BGI 2020 Notre Dame Football Awards: Part III
Most Improved
Bronze Medal: Kurt Hinish
A space-eater and role player in the past, the senior nose tackle added playmaking skills while finishing third on the team in tackles for loss (7.5) — seldom seen at his position — and regularly redefining the line of scrimmage.
His durability, toughness and soundness were present from the time he enrolled as a freshman, and he has started all 25 games each of the past two years. In 2020 he took it to a higher tier, and a case could also be made for him on the Most Underrated list.
He and classmate/defensive tackle Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, who also made appreciable strides after early setbacks, will be welcomed anchors in the 2021 defense under new coordinator Marcus Freeman. They will be leaned on the way fifth-year senior captains Ade Ogundeji and Daelin Hayes were as the ends this past campaign.
Silver Medal: Javon McKinley
There was some uncertainty whether the former top-60 recruit would even return for a fifth season after a disappointing on-field career with 11 career catches, virtually all in meaningless time, through his first four years.
This year he not only tied for the team lead in receptions (42) and paced the unit in receiving yards (717), but his downfield blocking made him someone the coaches could not take out of the lineup. His 671 snaps were easily the most at receiver, tight end or running back.
Generally if a skill-position player doesn't make some significant inroads by his junior year, it's unlikely he will to close out his career. McKinley proved to be an exception, and it was greatly needed given the huge setbacks of the five-man junior receiving corps, most notably Kevin Austin Jr. and Braden Lenzy with injury issues. Someone from that junior group, or even sophomore or freshman classes, next year needs to have a sudden breakout like McKinley did in 2020.
Gold Medal: Kyren Williams
As a freshman in 2019 he had four carries and a kickoff return role before getting relegated to the bench for the final nine games. This year as a sophomore he became a 1,125-yard rusher — with a good portion of those yards occurring after first contact by a defender — with 13 touchdowns. He also was the third-leading receiver with 35 grabs and a superb blitz pick-up blocker.
Above all, Williams played with a fearlessness, edge and boundless energy that belied his 5-9, 195-pound frame and helped uplift the rest of a highly physical offense.
Most Valuable
Bronze Medal: Kyren Williams
We prefer not to have repeat members on here, but we can’t say enough about the juice he brought to the program this year rather than just taking the, “I’m just a sophomore and will lay low in the background” attitude.
Remember how most of the discussions prior to August about Fighting Irish running backs centered on how it likely would be a “five-man committee”? And then even Stanford graduate transfer Trevor Speights was desperately added in May before not getting cleared medically for action.
Williams turned this “committee” into a monopoly, especially with the way pass protection became a significant part of his job description. His 597 snaps doubled the rest of the entire running backs corps, with freshman Chris Tyree next at 192.
Silver Medal: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
On Jan. 7 the senior rover became only the 35th unanimous All-American in school history, and it was merited not only because of his skill set, but a fierce determination coupled with being humble enough to know he needed to be coached up and heed instruction.
Not many people go from not even playing a snap on offense or defense their first two seasons to becoming a unanimous All-American and projected top-15 NFL pick in their fourth year in college
In an era of first- or third-down specialists, this Butkus Award winner was equally effective and not out of place covering wideouts, pursuing quarterbacks or shedding offensive linemen. He was/is the archetype of the hybrid safety/linebacker position and was too valuable to be taken off the field, with his 647 snaps the second most on the defense to safety Shaun Crawford’s 654.
It's difficult not to include sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton on here, but one of the most remarkable accomplishments this year included how the defense completely shut down the potent North Carolina offense on Nov. 27 even without Hamilton in the lineup the second half. Still, his mere presence helped expand the call sheet for former defensive coordinator Clark Lea.
Gold Medal: Ian Book
Without the fifth-year senior signal-caller’s experience against game pressure, highly respected leadership and superb improvisation, Notre Dame could have lost several regular-season games — especially while trying to find a receiving corps for most of the first half of this season.
Backup quarterback was as fragile as it comes this past year (further manifested by the need to sign Wisconsin graduate transfer Jack Coan for 2021), so Book’s durability was crucial, particularly when he was asked to run by design or frequently by ad-lib (485 rushing yards).
Although Book was not the first-round passer like Brady Quinn (2003-06) or championship runner like Tony Rice (1987-89), only Quinn ever passed for more yardage at Notre Dame and only Rice ran for more yards by a quarterback. Book’s 30-5 career mark as a starter made him the first quarterback at Notre Dame to reach that number of victories.
Such data alone don’t make him the best all around to play the position for the Fighting Irish, but Book maximized his skill set at the collegiate level while earning immense respect from his teammates through the years. Part of the job description at the position is to deal with the inevitable slings and arrows that occur with not being flawless, and he likewise handled that well.
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