Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MAY 2019 29 A productive run defender in 2018, Ogundeji showed an improved pass rushing repertoire this spring, and it has made him a playmaker who gives the Irish a potential fourth im- pact edge player at the disposal of line coach Mike Elston. He earned more reps with his spring upgrade, and the more he plays and produces the more Elston can balance the snaps between Ka- reem and Ogundeji, which will keep both fresh throughout the season. JUNIOR ROVER JEREMIAH OWUSU-KORAMOAH Owusu-Koramoah was a three-star recruit and a late addition to the 2017 class. When this spring began, it was sophomore Shayne Simon who was projected to emerge as the starter at rover. That didn't last long, because Owusu-Koramoah quickly pushed his way to the front of the line while Simon ended up moving inside. Owusu-Koramoah is an intriguing figure who redshirted as a freshman in 2017 and missed all but two games last season after suffering a season- ending foot injury. He is one of the best pound-for-pound athletes on the defense. The Hampton, Va., native has always shown speed and excel- lent range, but being assignment cor- rect and playing with sound tech- nique were issues. There is still work to be done in both areas, especially when it comes to getting off blocks, but Owusu- Koramoah was more effective this spring, and the result was him mak- ing more plays. What makes Owusu-Koramoah in- triguing is that his speed makes him a force on the perimeter against the run and quick pass game, and we saw him blow up screen after screen. He is also the one rover on the ros- ter with the speed and agility to run with tight ends and slot receivers. If he can continue to enhance the mental part of his game, Owusu- Koramoah will have a chance to be a difference maker in the fall. If he takes a step back, he will be pushed by sophomore Paul Moala — or pos- sibly Simon, should the sophomore move back outside. SOPHOMORE DEFENSIVE TACKLE JAYSON ADEMILOLA The No. 45 player in the nation ac- cording to 247Sports as part of the 2018 class, Ademilola played limited reps as a true freshman in 2018 but made his presence felt. Ademilola played just 188 snaps in his first season, but his 10.6 run stop rate according to Pro Football Focus was tops among the Irish de- fensive line, and it wasn't all that close. All-American Jerry Tillery was next among the tackles with a 7.97 percent run stop rate. While he was listed at 284 pounds last fall, Ademilola played most of the season weighing closer to 270 pounds, which is light for an interior player. This spring he was noticeably thicker and stronger, which put him in position to take on a much heavier work load this spring, and the blos- soming sophomore responded with a productive performance. It actually took Ademilola some time this spring to emerge, but once he did there was little doubt as to who was the best interior playmaker on defense. Ademilola continued get- ting penetration as a run defender, but his ability to get after the quarter- back in the pass game was the most encouraging development. If Ademilola can carry over his spring production into the fall, he'll go a long way toward easing the loss of Tillery up the middle. FRESHMAN NOSE TACKLE JACOB LACEY Notre Dame's lack of depth inside meant that Lacey was going to play in 2019 — whether he was ready or not. The good news for Notre Dame is that he was able to enroll early and quickly showed he is going to play in 2019 because of his advanced at- tributes more so than the need at the position. Hailing from Bowling Green, Ky., Lacey is bigger than what we saw from Kurt Hinish and Myron Tago- vailoa-Amosa when they were true freshmen in 2017 and had to play, and he's much bigger and stronger than Ademilola was as a true fresh- man in 2018. All three of those players were vi- tal rotation figures as true freshmen, yet none of them were early enroll- ees, another significant advantage for Lacey. A powerful player, Lacey's ability to get a push against the veteran of- fensive linemen throughout spring was a welcome sight. He played with a better motor than expected, and his conditioning level allowed him to finish the spring just as well as he started. He and Ademilola spent much of the spring playing side by side, and they often dominated the second-team offensive line. Later in spring, they started making similar plays against the starters. His stout frame, strong punch, bury lower body and aggressive nature makes him a prototype nose tackle. Lacey also displayed during the spring the ability to make plays on the football and disrupt the back- field, which should help the Irish improve on the two tackles for loss they received from the nose tackle position in 2018. SOPHOMORE LINEBACKER JACK LAMB Linebacker remains a main ques- tion mark for the Irish as the squad heads into the summer. Lamb and the rest of the inside backers still have a lot to prove, and they must all significantly grow their games before games start in September. But Lamb did enough this spring to create optimism about his ability to build on his spring performance and vault himself into a playmaking role in the fall. Lea chided Lamb many times dur- ing the spring for not being as assign- ment correct as he needs to be, but the sophomore has also been lauded for his athleticism, especially versus the pass. When Lamb knows what to do and executes, he was the most active and productive linebacker on the roster. Lamb revealed top-notch range and speed at the Buck position, which is a requirement for strong play inside. He was a willing hitter and played with physicality in the box. He is a natural in coverage, and when he starts executing his cover- age assignments at a higher level he should develop into a standout in that aspect. That all-around potential is why Lamb was ranked the No. 77 player in the nation by Rivals in the 2018 class, and why he is in position to be- come a rotation player at minimum this season. If he can clean up his game, limit mistakes and allow his athletic gifts to shine, he could become a bona fide three-down player inside that is needed to emerge after the gradua- tion of 2019 stars Drue Tranquill and Te'von Coney. ✦