Notre Dame Football: 3 players poised to break out in 2020
By Jacob Wilson
2. Adetokunbo Ogundeji, DE
As is the case with most breakout candidates, redshirt senior Adetokunbo Ogundeji is in line to record his first season as a starter in 2020. Despite playing in a deep defensive line rotation consisting of Julian Okwara, Khalid Kareem, Daelin Hayes, Jamir Jones and others, Ogundeji managed to stand out and record 26 tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles.
While still deep, the Irish defensive front is in line to take a significant hit with the departures of Okwara, Kareem, and Jones. The return of Hayes provides a huge boost, but depth in the form of Justin Ademilola, Isaiah Foskey, and Ovie Oghoufo may end up being the most valuable aspect of this defensive line.
However, with additional depth comes additional competition. For Ogundeji, this competition will most likely come in the form of Justin Ademilola, a junior who put together a serviceable year for himself last season.
With the combination of Okwara and Kareem as dominant as it was in recent years, it’s reasonable to believe the Irish may be more comfortable running out a rotation to start the 2020 season. However, there are a few names along this defensive line who could quickly establish themselves as game-changers, and Ogundeji could very well be one of them.