As we sit and write this piece, the football season 2020 is for all college football, but for Notre Dame it is specifically at its best, very much in the air.
A recent outbreak of positive cases in Notre Dame’s student body has allowed campus to be closed for two weeks, distance learning classes canceled and football practice canceled on Wednesday with the possibility that the same thing will happen on Thursday 20 August.
With all that said, we are closer to three weeks until Notre Dame is set to open the 2020 football season as a member of the ACC as they warmly welcome Duke to South Bend on 12 September.
While we could get the days down until that hopefully happens, it’s just as good of time as anyone to catch up with the 2020 squad. What better way to do this than to become familiar with the names you will hear most on Saturday this fall?
Here are our projected starters here at Fighting Irish Wire:
Quarterback – Ian Book
Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
If things go according to the wishes of Notre Dame fans, the graduate book will end his Notre Dame career with more victories than any starting Quarterback in school history, as he enters the year with 20 wins to his name and all-time Leaders Tom Clements, Ron Powlus and Brady Quinn are on the list at 29.
Running Back – Jafar Armstrong
Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
This spot is very much in the air as we approach the opening day for Notre Dame. The running position has several bodies, but not many well-known products in terms of collegiate talent.
Armstrong comes off a disappointing season in 2019, where injuries plagued him, but that did not look good to him, even when he was healthy in the stretch.
Armstrong is getting the nod for now, but based on what Brian Kelly has said about newcomer speedster Chris Tyree, expect the youngster to start getting early.
WR – Ben Skowronek
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Just a few short weeks ago, we expected Kevin Austin to be the go-to receiver for Notre Dame in 2020, but a broken foot has stunted those plans.
Enter graduate transfer Ben Skowronek who is likely to see the lion’s share of goals as Austin recovers.
Skowronek has averaged nearly 50 yards per game for Northwestern in the last three seasons, while finding the end zone eight times.
WR – Braden Lenzy
Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports
The playmaking speedster, who is Braden Lenzy, will carry an unknown number this season, but should increase his role in the offense.
Often used as a gadget player in 2019, any improvement with his hands should result in some large numbers for Notre Dame’s fastest returning playmaker.
WR – Lawrence Keys, III
Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Sidelined by injuries for mid-October of 2019, the Keys did not put together the full season he would have liked, but provided key grabs against Georgia and the Navy that left many Notre Dame fans wondering how high his ceiling can be.
TE – Tommy Tremble
Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
As discussed last week, Notre Dame’s talent is nearing the end of absurdity in 2020. We expect Tommy Tremble to get the most goals from everyone in the talented bundle, but Brock Wright’s blocking skills will fit nicely with the Irish and their love for two and sometimes even three tight ends in non-goal set.
LT – Liam Eichenberg
Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
On which figures is one of the best attacking lines in the whole country, no one is more talented than Eichenberg, who per Pro Football Focus, last season did not allow a single sec in 496 pass block snaps.
LG – Aaron Banks
Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Per Pro Football Focus, Aaron Banks allowed only two sacks and nine touchdowns in 844 snaps a season ago. Banks combined with Eichenberg should mean that the blind side of Ian Book will be well protected this fall.
C – Jarrett Patterson
Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
As is the theme with many of these offensive line evaluations, Patterson was not one to allow pressure a year ago because he did not surrender sacks in 497 pass block attempts (PFF).
RG – Tommy Kraemer
Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Raise your hand if you’ve heard this before: another attacking Notre Dame lineman and another man who didn’t allow much pressure in 2019.
Per PFF, Kraemer has allowed just one sec in 804 career pass-block snaps during his time with the Fighting Irish.
RT – Robert Hainsey
Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Hainsey is returning from a knee injury that will keep him in the final third of the 2019 season, but if healthy, Hainsey could enter the conversation with Eichenberg for best player on this unit.
Prior to his injury last year, Hainsey allowed no sacks and just a few quarterback hits in 252 drop back-snaps, per PFF.
The offensive line unit does not put much pressure on Ian Book, but the question will be how far they can help to bring the run game to 2020.
DE – Daelin Hayes
Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Fifth year, senior Daelin Hayes has become a leader both on and off the field. If Notre Dame will have an elite pass this season, Hayes will be a big reason why he played the best football of his life before an injury to his shoulder put an end to his 2019 season after just four games.
DT – Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa
Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
This will be an interesting position to watch this season, as red-shirt junior Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa may reduce his playing time compared to last year. That’s because he’s a better run-stopper than Jayson Ademilola, who will also get a significant amount of time on the tackle position.
NT – Kurt Hinish
AP Photo / Michael Dwyer
Notre Dame has developed talent on nose pack in recent years, which will mean more of a rotation for Hinish in his final year of qualifying for the Irish.
Hinish started all 13 games last season, recording 4.5 tackles for loss, a few sacks and 15 tackles in total on the year.
Sophomore Jacob Lacey and newborn Rylie Mills will factor in the rotation here, but Hinish will be your go-to nose as long as he is healthy.
DE – Adetokunbo Ogundeji
Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Notre Dame have upped their talent on the defensive end position in recent years and Ogundeji speaks against that in the fact that he started just one game last season – not because of doing wrong, but because of the talent on the roster.
Believe it or not, Ogundeji had the second-best overall defense rating on the team for 2019 per Pro Football Focus (82.2) and entering his final year of eligibility in 2020, he seems to be reaching his peak at the right time. It’s easy to say, but his figures should sky-rocket with the extra playing time this season.
Buck LB – Jordan Genmark Heath
Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
A year ago, Notre Dame fans were pleasantly surprised by the emergence of Asmar Bilal at the Buck linebacker position after he had almost no experience entering the year.
They will hope the same goes for Jordan Genmark Heath this year, as the former special teams ace seems to be starting to take on responsibilities at the position this season, even though he is struggling to consistently play reps earning during his leverage times on defense.
Mike LB – Drew White
Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Entering last season, Drew White was known for two things:
Substitute for Drue Tranquill after an injury against Navy in 2018 and play surprisingly well. Missed practice of spring 2019 because he had injured his shoulder ski on the spring break
Now he is seen as a reliable midfielder in the midst of Notre Dame’s defense, having tied for the team leadership a season ago in tackles, in large part because of his footballing instincts that are obvious to anyone. ‘ t respect him.
Rover LB – Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
After disbanding the 2018 season due to a broken foot, Owusu-Koramoah made a splash in 2019, leading Notre Dame in sacks, tackles and tackles for loss.
Brian Kelly said after JOK’s dominance at the Camping World Bowl last year that “he becomes the rule”, which speaks more to the development in the mental side of the game than his physical side.
Expect a great year for Owusu-Koramoah, despite having two years to qualify, this will be his final in blue and gold before perhaps his name is mentioned on the first day of next spring’s NFL Draft .
CB – TaRiq Bracy
[video width=”1920″ height=”1080″ mp4=”https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/08/fb2021-day-3-tariq-bracy-drill.mp4″%5D%5B/video%5D
Bracy likely won’t possess the same ability as Julian Love or Troy Pride, Jr. even over the last couple of years but a dominating pass rush and potential in the rest of the defensive backfield should help at least ease the burden of being a first time starter.
CB – Nick McCloud
Photo Courtesy of USA TODAY Sports
A knee injury limited McCloud to only two games in 2019 for North Carolina State before the former Wolfpack captain transferred to Notre Dame after graduating.
McCloud’s physicality is something that is unique for Notre Dame’s corners entering the 2020 and should be a big reason he finds his name atop the depth chart.
S – Isaiah Pryor
Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports
I put Isaiah Pryor here but the fact of the matter is the traditional second safety spot is very much up in the air.
The graduate-transfer from Ohio State has two years of eligibility remaining at Notre Dame and brings the most physicality of any safety on the roster, but is far from a sure thing in coverage.
Houston Griffith, DJ Brown, Litchfield Ajavon and sixth-year senior Shaun Crawford, who has played mostly corner, to factor into the rotation at the safety spot(s) not occupied by Kyle Hamilton.
S – Kyle Hamilton
Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
“One of the best guys in the country playing that position” is how Brian Kelly described Kyle Hamilton earlier this week and the sophomore being named to USA TODAY’s Pre-Season All-American Team speaks to how high the ceiling is for the 6-4 safety who burst onto the scene immediately as a freshman.
Kicker – Jonathan Doerer
Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Doerer made 17 of 20 field goals last season and has made 62 straight extra point attempts and brings one of the better legs in the country to Notre Dame’s special teams unit.
Punter – Jay Bramblett
Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Bramblett enters his sophomore season as Notre Dame’s starting punter after averaging 39.4 yards per punt in 63 punts last season.
.
