lead with 56 tackles despite missing a game with an injury and another half after being ejected for targeting. The talented sophomore safety had five pass break ups, an interception and he was an effective player in space this season as both a tackler and cover player.
Not seeing senior right tackle Robert Hainsey on this list was surprising. Hainsey and Eichenberg were Notre Dame's highest graded offensive linemen according to Pro Football Focus, and both were also the team's most steady blockers. While Banks was more flashy, Hainsey has been a steady player for three straight seasons, so much so that he appears to be one of the most overlooked linemen in the country.
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