Unless you’ve been living under an internet-less rock, a terrific preseason tradition is the annual preseason ranking of Notre Dame’s top 25 players at  Inside the Irish. Once again our 18 Stripes crew was invited to participate, and as in past years we submitted a group ballot, using some “wisdom of the crowd” or whatever the opposite may be, in this case.

Below you’ll find the combined rankings from me, Chris Wilson (aka @rakesofmallow), Eric Murtaugh, PJ Gaughan, and Brendan R, with commentary from the writer who generally was highest on that player. In parentheses is the group ranking from the final group over at Inside the Irish, so you can see who we are particularly high or low on. Note in your reading that these ballots were submitted before fall camp began, so guys like Donte Vaughn, who appear to be in line for a bigger-than-expected role, are not present.

2018 Reflections

In last year’s exercise, we had some hits and misses – here’s a few highlights looking back and seeing how we graded out:

Our analysis is worth what you pay for it:

  • Ian Book was not rated by the composite or our 18 Stripes crew last year –  no one really saw the QB change coming, although Eric I believe was one of the first writers if not the first voices calling very explicitly for a QB change following the Vanderbilt game.
  • Dexter Williams was #20 on our list – close to the consensus (19th) but wary of the 4-game suspension to open the year and how he’d handle an increased workload. It went extremely well once he returned!
  • Jalen Elliott was unranked on our ballot, and definitely finished as a top-15 player after a major leap.
  • We were lower than consensus on Miles Boykin, ranking him 14th and behind Chase Claypool before a breakout campaign.
  • Other players we were much higher on relative to the group included Jonathan Bonner (18th) and Myron Tagavailoa-Amosa (15th). Bonner was solid but probably a little high, and MTA missed the vast majority of the year with an injury.

Some bold and not so bold predictions we nailed:

  • Julian Okwara was 10th on our list and 20th in the broad group ratings. As a group we were really confident about Okwara’s pass rushing ability with a bigger workload, and boy did he deliver.
  • As a group we were a bit wary of the tight ends, rankings Cole Kmet 24th (15th in composite) and Alize Mack 25th (18th). Both were productive in their playing time, but Kmet struggled with injuries and Mack never took the leap some expected and still had bouts of inconsistency.
  • Julian Love was 2nd on our list, compared to 4th overall, which may not seem like a huge gap, but there were lots of ballots that had the junior outside the top 5 and a couple without him in the top 10! That seemed insane at the time and turned out to be in reality in a season where he should have taken home the Thorpe Award.

The 2019 List

#25 Jack Lamb (NR)

Brendan: Our final slot goes to a redshirt freshman who has the potential to be something of a linchpin for the defense. Lamb was clearly the best coverage linebacker in spring practice. The main question for Lamb is durability; he tore his ACL in his senior year of high school, hurt his shoulder last fall, and sat out the Blue-Gold game with a knee. If he can hold his own in run defense and he can stay healthy, he could seize the starting Buck role and help stabilize the second level. If. No pressure, kid! 

#24 Michael Young (21)

Chris: Young has shown flashes over the last fourteen games — the fourth-quarter touchdown against LSU, the 66-yard screen against Wake Forest, the 47-yard bomb up the middle against Northwestern —but opportunities have been limited with so many more experienced guys producing in front of him. But Boykin is gone and now the starting role is Young’s, with all the offseason chatter pointing to a guy ready for a very big season. If Long and Book get this offense humming, Young is a guy who unlocks so much with his speed and hands.

#23 Kyle Hamilton (NR)

#22 Houston Griffith (NR)

Brendan: Griffith showed flashes in 2018, but unfortunately spent much of his freshman year looking somewhat underwater. He’s now on his third position in 12 months – he began at free safety last spring, moved to nickel in the fall when Shaun Crawford got hurt, and moved to boundary corner this year after Julian Love’s departure. Recent reports have him trending in the right direction; he has all the athleticism he needs, so if he really is settling in it could be huge for the secondary.

#21 Shaun Crawford (23)

#20 Asmar Bilal (19)

Michael: Bilal is a 5th year senior who has gotten better every year, especially in his ability to diagnose and anticipate plays. He’s the only returning starter at linebacker, and a guy who notched 50 tackles and 3 TFL in 2018. Yet the Irish fanbase as a whole seems down on him and more attracted to newer, shinier, blue-chip underclassmen who haven’t played significant snaps. The shuffling and cross-training at different LB spots makes placing Bilal murky, but he feels underrated and set up for a very productive season in a way that resembles late-career Matthias Farley.

#19 Jarrett Patterson (18)

PJ: The quotes said about Patterson’s move from tackle to center speak for themselves in terms of his place on this list. He is mentioned of having a high football IQ, which should help him ease the transition of learning to snap and immediately block, and he has an advanced technique in block assignments. Combined with the constant reps he took in the spring with Book, I think Patterson will slide right into his place and will continue the recent legacy of great O-Line play.

#18 Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (20)

Eric: To me, this is the player who probably out-performs this ranking (I had JOK at #13 overall). A lot of this is due to JOK’s freakish athleticism but mostly because the Rover position is such a high volume impact spot on the defense. Case in point, Asmar Bilal finished 6th on the team in tackles last year while playing just over half the overall snaps.

So, I feel like we can pencil in 50 tackles for JOK and then it’s just a matter of how disruptive he’ll be. I’m betting he’s pretty fun overall as someone who might make some mistakes and then finishes the year with 11 tackles for loss and a handful of highlight-reel tackles in space. I think he has that type of ceiling for 2019 and someone who benefits from the defensive ends receiving so much attention.

The only reason to short JOK is the emergence of Paul Moala at the same position. If they are basically splitting time–and it feels like it will be closer to 50/50 than JOK getting 85% of the reps–it will be difficult for Owusu-Koramoah to be as good as I think and a #18 ranking might feel entirely appropriate.

#17 Kurt Hinish (16)

Michael: The junior quietly has a lot of big-time experience for a junior, and while he hasn’t been a game-changer yet he’ll be integral to the defense’s success in 2019. Hinish won’t be the scariest pass-rushing threat, but can make life a lot easier for the inexperienced but likely athletic linebacking corps in the run game. Early in his career Hinish has shown that despite a little undersized at noseguard he has the strength to eat blocks and won’t get moved – now can get push the bar higher and not just hold his ground but penetrate and disrupt?

#16 Tommy Kraemer (13)

Chris: Properly rating the senior right guard has proven a challenge this offseason. On one hand, he’s been named to a number of preseason All-American lists and far-too-early mock drafts as prognosticators note his gaudy recruiting rating (No. 26 in the 247 Composite) and assume greatness is inevitable. Then you have Notre Dame fans and analysts who know the offensive line play was uninspiring last year with Kraemer paling in comparison to the last marquee guard to roll through South Bend. (To be fair, Quenton Nelson is an almost impossible standard to meet.) The running game looked good in Blue-Gold and a healthy, experienced former five-star prospect grinding things out on the right side is something that should excite Irish fans.

#15 Daelin Hayes (14)

Michael: The highest non-starter on the list, Hayes hasn’t had the expected production in the pass-rush most fans hoped for when he had three sacks in the Blue Gold game a few years ago, with just five in the past two seasons total. Still, Hayes graded out extremely well in Pro Football Focus – very effective in the run game and probably unlucky to only come away with the sacks he did given his pressure rate. He’s out of the spotlight with Okwara and Kareem getting all the hype, but will be a huge factor on passing downs and rotating in a very deep DE rotation that should place a big emphasis on keeping everyone healthy and fresh.

#14 Cole Kmet (10)

Michael: If you heart has been broken by the tight end hype in years past, I understand. But Kmet sprained his ankle early last season and never seemed to fully recover, and is an ideal match for a QB like Ian Book who is hyper-accurate on short and medium throws. In my mind Kmet is an upgrade over Alize Mack (who, lost in last season, caught 6 passes in three of Book’s first four starts) and I’m buying that he’ll be a receiver Chip Long looks to feed and ends up in the top-3 most targeted receivers in a strong passing offense. His #14 ranking here is more a reflection of our staff’s skepticism of Kmet’s role in the offense than his talent, as no BK-era TE has posted more than 500 receiving yards or 40 catches since Tyler Eifert.

Update: Kmet suffered an broken collarbone in Thursday’s practice, and is now our 3-6 weeks. 

#13 Myron Tagavailoa-Amosa (17)

Eric: Looking this over I thought MTA at #13 felt a little high then I realized I personally had him #11 on my list. This does point out to me how the back half of the top 15 could be re-ordered a million different ways depending on your mood. And in a way it seems kind of crazy that someone coming off a missed season (all but 2 games) and only 15 career tackles is rated this high.

Then again, someone from the defense has to fill the spots and it might as well be the starter at 3-tech who has flashed some really good things early in his career who has 3 more years still to play (feels good to type that). I’d have a hard time arguing anyone else over MTA at this spot and I think he’ll be good for a solid 6 or 7 tackles for loss on the season. I think we’ll eventually want a little more from him but he’s still young and will have time to grow into a dominant player if that’s his ceiling.

I’m a little concerned about his body-type (he looks like a giant walking rectangle) and how he holds up with more snaps. He played a really solid 329 snaps as a true freshman but got banged up a lot. If he stays healthy I think we’ll be good with this ranking. That could be a big if, though.

#12 Aaron Banks (15)

Chris: Banks’ arrival at Notre Dame is one of those reminders that college football is really weird, as a Top 200 offensive lineman from California with offers from all the powers watched the Fighting Irish go 4-8 and a few weeks later decided “Yes, I would like to move to Indiana and play football for that program.” He’s been really good since sliding into the starting lineup at starting guard midway through the 2018 season and while you never want to a large man have foot problems, he has all camp and really the first three weeks of the season to get fully healthy for Athens. If this offensive line is going to be great again they need a healthy Banks because he has just so much talent.

#11 Liam Eichenberg (T8)

Brendan: The big tackle caught some heat last year for uneven play, but remember that it was his first time facing live bullets and a bunch of those bullets he faced were really big. Eichenberg had to handle five current NFLers, including three first-round picks (Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell, Michigan’s Rashan Gary, and FSU’s Brian Burns), and a couple of likely 2020 draft picks. Now he has a full year of experience under his belt, an on-paper softer slate of opposing players, and several months of practice against one of the country’s top edge rushers. The staff wants him to trust himself more; if he plays with more confidence, it could take the 2019 OL from good to dominant.

#10 Jafar Armstrong (11)

Eric: Flash back to the spring of 2018 about 15 months ago and Armstrong was just moved from receiver to running back after a whole bunch of roster upheaval featuring suspensions and transfers, including Dexter Williams’ pending 4-game ban by the school. Armstrong was an interesting athlete for a lot of people who got thrown into the mix pretty quickly and acquitted himself well during those spring practices.

Now, after doing some really nice things but not really playing a ton as a redshirt freshman he’s rocketed up this Top 25 list. I personally had him at #6 overall betting on the fact that he’s going to see the ball so much due to a weaker depth chart at running back. Still, I think Armstrong is a really nice player whose versatility is going to be utilized heavily by Chip Long.

I’m not sure as a pure runner he merits top 10 mention but you could pick worse than the starting running back who has the potential to eclipse 1,000 yards from scrimmage pretty easily.

#9 Chris Finke (T8)

PJ: I believe Finke is to Book as the blue blanket was to Linus in Peanuts. I think when Book needs a conversion or needs a big play, Book will turn to the Slippery Fox. Finke has proved himself against some great competition in years past and with no true reliable deep threat, I could see Finke filling that role while also playing in the slot. I expect continued success regardless of what weapons emerge alongside him plus he could be the best threat in special teams since Kelly arrived in South Bend.

#8 Robert Hainsey (12)

PJ: Already positioning himself as the leader of the offensive line, Hainsey really was a big force in the transition from the 2017 line to last years. I personally expect him to use this leadership he’s taken post Cotton Bowl to help maintain if not improve upon his own performance, and the performance of the line itself. In a OL full of experience, I think Hainsey will make the jump and impress many across the country

#7 Chase Claypool (5)

Chris: The one thing holding Claypool back prior to his junior year were the mystical “traits,” which always seemed odd for a guy who was a committed special teams gunner. Last year the 6’4” Canadian was really solid with 50 catches, 600 yards and four touchdowns but with Miles Boykin now lighting it up in Ravens camp there is so much more opportunity and the NFL is paying attention to the guy who should lead the Irish in receiving. As an added bonus for a coordinator that loves to run the ball, Claypool is a very willing and very effective blocker on the outside.

#6 Jalen Elliott (7)

PJ: The turnaround that the safety position over the past three seasons has been nothing short of miraculous and you can look no further than Elliott as the common thread through the improvement. Elliott will most likely improve all of his numbers (except for potentially INTs considering how luck based those can be) and become a 1a leader in the back end of the defense along with Gilman.

#5 Troy Pride (6)

Brendan: Lost in the discussion of Julian Love’s 2018 dominance was that Troy Pride quietly had an excellent year; two picks, one forced fumble, 10 passes broken up, and only one receiving TD allowed in 13 games is pretty solid for the “other” guy. Pride can boast of two things that Love can’t: length and speed. Pride won the campus fastest man competition with a blistering 4.32 40, and reportedly thinks he can get under 4.3 at the NFL combine. He showed more physicality and technique in the spring than he has to date. Put that all together, and he could be in the conversation as one of the country’s best corners.

#4 Alohi Gilman (4)

Michael: I had Gilman second on my ballot – the Navy transfer was a revelation at safety last year and only improved as the year went on. Can you do any better than ten tackles on senior day against FSU, two picks against Syracuse, forcing massive turnovers at USC when things were going sideways in the first half, and 19 tackles against Clemson? He’s likely the surest returning tackler, will create tons of havoc, and compensate for some of the turnover at corner and linebacker.

#3 Khalid Kareem (3)

PJ: Kareem injured his left ankle against Michigan last season and his right a couple weeks later vs Vanderbilt. Despite those injuries, Kareem still finished 2nd on the team in TFL and 3rd in sacks. The sky is the limit for Kareem as a healthy and consistently dominant season can potentially jump him up from a mid round prospect in the draft to a potential first rounder in next spring’s NFL Draft.

#2 Ian Book (2)

Chris: Over his near-decade tenure at Notre Dame, Brian Kelly has never had a quarterback take over an entire season and drag the Irish to glory. There have been great stretches and strong individual games but never anything approaching a Heisman campaign. Book has the opportunity to do that, with plenty of toys around him, a capable offensive line and a week four road match up with another top-tier quarterback that could elevate him into the discussion as the best quarterback not named Trevor or Tua in the game. Irish fans should be so excited to see if Book can turn Chip Long’s offense into an RPO doomsday machine that rolls over the opposition.

#1 Julian Okwara (1)

Brendan: Our unanimous #1 selection has some rather large possibilities in front of him in 2019. He has set a goal of 18.5 sacks, which would likely lead the nation and would definitely obliterate the school single-season sack record. He could be Notre Dame’s first first-round DE since Renaldo Wynn in 1997 (and only its fifth ever). He could also possibly single-handedly wreck any offensive gameplan that doesn’t feature D’Andre Swift. He’s that good. The key to all that is perhaps finding the finishing touch that eluded him somewhat last year, as he logged 8.0 sacks and an absurd 21 pressures. If he converts those pressures the way he thinks he can, watch out.