Notre Dame Football: 3 keys to victory vs. Louisville in Week 1

2. Play as a cohesive defense

One of the most intriguing storylines surrounding the Irish this offseason was how the defense would gel after such significant losses across the board. The linebacker position may have taken the biggest hit after losing Drue Tranquill and Te’von Coney without much available depth to cover for them.

The most experienced of the bunch, Asmar Bilal, will make the switch from rover to buck linebacker, following the same trajectory of Tranquill a year earlier. Junior Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah will fill in for Bilal at rover while classmate Drew White makes his first career start at the mike linebacker position.

However, we’re likely to see many more than three faces at linebacker against the Cardinals, with defensive coordinator Clark Lea listing Jordan Genmark Heath, Jack Lamb, Shayne Simon, and Bo Bauer as potential fill-ins either immediately or down the road. In fact, Lea suggested that we may see all of these players depending on whether their respective skill sets cater to the task at hand.

Regardless, there will be quite a few Irish defenders suiting up as starters for the first time in their careers. It would be ideal if the offense could give them a big lead to play behind, but we could end up seeing a somewhat inexperienced group with their backs against the wall should things go south elsewhere. If the Irish really want to make a statement, their defense may have to play above themselves for the time being.