Notre Dame football: 3 takeaways from 2019 Blue-Gold Game

2. Pass rush will be one of the Irish’s greatest strengths in 2019

While this was understood before spring practices were even a thought, the Blue-Gold game provided a heavy dose of what Notre Dame fans are bound to see in 2019. With the combination of Khalid Kareem and Julian Okwara going at it with Notre Dame’s starting offensive line unit, it was the depth of the Irish defensive front that made the most noise against the second unit.

With Kareem and Okwara as good as they are on the outside, it seems almost unfair that the Irish are able to bring the combination of Daelin Hayes and Adetokunbo Ogundeji off the bench with ease. We saw this pay dividends for the latter duo against the Irish’s second offensive line unit in the Blue-Gold game, hinting towards possible repeat performances further down the line.

It’ll be interesting to see how the defensive line comes together this season, especially without the likes of Jerry Tillery and Jonathan Bonner at the interior. Instead, the Irish will roll out Kurt Hinish and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa in their stead, hoping for some production out of a position with little experience.

While there are sure to be some growing pains along the interior, Kareem, Okwara, Hayes, and Ogundeji should contribute to a unit that ranks among the best in the nation. We saw that potential last year and again today, giving every indication that this group will be one of Notre Dame’s most productive defensive end units in recent memory.