Notre Dame Football: 5 post-spring bold predictions for 2019
By Jacob Wilson
4. Julian Okwara, Khalid areem combine for 25 sacks
One of the most positive developments for Notre Dame in 2018 was the emergence of the pass-rush. While Tillery contributed significantly to this development with his eight sacks, it was the trio of Julian Okwara, Khalid Kareem, and Daelin Hayes that contributed in the most surprising of ways.
After combining for only 7.5 sacks in 2017, the starting duo comprising of Okwara and Kareem exploded for a combined 12.5 sacks this past season. While the Irish’s pass-rushers won’t have the luxury of Tillery taking up space on the inside, there’s reason to believe they will see an uptick in performance with yet another year under their respective belts.
Both Okwara and Kareem are expected to be in the mix as potential first round selections by the time the 2020 NFL Draft rolls around, but Irish fans should be excited to have two of their most talented defenders available for another year.
While a combination of 25 sacks would require Justin Tuck-esque years from both players, favorable situations may provide a path.