Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com JANUARY 2019 25 solidify the front. Over the next five games, the offense rushed for 206.4 yards a game, averaged 5.2 yards per run and gave up an average of just one sack a contest. Banks made some rookie mistakes, but his athleticism, power and tough- ness were a welcome addition to the line. He and junior left tackle Liam Eichenberg quickly developed into a strong duo in the run game. NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR DEFENSE FRESHMAN DEFENSIVE TACKLE JAYSON ADEMILOLA With Gilman already earning the honors of the most underrated player, the top newcomer award goes to Jayson Ademilola. The rookie played just 169 snaps during the reg- ular season, but his production in those limited snaps was impressive. Ademilola played 72 run snaps, but he registered nine rush stops, giving him a 12.5 percent stop rate that led the Irish defensive tackles. BIGGEST SURPRISE JUNIOR DEFENSIVE END JULIAN OKWARA Okwara becoming one of the na- tion's most explosive pass rushers was an incredibly pleasant surprise for the Irish. According to Pro Foot- ball Focus, he was fifth in the nation with 58 quarterback pressures, which includes quarterback hurries, quar- terback hits and sacks. The nation's leader in pressures — Florida State junior end Brian Burns — had just 11 more pressures than Okwara despite playing 288 more snaps than the Irish junior. Okwara did more than just rush the quarter- back. At times he was Notre Dame's most disruptive run defender up front as well. That all-around game made him, at times, the defense's most dynamic playmaker. TOP ROLE PLAYER JUNIOR RUNNING BACK TONY JONES JR. With Williams out for the first four games, Jones emerged as the top run- ner for the offense. He led the team with 263 rushing yards during that stretch, while averaging 5.7 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns. With the offense sputtering during the game against Vanderbilt Sept. 15, Jones stepped up and ran for a ca- reer-best 118 yards, and his 32-yard fourth quarter reception proved to be the play of the game. Jones took a backseat when Wil- liams returned, but he carved out an important role on the team. Not only was he a vital special teams player, but he also emerged as Notre Dame's third down back due to his ability to catch the ball and pass block. Jones took a short pass 51 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown in Notre Dame's victory over USC, which put that game away. ✦ The breakout season from junior end Julian Okwara — who finished fifth nationally with 58 quarterback pressures — was a key ingredient to dominance from the Irish defense. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA