Notre Dame Football: 5 bold predictions for September 2018

1. The Irish defense goes through notable changes

Few knew what to make of the Notre Dame defense heading into this past offseason. With defensive coordinator Mike Elko and numerous key players seemingly on their way out and a decent amount of unknown talent heading in, it seemed as if the 2018 season was going to have its fair share of growing pains.

However, despite losing Greer Martini, Nyles Morgan, and Andrew Trumbetti to the NFL, the Irish were able to return Jonathan Bonner, Jerry Tillery, Te’von Coney, and Drue Tranquill, among others. While defensive end Jay Hayes and cornerback Nick Watkins would eventually transfer, the Irish defense is still in considerably good hands considering the alternative.

While many questions have been answered over the course of the offseason, some still remain. As for one case, there’s expected to be a timeshare of sorts between juniors Julian Okwara and Daelin Hayes at defensive end. Additionally, some of the team’s more experienced returners (Nick Coleman, Asmar Bilal) will be fending off younger competitors for starting roles.

It may seem as if the defensive depth chart is set for now, but there are a variety of position battles that may lead to a shift in the defensive landscape. While not necessarily expected, there could be anywhere from one to four positional changes by the time September reaches an end.