Notre Dame Football 2017: Midseason position grades

If these grades were a reflection of how well this particular unit rebounded from last season, they would receive an A+. Notre Dame’s defensive line recorded only 14 sacks, good for only 118th in the nation. However, they are now on pace for 26 sacks, a total that puts them in the nation’s top 40. While they don’t stand among the nation’s best, this line’s improvement is no less impressive.

Notre Dame’s defensive line has benefited from Kelly’s revamping of the coaching staff, bringing in former Wake Forest defensive coordinator Mike Elko to fill the same position at Notre Dame. Despite a couple of years of success with Brian VanGorder, the Irish decided to part ways with their former coordinator after his defense ranked among the lower portion of the nation in 2016.

This unit has responded well to Elko’s presence, and while almost already exceeding their sacks total from last year is impressive, their effectiveness against the run stands out as well. The Irish have allowed less than 135 rushing yards per game this season, nearly 50 yards down from their 2016 average.

Worst Game:

This unit’s worst overall performance came during the team’s Week 2 loss to Georgia. While the Irish were able to get to quarterback Jake Fromm twice, they allowed three runners to eclipse over 40 yards. Among those runners were Georgia standouts Sony Michel and Nick Chubb who finished with 73 and 63 yards, respectively.

Best Game:

While Notre Dame’s defensive front played great in Week 1 against Temple, their best game came last week when the team traveled to North Carolina. Not only did they limit the Tar Heels to under 90 rushing yards, they also racked up a couple of sacks. Most impressively, this unit registered eight quarterback hurries, further rattling a young Chazz Surratt.