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Notre Dame Football: 5 reasons to be optimistic about 2019 season

By Connor Muldowney

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 29: Khalid Kareem #53 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts with Adetokunbo Ogundeji #91 after a play in the first half against the Clemson Tigers during the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 29: Khalid Kareem #53 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts with Adetokunbo Ogundeji #91 after a play in the first half against the Clemson Tigers during the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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It was a successful season, of sorts, for Notre Dame football in 2018, making the playoff, but here’s why fans should be optimistic about the 2019 team.

The season didn’t quite end the way Notre Dame football diehards would have hoped. A national title has been so elusive for this storied program over the past couple of decades and it seems like only a matter of time before the Irish are back on top.

It seemed as if 2018 was a season of destiny for the Irish who finished the regular season 12-0 and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff as the three-seed, facing No. 2 Clemson in the semifinal. The game wasn’t all that close as the Tigers had their way with Notre Dame, 30-3.

Moving forward with optimism following a beatdown like that seems impossible, but this team could be back in the spotlight in 2019, especially with the talent returning but the schedule isn’t going to be easy on the Irish with road games against Georgia, Michigan and Stanford.

Still, the optimism level should be rather high entering the 2019 campaign, and here’s why.

5. Incoming recruiting class

Brian Kelly has been an increasingly-impressive recruiter over the past couple of years and currently owns the No. 14 class in the nation for 2019, according to 247Sports.

There are a number of guys in the class who can come in and have an immediate impact like top-100 safety Kyle Hamilton or top-115 linemen Quinn Carroll and Zeke Correll. The Irish actually have four offensive linemen ranked in the top-100 in this class and it could make up Kelly’s most impressive group yet.

The trenches on both sides of the ball are getting stronger with this 2019 class and that’s where winning starts. With strong units up front, the Irish will have enough depth to piece together an elite offense yet again and an impressive defense.

Don’t sleep on this 2019 class, folks. It’ll be the future of Notre Dame and could help lead the Irish back to the playoff.

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