Notre Dame Football: Post-Spring Position Rankings
Notre Dame has gotten through the winter and spring, which means the 2019 football team is about halfway through its offseason. We won’t see the players again until August, which will come after the vital summer workout months.
Heading into the end of the school year and leading into the summer, it’s time to take a look at where the position groups rank at the conclusion of spring practice.
The rankings include starting talent, depth, experience and anticipated impact on the 2019 team based on where the positions groups stand right now. It includes only players who participated in the spring. Our pre-fall rankings will include the remaining incoming freshman.
Here we go:
1. DEFENSIVE LINE
Not only is this the best position group on Notre Dame’s roster, it could be argued that Mike Elston has the best defensive end depth chart in the entire country. Senior drop Julian Okwara and senior strongside end Khalid Kareem were outstanding last season, and Okwara ranks third among all returning college defenders in pressures, racking up 61 last season according to Pro Football Focus.
What truly separates the Irish depth chart and any other I’ve seen is that not only does it have outstanding starters, its “back ups” at the position could start and standout for a lot of teams. Daelin Hayes was outstanding during the spring, and he was the best run stopping end for the Irish last season according to PFF. In fact, he ranked 22nd among all Power 5 ends in run stop percentage last fall.
Ade Ogundeji is on the verge of a breakout, and the Irish have potential playmakers in the younger classes with Justin Ademilola and Ovie Oghoufo having strong springs. Senior Jamir Jones also played well during the spring.
2. OFFENSIVE LINE
Notre Dame had good line play last season, but it is considered subpar because it is compared to previous Irish lines. The unit ranked as the 17th best run blocking group in the country according to Pro Football Focus, and it returns four starters. Junior right tackle Robert Hainsey emerged as the leader at the position group, and senior left tackle Liam Eichenberg also impressed and played well when healthy.
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