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Notre Dame has had outstanding defenses in each of the last two seasons, ranking 16th in efficiency in 2018 and 5th in 2019.

A key each season has been breakout performances from players who were not expected to be standouts, or players that had not yet shown that top-level production.

For Notre Dame to continue playing outstanding football, and hopefully getting to another level, that must continue in 2020.

In 2018 it was defensive end Julian Okwara and safeties Alohi Gilman and Jalen Elliott that were breakout players. In 2019 it was Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Drew White and Asmar Bilal.

Irish Breakdown football analyst Vince DeDario and publisher Bryan Driskell make their predictions on the breakout players for the 2020 Notre Dame defense.

Two of their predictions are the same, and they are a safety and a linebacker, but not the linebacker you might think. Their third prediction varies, with DeDario going with another defensive backs and Driskell going with a big guy.

If you missed out on yesterday's podcast discussing the expectations for the 2020 defense you can listen to that HERE.

Earlier in the week the IB staff broke down their breakout players for the Fighting Irish offense, and you can listen to that HERE.

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