Category: Notre Dame Football

Notre Dame’s Okwara named Top 5 DE Prior to NFL Combine

Notre Dame’s DE Okwara named Top 5 DE prior to NFL Combine.

The NFL’s job fair aka Draft Combine is set to begin on Thursday and Rivals has ranked where they view players prior to the players getting a chance to show off their athletic prowess. Last week Mike Farrell and Adam Gorney ranked the best defensive ends before they work out in front of NFL brass.

Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara was named among the Top 5, 4th overall, among his peers at the position. They noted that the fourth-year player was on the field for just 35 games, but the production was there. Okwara was a force against opposing offensive lines, ranking up 15.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss.

Although Okwara needed work when he first arrived at South Bend, Farrell saw a player that “developed into one of the better pass rushers in the country and his technique is flawless. He’s also very good against the run in addition to his pass rushing stills.”

Okwara will show the NFL scouts his skills when the defensive line group works out on Saturday and you can see that on the NFL Network. Okwara’s name has popped up on a few 1st round mock drafts and with a good showing this weekend, him name could be popping up on more in the future.

Bleacher Report Names Notre Dame vs. Louisville One of Most Anticipated Rematches of 2020

Bleacher Report names Notre Dame against Louisville as a highly anticipated rematch in 2020.

It seems like every day another outlet is looking forward to the upcoming college football season, this time it was Bleacher Report as they looked ahead to the most anticipated rematches of the season. Joel Reuter narrowed in on one of Notre Dame’s games as one to watch, the rematch against Louisville.

This game ranks at the #8 most anticipated and it comes down to the fact that the Cardinals were still transitioning from Bobby Petrino to Scott Satterfield. The road victory for the Irish did not feature end of year starter at QB Malik Cunningham, which is the main reason for the intrigue.

Cunningham finished the year with impressive stats, tossing for 2,061 yards with 22 TD’s and just 5 INT’s. The Cardinals also return starting RB Javian Hawkins and after finishing the season at 8-5, Reuter believes they “will enter the 2020 season with legitimate expectations.”

This game will surely have much on the line as Reuter notes that “If the Fighting Irish enter that game with one loss against an undefeated Clemson squad and they face off against a ranked Louisville team, a trip to the College Football Playoff could be on the line.” I tend to agree with Reuter’s assessment of this game, as the Irish will be squarely in the mix for a final 4 spot if their lone loss is to Clemson when the season finishes. Which rematch are you most interested to see on this year’s schedule?

Notre Dame hosting Clemson Among Most Highly Anticipated Games of 2020 Season

Notre Dame hosting Clemson among most intriguing games of 2020 season.

It should come to no one’s surprise that the November 7th match-up that pits Notre Dame against Clemson in South Bend is a game that will have the nation’s interest. One again, this contest has been ranked as one of the most intriguing of the 2020 season by 247Sports Brad Crawford.

This game ranks as the 3rd with the most intrigue heading into the season for multiple reasons. Crawford says “this one is a must-win for Dabo Swinney and his team’s Playoff journey next fall. On the other hand, should Notre Dame upend Clemson in South Bend, that’s quite a statement to the selection committee for the Irish, barring multiple losses elsewhere on the slate.” The Irish have revenge on their mind as well after losing to Clemson in the 2018 Cotton Bowl.

Crawford failed to mention the Irish’s contest against Wisconsin on October 3rd in Lambeau Field, which I think is a huge oversight. This game has the potential to be a Top 10 match-up with the winning team having huge notch on their belt for the Playoff Committee to consider when selecting participants. Which games this upcoming season intrigue you the most?

Texas ’21 DB Harmon Schedules Official Visit to Notre Dame

Texas cornerback Deuce Harmon schedules his official visit to South Bend in early April.

The Irish are looking for their next lock down cornerback and this morning Texas DB Deuce Harman tweeted out his intentions to visit South Bend.

This is a big development as the talented Harman is viewed very highly among his peers, ranking among the best corners in the nation. Although only 5’9”, Harmon plays bigger than his size due to his speed, anticipation and ball skills. He is very well put together checking in at 185 pounds and he is more than willing to come up and make a tackle.

Any time you can go into the talent rich state of Texas and pull out a prospect it’s a huge recruiting win and it seems like it’s trending Notre Dame’s way at the moment. Competition levels are high in Texas, usually giving prospects from the state a leg up when they arrive on college campus’. Brian Kelly along with the defensive staff will look to roll out the red carpet for Harmon when he arrives on campus in early April.

Notre Dame’s Early ’21 Recruiting Efforts Not Going Unnoticed

Notre Dame’s ’21 recruiting class is seen as one that could be among best in nation come signing day.

With the updated 247Sports Top 247 being released yesterday, the overall class rankings changed a bit, the Irish’s class fell one spot to 4th overall in the country. That, however, should not be concerning to anyone as what Brian Kelly and his staff have been able to do at this early juncture is more than impressive.

Today 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong reviewed some teams who are in line for talented recruiting classes and Notre Dame was one of the schools he highlighted. Of the eight current commits, three of them are ranked inside the Top 100 (WR Deion Colzie, QB Tyler Buchner and OT Blake Fisher) while two more of them (ATH Lorenzo Styles, DT Gabriel Rubio and TE Cade Berrong) are inside their Top 247. Those players make up a fantastic nucleus for a very highly thought of recruiting class.

What is just as impressive are the players that Notre Dame has targeted and have a great shot at landing. Wiltfong believes “the Irish are in position to perhaps sign the best offensive line class in America. Fisher is already in the boat and ND is among the leaders for our No. 2 offensive tackle Nolan Rucci (No. 12), Wyatt Milum (No. 24), Rocco Spindler (No. 62) Garrett Dellinger (No. 75) and Landon Tengwall (No. 77). All of these prospects are expected back in South Bend in March.” It would be phenomenal if Kelly is able to land 3 of those 5 talented linemen come signing day.

It’s not just on the offensive line that the Irish are making moves on the recruiting trail, as Wiltfong mentions potential elite additions like TE Thomas Fidone, RB Will Shipley, WR Troy Stellato, and DB Ceyair Wright. Notre Dame’s efforts with the rising high school senior class has been impressive, and that trend looks like it will continue down the stretch for the ’21 recruiting cycle.

Notre Dame Offers Elite ’22 DE Dennis-Sutton

Notre Dame DL Coach Elston offers elite ’22 DE Dennis-Sutton.

Yesterday, Mike Elston reached out to elite defensive lineman Dani Dennis-Sutton from Maryland and offered the talented prospect. With the defensive line coach verballing offering the 6’5” and 250-pounds Dennis-Sutton, the Irish have thrown themselves into the mix for a player who has an impressive offer list with Oklahoma, Michigan, Penn State and Florida all vying for his commitment.

Just a sophomore, Dennis-Sutton makes plays all over the field with his impressive frame for such a young player. He mainly lines up inside for high school team, but it seems like he can line up on at defensive end when he moves on to the next level. Taking a look at his highlight reel, Dennis-Sutton seems like a man amongst boys consistently getting into the backfield and making plays.

Elite defensive line play can weak havoc on opposing offenses, taking them out of what they normally want to do. By offering Dennis-Sutton, Brian Kelly and his staff are making it a priority to find players that can dominate the line of scrimmage, as games are typically won in the trenches.

Notre Dame ’21 Commit Fisher Recruiting Elite RB Shipley

Notre Dame OL commit Fisher called elite RB Shipley, as he continues to recruit for the Irish.

There is something to be said about Notre Dame ’21 commit Blake Fisher becoming a leader in his class and putting on his recruiting hat as well. The Avon, Indiana native sees an opportunity for his future teammates to put together a recruiting class that could help change the future of the Irish program.

Last night Fisher picked up his phone and called elite RB Will Shipley from North Carolina and this is extremely significant. It is not normal for kids these days to call each other, they mostly text or send direct messages, so Fisher calling Shipley is a sight to see.

Fisher’s call holds weight due to his ranking among analysts, running backs always want to have maulers on the offensive line in their class to help them shine. He wants to play with some of the best players in the country and its clear he’s working hard to get other elite players to South Bend.

Just watching Shipley’s highlight reel gives you an idea of what kind of elite player he is, and it should come to no one’s surprise that Fisher is pushing him towards committing to the Irish. Every big-time recruiting class always has at least one player who takes the lead and helps the coaching staff spread the good word, Fisher has taken that role. If his leadership continues when he arrives on campus next year, there is a possibility that he becomes a captain for the Irish during his career.

Notre Dame TE Kmet Compared to Future Hall of Famer

Notre Dame TE Kmet ranked as best prospect at his position, compared to future Hall of Famer.

The NFL Combine is quick approaching, it beings this Sunday and many outlets will be looking forward to seeing which prospects stand out. Rivals recently has been ranking the best players at their positions and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Notre Dame TE Cole Kmet is ranked among the best in the group.

Adam Gorney and Mike Farrell ranked Kmet as the best prospect at his position, while Farrell gave an explanation as to why they believe the former Irish star is ranked over his draft competition. Farrell initially saw Kmet as a “prospect who could stretch the field and was also very physical. I love the way his game translates to the NFL. He’s going to be the next Rob Gronkowski.”

That is certainly high praise for Kmet although he wasn’t as productive in college as Gronk was, but a comparison to the future Hall of Famer really puts perspective on the kind of player Kmet can be at the next level.

Kmet should have his name called early in the NFL Draft which begins on April 23rd and runs through the 25th. If Kmet impresses during the combine, he has a chance to hear his name being called very early in the draft, potentially in the first round. It will be fun watching Kmet perform at the next level and we will all be watching to see if he can become the next Gronkowksi.

Notre Dame Inside Top 10 in ESPN’s Preseason FPI

Notre Dame is ranked inside the Top 10 of ESPN’s Preseason FPI.

Earlier in the day it was the USA Today trying to make sense of what this upcoming college football season’s first set of rankings will look like, and now it is ESPN’s turn as they have released their preseason FPI. Like the USA Today, ESPN has ranked Notre Dame as the #9 team in the country.

When comparing the two rankings released today, there are two teams on the Irish’s schedule with differences between the two, Wisconsin and USC. USA Today was not very high on the Badgers, ranking them #18th while ESPN is very high on Paul Chryst’s team putting them at #6 overall. The Badgers will face the Irish in historic Lambeau Field on October 3rd at 6:30pm CST.

The Trojans are looked at much higher by the ESPN experts also, ranking them 13th compared to 17th by the USA Today. Although the jump is not as large, it is still significant enough to notice and will help the Irish out if they are able to win and impress the College Football Playoff committee in their final regular season game.

The Dabo Swinney led Tigers are once again the top dog in ESPN’s FPI, projecting their offense 4th overall and their defense as the best in the nation. The game against Trevor Lawrence and the Tiger will be one of the most anticipated games of the whole college football season when they come to South Bend.

It does seem like the consensus has Brian Kelly’s 2020 squad as a Top 10 team, and at the moment three games against Top 25 competition. The Irish will have their hands full with Wisconsin, Clemson and USC but should have a punchers chance in each of those contests.

Notre Dame Football is Highly Ranked in USA Today’s Way-Too-Early Top 25

Notre Dame is once again ranked high in a way-too-early Top 25 poll by USA Today.

Today was USA Today’s turn to give college football fans a sneak peak into the 2020 season as they released their way-too-early Top 25 rankings. In previous early rankings the Irish have been inside the Top 10 and that did not change with USA Today’s version.

Brian Kelly’s crew checked in at 9th overall in the country, a good starting spot for the Irish. There are few question marks heading into the season and the USA Today made note of that saying, “Notre Dame looks to have good depth and solid experience but doesn’t have any returning starters who are no-doubt contenders for preseason All-American honors.”

The USA Today questions if the Irish can make a push for a top 4 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings, which seems odd because they will face 3 teams ranked inside their early rankings. A date with #18 Wisconsin in Lambeau Field, hosting #1 Clemson and ending the season by going to The Coliseum and taking on #17 USC, they fail to mention this contest as a big game, is more than enough to impress the playoff committee if they go unscathed.

Things can clearly change between now and the start of the season, injuries, transfers, even coaches moving, that will dictate how the season plays out, so these early rankings are just best guesses. I believe that the Irish have been fairly ranked in the way-too-early polls, but none of this matters until the season plays out and the CFP comes out with their rankings, the only ones that matter.