Notre Dame Football: 5 post-spring bold predictions for 2019

1. Brian Kelly wins his first national championship

In line with some of the previous predictions, this one carries along with it a fair amount of conditions. Needless to say, head coach Brian Kelly and his Irish squad will require a significant amount of help along the way if they want to not only compete, but win a National Championship for the first time since 1988.

First, the Notre Dame offense must build off of its success from last season. Quarterback Ian Book played out of his mind after replacing former starter Brandon Wimbush in 2018, but looked just about as average as the rest of the team in last year’s demoralizing Cotton Bowl loss to Clemson. If the Irish truly want to compete in 2019, they’ll need more consistency out of their explosive offense.

As obvious as it sounds, the defense will play an equally as important role as it relates to the team’s success in the upcoming season. Lea has more than earned the trust of Irish fans, but a young and transitioning unit could make things difficult for a Notre Dame team accustomed to steady defensive production.

All things considered, powerhouses like Clemson and Alabama make things difficult for competing programs on a yearly basis. Kelly made it through the month of November unscathed for the first time in a while, but December and beyond has proven difficult enough in the years that Kelly has reached it. Nevertheless, Kelly’s success of late warrants cautious optimism heading into the 2019 season.