Notre Dame Defense Has Strengths It Can Build Around In 2022
Notre Dame's success over the last four seasons (44-7 record) has been largely fueled by the defense, and the Irish need to remain strong on that side of the ball in 2022. There will be a new coach in charge of the defense with Al Golden stepping in for Marcus Freeman, who is now the Notre Dame head coach. Golden has big shoes to fill, with his three predecessors now being Power 5 head coaches, but he steps into a good situation.
The good news for Golden - and the Irish defense - is there are strengths heading into fall camp that he can build around. In our latest Irish Breakdown show we dove into those strengths.
Here's a look at the strengths we discussed in today's show.
STAR POWER - To have a truly elite defense a team needs stars, and the more the better. Notre Dame has a chance to have a deep roster of star players on defense in 2022. Defensive end Isaiah Foskey and safety Brandon Joseph are established star players, with Foskey emerging as a standout last fall and Joseph was a consensus All-American in 2020.
After that there are several players that are on the verge of breaking into that category. Senior linebacker Marist Liufau was on the verge of a breakout last fall before an injury ended his season prematurely. He was a standout in the spring and is poised for a big season at Will. Veteran defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola has flashed star power, and if he can put it together week after week he'll be the second star player up front.
Cornerback Cam Hart is another standout that flashed star potential last season. If Hart can build on his first season as a starter he'll emerge as one of the nation's top cover men in 2022.
DEFENSIVE LINE - Notre Dame's defensive line has been its primary strength in recent seasons, and that should continue this fall. Foskey is an established star, Ademilola and his brother Justin Ademilola were standouts last season, and the rest of the depth chart has a lot of potential. Rylie Mills is poised for a breakout at big end and interior players like Howard Cross and Jacob Lacey have a lot of snaps under their belt. Harvard transfer Chris Smith adds depth, and the freshman and sophomore classes have potential.
LINEBACKER - This was a position that was quite inconsistent last fall, but it should be much, much better in 2022. Beyond that, Irish Breakdown believes the linebackers will be a strength this season. The coaching will remain strong and the talent has been upgraded. Liufau returning from injury gives the unit a huge boost. He's a dynamic athlete with tremendous playmaking potential.
JD Bertrand was Notre Dame's best linebacker a season ago, and his move to Mike should give him a chance to be even better. The position is a much better fit for Bertrand, who should provide more playmaking ability to the position. Jack Kiser was solid in his first season in the lineup, and he should be even better this fall.
Beyond that there's tremendous young depth, led by sophomore Prince Kollie and a talented freshman class. If senior Jordan Botelho can finally be a consistent presence he adds another potential game changer to the position.
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Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Defense
Notre Dame 2023 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense
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