Notre Dame Football: Final 2020-2021 Report Card

Overall Defensive Grade: B

Though the offense was not as good as last season, the Irish played solid defense this past season, finishing 25th in total defense. Notre Dame was 16th against the rush and 61st in pass yards allowed.

The pass defense struggled because it replaced three of their best pass rushers and three starters in the second rotation. As a result, the Irish had just seven interceptions finishing tied for 58th in the country and 31 sacks, good for 40th.

Outstanding defensive players: 

• Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB: 62 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, two passes defended, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, one defensive touchdown

Owusu-Koramoah was Notre Dame’s best defensive player this season. The senior linebacker is the prototypical defender of the modern game. Owusu-Koramoah can drop in coverage and play the run. Owusu-Koramoah is the size of a safety, yet physical enough to play linebacker.

• Adetokunbo Ogundeji, DE: 20 total tackles, six tackles for loss, six sacks

Ogundeji anchored a pass rush that had 31 sacks this past season. The redshirt senior end showed his versatility by playing both inside and outside. Though the defensive line was not as elite as in years past, Ogundeji was solid this season.

Defensive Line: B-

The defensive line was good, not great last season. The rush defense was nearly 40 yards better than in 2018. The pass rush did suffer from the losses of Khalid Kareem and Julian Okwara. Much like the offensive line, the defensive line was good against decent offensive lines, but they struggled against Alabama’s elite lines.

Linebacker: B

Like the rest of the defense, the linebacking corps was solid. Led by Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, the linebackers played well most of the season. When the defensive line kept the backers clean, they played well. All three linebackers were sure tacklers who played well in pass coverage.

Secondary: C+

The secondary had to replace a large portion of their secondary, including two defensive backs who were drafted. The Irish went to the portal and picked up Nick McCloud from North Carolina State and Isaiah Pryor from Ohio State.

McCloud started at corner and led the Irish in passes defended (eight). Pryor played on special teams primarily. Kyle Hamilton, who was arguably the best defensive back not named Derek Stingley in 2019, did not have the same type of season he had previously.

Special Teams: C+

The special teams were mediocre at best. Kicker Jonathan Doerer made just 65 percent of his field goals. Punter Jay Bramblet averaged 42.8 yards per punt. Chris Tyree led the Irish in kick returns averaging 20.7 yards per return.