Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s breakout 2019 season continues to create buzz around him regarding the 2021 NFL Draft.
ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranked him as the No. 2 outside linebacker in his early 2021 position rankings (ESPN+), behind Penn State’s Micah Parsons. Kiper did not include Owusu-Koramoah in his initial big board of the top 25 prospects and had him as the only Notre Dame player in the top five of any position.
After redshirting in 2017 and then missing nearly all of 2018 due to injury, Owusu-Koramoah slid into the starting rover job in 2019 and had a team-high 13.5 tackles for loss. Since head coach Brian Kelly’s arrival at Notre Dame in 2010, only Sheldon Day (15.5 in 2015) had more tackles for loss in a single season.
Elsewhere, Owusu-Koramoah tied linebacker Drew White for the team lead with 80 tackles and also posted 5.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. In a September loss to Georgia, he had eight tackles, with 2.5 for a loss. It caught the attention of Kiper’s colleague, Todd McShay.
ESPN and Pro Football Focus also ranked Owusu-Koramoah as the No. 6 returning linebacker in 2020.
"Six of his seven highest-graded games came in his final six games; he didn't give up a single explosive play over that span and allowed just 36 yards across 114 coverage snaps," analyst Anthony Treash wrote. "He also recorded 10 pressures on 29 pass-rush reps (five of which were sacks), which further sets the stage for an important 2020 season for the talented sophomore linebacker.
Owusu-Koramoah did not make CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso’s initial top-100 for 2021, though two of his teammates did. Offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg is No. 38 on Trapasso’s list, followed by offensive guard Tommy Kraemer at No. 55. Eichenberg is Trapasso’s No. 9 offensive linemen regardless of position, while Kraemer is No. 13.
Eichenberg put off the 2020 draft and returned for his fifth year on campus. The former four-star recruit will enter his third year as Notre Dame’s starting left tackle. His three predecessors, Zach Martin, Ronnie Stanley and Mike McGlinchey, were all top-15 picks.
Kraemer, a one-time top-50 recruit, will enter his fourth year as a starter on the offensive line. His 2019 season ended Oct. 26 at Michigan when he suffered a knee injury.
Notre Dame’s entire starting offensive line from 2019 decided to come back for 2020. The group has 114 combined starts, believed to be the most by a returning offensive line in program history.
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