Notre Dame’s Ultimate And Model Hybrid
At the start of last September, junior Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was an unknown commodity at rover. Redshirted as a freshman in 2017 because he didn’t even turn 18 until November, he then suffered a broken foot early in September 2018 before having seen any action on defense.
Today as the Fighting Irish prepare for Saturday’s opener versus Duke, Owusu-Koramoah is projected as a first-round pick in many circles next spring, including No. 13 in ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay’s NFL mock draft.
He is categorized as the ultimate three-down hybrid defender, a nickel, linebacker and edge figure all rolled into one. Pro Football Focus’ snap tracker broke down that last year he played 107 snaps on the line, 218 as a box defender and 352 as a slot defender, with the capability to line up anywhere on any drive without having to come off the field.
A preseason ESPN first-team All-American on its list released this Tuesday, Owusu-Koramoah also received notice on The Athletic and FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman’s “Freak List” because of his 39-inch vertical, 10-3 broad jump and a 20.4 miles per hour recording on the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Beyond the physical, the motor and passion is non-stop, yet maturity keeps him grounded. Part of that has come from the COVID-19 pandemic and the realization throughout the summer that his senior year of football could be taken away.
“You tend to block it out, you tend to have this laser-like focus,” said Owusu-Koramoah on Tuesday of the buzz surrounding him as potentially Notre Dame’s top NFL prospect next spring. “Just focus on what’s today. Tomorrow has enough troubles of its own, and you continue to just live day by day and tackle the problems that are in front of you.
“As far as the buzz that’s going around, you see it — all glory to God — I appreciate it. But at the end of the day, what’s important is here, what’s important is now, and what’s important is this team and winning every day.”
Owusu-Koramoah tied fellow senior and first-time starter Drew White in tackles last year with 80, and also paced the team in tackles for loss (13.5), sacks (5.5), fumbles recovered (2), and was tied for second in fumbles forced (2), to go with four passes broken up. And now, he’s just beginning to settle in.
“Just like in everything, when you go through some of the experiences and when you continue to work on your craft and you continue to see a lot of football, you continue to get better at it,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of football, a lot of film … Being comfortable is everything as far as being a game changer, as far as being a good teammate, as far as being a leader on this defense.
“When I line up this year, I have more of a knowledge as far as play recognition, as far as post-snap, pre-snap, things to correct. Man, it’s been great. I think it’s an experience this year that will definitely change how people see me as far as a football player — as far as a person too.”
Pro Football Network’s AJ Schulte labeled him “the NFL’s next star hybrid defender,” and it’s reflected in his data. He recorded six pressures in the 33-9 Camping World Bowl win versus Iowa State, yet his coverage numbers over the final seven games — as he grew more comfortable with his role — were equally impressive. During that stretch, opposing quarterbacks averaged 3.2 yards in the 14 times they targeted Owusu-Koramoah. Overall, opponents averaged a modest 7.6 yards per target against him.
His goal in 2020 is not so much about individual accolades but to help improve the defense’s No. 5 national in the 2019 Fremeau Efficiency Index, which included a No. 4 placement in turnovers forced (28).
“The defense last year was a pretty good group,” Owusu-Koramoah said. “It’s hard to replicate that. Team chemistry is always something that a team, or a defense or an offense should always get better at. Hanging out with the guys after [practice], getting film in with the guys after, continuing to be close with each other.
“Getting together, making sure we all stay healthy, making sure we all are wearing our masks. … If our team chemistry continues to get better, we’ll be an even better team and an even better defense than the one last year.”
While acknowledging that playing in what will be at least an 80-percent empty Notre Dame Stadium this Saturday will be “different,” Owusu-Koramoah says it’s still about pure love of the game and competition, especially after there had been some underlying uncertainty about whether there would be a season at all.
“You go back to high school and you go back to little league football … it’s still exciting, it’s still power-packed, it was still a good experience,” he said. “We’ll take our preparation and put that to use. It will be full of energy and full of loud noises, hopefully.”
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