Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com PRESEASON 2019 35 BY BRYAN DRISKELL N otre Dame has compiled a 22‑4 mark over the last two years and is coming off its first back‑to‑back seasons with double‑digit wins since 1992‑93. The Irish will try to win at least 10 games again and earn another College Football Playoff berth — or at least emerge victorious in a New Year 's Six bowl game for the first time since Jan. 1, 1994. The Irish play their three highest ranked opponents on the schedule on the road, making a repeat College Football Playoff appearance a major challenge. However, the pieces are in place for Notre Dame to continue the recent trend of outstanding play. Just like last season, leadership must emerge and playmakers must stand out on both sides of the football. Below are the 10 most important play‑ ers to another strong season, based on talent, their position and their oppor‑ tunity to make impact plays: 1. QB IAN BOOK College football has become in‑ credibly quarterback driven, and for the last nine seasons the Irish simply have not received good enough play at the position to be a legitimate title contender. Last season's College Football Playoff was comprised of the Heis‑ man Trophy winner and No. 1 over‑ all draft pick in Kyler Murray (Okla‑ homa), the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and Heisman runner‑up in Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama), perhaps the best freshman quarterback in col‑ lege football history in Trevor Law‑ rence (Clemson), and then Book. Notre Dame does not need Book to win the Heisman Trophy to com‑ pete for the national title. It does, however, need more from the posi‑ tion than what it has received the last nine seasons. Book brought a much‑needed boost in efficiency last season, and his confidence is infectious. He showed the late‑game moxie to be an impact player, but must take his game to another level. 2. DE JULIAN OKWARA Notre Dame enters the season with concerns at linebacker, and there re‑ main questions about just how good the interior of the defensive line will be. One way to alleviate those fears is for the strength of the defense — the ends — to dominate. The leader of that group is Ok‑ wara, who became one of the na‑ tion's premier pass rushers last fall, finishing the season ranked seventh in the country in quarterback pres‑ sures (61) and fourth in pass rush productivity according to Pro Foot‑ ball Focus. He also finished 30th in run stop rate among defensive ends, becoming more than just a pass rush specialist. Now a senior receiving first‑round NFL Draft projections, Okwara must become a better finisher. He was credited with 10 missed tackle or sack attempts last season, a number that must be diminished. Notre Dame needs Okwara to an‑ chor one of the nation's best lines with All‑American production. 3. WR CHASE CLAYPOOL Notre Dame followers have spent the last decade watching different wide receivers suddenly emerge and shine, including Golden Tate, Mi‑ chael Floyd, TJ Jones and Will Fuller. Last season, Miles Boykin experi‑ enced a breakout. The senior Claypool is poised to be the next in line, and the Irish need him to have a dominant season. Claypool enters the season with 84 career catches for 1,122 yards. Late last fall, the Canadian started to turn his immense potential into production. During the final seven games, Claypool actually caught one more pass and had just five fewer yards than Boykin, who went on to be a third‑round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Claypool was outstanding in the spring and carried his brilliance into fall camp. The 6‑4, 229‑pound wide‑ out has a unique blend of size and athleticism, and when he is on his game he is difficult to guard. 4. CB TROY PRIDE JR. Claypool wasn't the lone sidekick to outperform his more heralded teammate. While Claypool was go‑ ing toe‑to‑toe in production with Boykin, classmate Pride was actually outplaying Julian Love, who earned consensus All‑America honors last season. In the final seven games, Pride held opposing quarterbacks to just a 40.7 percent completion rate and 3.8 yards per pass attempt. Both are exceptional numbers, and better than what Love and All‑American Dean‑ dre Baker of Georgia put up. Pride's battles with Claypool dur‑ ing spring and fall camp have been epic. Increased physicality and en‑ hanced technique have allowed him to better use his elite 4.32 speed. The Greer, S.C., native has a chance to emerge as one of the nation's top cover corners, and Notre Dame needs that from him. There are question marks at the position beyond Pride, and the better he plays the easier it is for defensive coordinator Clark Lea to protect the man opposite him. 5. OT ROBERT HAINSEY A knee injury slowed Hainsey down early in the 2018 season, and the right tackle allowed 11 quar‑ terback pressures through the first four games. The healthier he became the better he played, with Hainsey allowing just one pressure and no sacks in the final nine games of the season. Hainsey thrived on technique and toughness last season. Now a junior, he is stronger, which allows him to do a much better job getting a push in the run game. Handling himself in the pass game has always been a strength for Hain‑ sey, but the jump he has made as a run blocker has him on the verge of developing into one of the top play‑ ers in the country at his position. Notre Dame's offensive line must be the driving force behind a scoring explosion, and Hainsey is the tone setter for that group. The lone junior to be named one of the team's seven TEN TO WATCH The Irish skill players are set to shine in 2019