Notre Dame celebrated its 2017 season the way it always does, with a season-ending awards ceremony, ECHOES. There was plenty of celebration to be had, especially with Notre Dame fans after senior rover Drue Tranquill announced he planned to return for his fifth and final season.
Tranquill was non-committal about a return and previously said he would go through the process of learning about his draft grade following the season. After earning the Rockne Student-Athlete of the Year Award for the second straight season, Tranquill announced to the attendees that he would indeed be coming back.
Getting Tranquill back means Notre Dame will return arguably its best defensive player from the 2017 season. Tranquill finished the season third on the defense in tackles (74), tied for second in tackle for loss (8.5) and he led the defense with three fumble recoveries. Tranquill added 1.5 sacks, an interception, three pass break ups, a forced fumble and a pair of quarterback hurries.
It also means Notre Dame has a great chance at returning its top four playmakers from the 2017 defense. Sophomore cornerback Julian Love will be back after setting a Notre Dame record with 17 pass break ups, adding three interceptions on the season with two of them getting returned for scores.
Junior linebacker Te’von Coney is also expected back after a season in which he led the defense with 99 tackles and 13 tackles for loss despite starting just six games. It is also expected that junior nose tackle Jerry Tillery will be back for a final season after leading the defensive line with 8.5 tackles for loss and leading the defense with four sacks.
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