Brian Kelly’s August camp report on freshman defensive end Jordan Botelho — one of two top-200 overall defensive recruits in Notre Dame’s 2020 signing class — was the ranking bestowed upon Botelho sure looks accurate based on initial impressions.
In Kelly’s eyes, he was good enough to play for Notre Dame this year.
One problem, though. Notre Dame’s defensive line isn’t ripe with snaps for the taking. Botelho’s vyper position has fifth-year senior Daelin Hayes entrenched as the starter. The two players behind Hayes on the depth chart, sophomore Isaiah Foskey and junior Ovie Oghoufo, had also impressed in the offseason. Foskey’s splashy 14-snap debut against Duke only furthered his place in the rotation.
But in Saturday’s 52-0 win over South Florida, with Oghoufo unavailable, Botelho earned his chance and introduced himself. The freshman from Hawai’i played 31 snaps, 18 on defense and 13 on special teams. He initially entered the game with the starters still playing. On punt return teams, he took Oghoufo’s edge rush spot.
Early on, he nearly struck, barely missing on a punt block attempt.
Later on, he scored. Sophomore linebacker Osita Ekwonu blocked a punt, and Botelho picked up the trash and tumbled into the end zone for Notre Dame’s sixth touchdown of the game. He was a menace off the edge for USF’s punt protection. On defense, he flashed the strength, power and relentless attitude that helped make the No. 176 overall player in 2020 class per Rivals.
“He’s coming along quite well,” Kelly said afterward. “He’s actually a pretty quick study. He knows the game very well. As you see, he plays with a reckless abandon.”
For Kelly, maybe a little too much recklessness, at least on the touchdown. Botelho somersaulted into the end zone in celebration, flirting a bit too closely with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
“He has to clean up some of the other things,” Kelly said. “He has to continue to show some real discipline when it comes to how he handles himself on the field. He could have gotten a 15-yard penalty at the end. He knows that. [Defensive line] coach [Mike] Elston had a great conversation with him.”
All told, a debut that backed up the preseason buzz. It may be his only extended look. Being jammed at defensive end is a great place to be, of course. Similar depth largely kept Foskey off the field last season, save for four games with a similar role to Botelho’s.
If the Irish need Botelho in a bind later on, though, his play Saturday was enough to make an extended cameo contain more intrigue than concern.
“We love his physicality, we love what he brings to the table at the position,” Kelly said. “He’s in a rotation with a lot of talented players.”
A Blocking Wizard
The position next to fifth-year senior Javon McKinley’s name on Notre Dame’s roster reads wide receiver. Through two games, it applies in designation only.
In Notre Dame’s win over USF, he was a glorified tight end. For much of the day, Notre Dame’s starting boundary receiver lined up in tight next to Tommy Tremble, Michael Mayer or Brock Wright and helped them set the edge for the Irish’s running backs. He essentially made 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) into 13, and 13 into 14. Open running lanes were plentiful.
In 100 snaps this year, McKinley’s primary task has been clearing a path for runners. He’s in tight instead of out wide because he’s an asset as a blocker and not limited to blocking cornerbacks 10 yards down the field. Of those 100 snaps, 52 have been running plays, on which he has an 87.0 Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade.
“He’s our veteran guy,” Kelly said. “When you have a guy who’s been around and is a fifth-year that is setting that kind of standard and model, it rubs off on all the other guys. He’s influencing [freshman receivers] Jordan [Johnson] and Xavier [Watts].”
But at some point, a receiver needs to do some receiving. McKinley has run 46 routes this year, and they have produced four targets and one reception for seven yards. All four targets came against USF. One was a miscommunication between he and fifth-year senior quarterback Ian Book on a shot down the field. Another was a ball thrown behind him.
McKinley started at field receiver against Duke, then moved to the boundary for the USF game with fifth-year senior Bennett Skowronek injured. Most of his 11 receptions and 268 yards in 2019 came while playing boundary receiver, where he can best put to use his 6-4 frame.
“We have to continue to get him involved in the offense as well,” Kelly said.
New Name At Punt Returner
Notre Dame needed a punt returner against USF.
Its primary one, junior wide receiver Lawrence Keys III was unavailable. Its next option, sophomore running back Kyren Williams, already handles a starting job and double-digit touches per game.
So Kelly turned to a name unfamiliar to those outside the program but one those inside it trust: walk-on receiver Matt Salerno, a junior from Valencia, Calif.
“Matt’s an awesome kid,” Kelly said. “When I went up to tell him he’d be the returner, I asked if he was nervous. He said, ‘No, but coach, you look nervous.’”
USF’s punting was a mess of high snaps, shanked kicks and a block, offering Salerno just one chance to touch a punted ball. He returned it for seven yards.
“He was back there all camp,” Kelly said. “He has been effortless catching the football. He doesn’t have the explosiveness Kyren has, but you feel really comfortable with him back there.”
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