Midweek thoughts about the Notre Dame football program, its recruiting efforts and college football:
HOW GOOD CAN JULIAN OKWARA BE IN 2019?
Then junior Daelin Hayes was expected to be the top drop end in 2019, but after one game he was supplanted by his classmate, Julian Okwara. Hayes had a good season in 2018, finishing with an 8.9 percent run stop rate (according to Pro Football Focus) and an 11.1 percent pass rush success rate. Those are both strong numbers and are significantly better than what strongside end Khalid Kareem put out (7.6% run stop rate, 9.7% pass rush rate).
Hayes ranked 22nd nationally among Power 5 defensive ends as a run stopper last season. The reason Hayes lost his starting spot was that Okwara was just that good. Okwara led the Irish defense with a 11.8 percent pass rush success rate, finishing fourth nationally among defensive ends with 61 total quarterback pressures and fourth in pass rush productivity.
Okwara also became a much better run defender, making a boost from the pass-rusher only type of role he played in 2017. The Charlotte, N.C. native finished the 2018 season with 12.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
So how much better can Okwara be in 2019? Can he become an All-American player? Can he vault himself into the first round of the NFL Draft? That answer will get worked out over the next year, but he heads into his final season in a great position to make that leap.
The top edge rusher prospect in the 2019 NFL Draft is Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen, a player that I believe compares quite favorably to Okwara. Below is Okwara's numbers as a junior in 2018 to Allen's junior season production in 2017.
