Notre Dame Football: Irish defense shines once again in win over Vanderbilt

1. Notre Dame newcomers are making a difference

As mentioned before, the Irish lost a few key pieces on defense, most notably Morgan and Martini. However, Andrew Trumbetti also left for the NFL while Jay Hayes and Nick Watkins opted to transfer to Georgia and Houston, respectfully. Needless to say, there were some big shoes to fill along the defense as a whole.

However, some of the more notable departures may have come along the offensive side of the ball. The Irish offensive line took a hit, losing top 10 picks Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey to the Indianapolis Colts and San Fransisco 49ers, respectively. No. 1 wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown headed to the Green Bay Packers as star back Josh Adams navigates NFL free agency.

While not so much newcomers, Kareem has taken on a starting role while Okwara shares the other end with last year’s starter Daelin Hayes. One of the most impressive additions to this defense has been Navy transfer Alohi Gilman, a huge contributor to Lea’s turnover-hungry defense.

On the offensive side of the ball, Tony Jones Jr. and Jafar Armstrong, both inexperienced runners, have provided huge boosts to the offense in the wake of Dexter Williams’ suspension. Liam Eichenberg, McGlinchey’s replacement at left tackle, joins a group of young Irish players impressing in their first few starts at Notre Dame.