Counting Down the Irish 2023: 15 to 11, a lower defensive line focus than in years past

Throughout most of Notre Dame’s resurgence since the 2016 debacle, the defensive line has been the most talented position group on the roster. The 2018 and 2019 rosters, for example, each had six future genuine NFL players (and counting). The Irish offensive line may get more headlines, but for the last six years, the defensive line has regularly been the deeper and more talented group.

In last year’s polling of media members of who they thought would be the most impactful players in the 2022 season, two defensive linemen made the top five (Isaiah Foskey and Jayson Ademilola). A third came in at No. 13, a fourth at No. 20 and a fifth at No. 21. Two more defensive linemen received votes. Thanks to the top-end talent, that unit was again Notre Dame’s most talented position group.

This year’s balloting reveals the drop-off the Irish now face along the defensive line. The first defensive lineman was ranked at No. 10, and — as a slight spoiler for the next entry in this series — his highest rank was No. 7. Two more defensive linemen were ranked in the top 13, names mentioned below, but then only one more finished in the top 25.

Not even a timeshare at “Big” end altered those numbers. As Javontae Jean-Baptiste moved up (to finish at No. 23), Nana Osafo-Mensah moved down (into Others Receiving Votes). They did not inherently split votes.

Rather, the defensive line is no longer the backbone of Notre Dame’s defense. That is now the back seven, as will be clear when realizing five of them are in the top 12, beginning with senior safety Xavier Watts below …

No. 15 Tobias Merriweather, sophomore receiver — 96 points, eight of nine ballots, high of No. 11.
Notre Dame brought in the biggest transfer of the offseason to spark its offense. The Irish return a running back that will demand more national notice before long, and he will be running behind an offensive line with possibly two first-round draft picks at tackles.

Yet doubts linger about Notre Dame’s offense. Why? The receivers.

With three of the four leading Irish pass catchers from last season now gone (Michael Mayer, Lorenzo Styles, Braden Lenzy), only 77 catches have returned to Notre Dame’s preseason practices. The best big-play threat among them is the player with all of one catch in his back pocket: Merriweather.

“If he just works, his talents and abilities are good enough to have a very successful year,” Irish offensive coordinator Gerad Parker said last week. “I believe that, we believe that, and he knows that. If he just works and he continues to improve his craft, his body will take over.”

At 6-foot-4 and with sub-11 second 100-meter dash type speed, Merriweather has the physical gifts needed to take best advantage of Hartman’s strong arm and deep touch. If he does, then those lingering doubts about the Notre Dame offense will start to dissipate.

No. 14 Zeke Correll, fifth-year center — 106 points, eight of nine ballots, high of No. 10.
For a player who used to struggle to hold weight, Correll suddenly looks like a wide interior offensive lineman. He talks like the leader of the best position group on the team, which he is, even if he is overshadowed by the draft profiles of junior left tackle Joe Alt and junior right tackle Blake Fisher.

Correll’s role gains more and more importance the longer the Irish are uncertain about their starting right guard. He has never played alongside either fifth-year Andrew Kristofic (but for one game) or junior Rocco Spindler, not to mention starting left guard sophomore Billy Schrauth. Effective communication and understood chemistry is paramount along the offensive line interior.

Those worries are mollified a bit with Correll leading the way, a three-year starter who spent last season learning every good habit possible from Jarrett Patterson and Josh Lugg flanking him. How Notre Dame shows itself on the interior of the offensive line to start the season will largely be a reflection of Correll’s influence on Schrauth and whoever starts at right guard.

“You got to trust your eyes, you got to trust the guy next to you, you got to trust the communication and you got to go out and play as one unit,” Irish offensive line coach Joe Rudolph said of early-season offensive line play. “When you get into those first big moments and maybe you have one thing that’s off, you got to come right back to the foundation of doing it the right way.”

T-No. 12 Howard Cross, fifth-year defensive tackle — 118 points, nine ballots, high of No. 10.
Some of the seeming down-cycle along Notre Dame’s defensive line comes from continued underappreciation of the most veteran Irish defensive lineman, even among those who watch the most of Notre Dame football. Cross’s ceiling may not be as high as Ademilola’s was along the interior last year, but Cross still finished the season with 33 tackles, including two sacks along with five quarterback hurries.

Cross’s notoriously heavy hands (that’s a good thing) have pushed him to 55 tackles across the last two seasons, a number that would be higher if not for a high ankle sprain that limited him in much of late 2022.

Cross may not be about to garner NFL attention, but he could be the type of defensive tackle who finds unusual success at the college level. He has fit that mold thus far, picking up largely where Kurt Hinish left off.

T-No. 12 Xavier Watts, senior safety — 118 points, nine ballots, high of No. 8.
Watts received exactly one vote in this polling a year ago, at No. 25. Aside from then-freshman cornerback Benjamin Morrison receiving no votes a year ago and now finishing in the top 10, Watts’s jump up the rankings is most distinct.

For that matter, a year ago Watts was dabbling at receiver while Notre Dame once again scrambled to find enough able bodies. Eventually, enough Irish staffers recognized his ceiling at safety and did away with that brief offensive reunion.

Let that be the fact that explains this lofty ranking. Even when Notre Dame was down to five healthy scholarship receivers, including former walk-on Matt Salerno, Watts’s potential future at safety was deemed too important to sacrifice for short-term offensive stability.

No. 11 Jordan Botelho, senior defensive end— 121 points, nine ballots, high of No. 7.
Let’s cut to the point. Botelho has been a tantalizing thought for years. But he was sent home to ponder his future in the summer before his freshman season (2020), there were unfounded offseason rumors of a suspension (2021), and Foskey stood in his way of notable playing time (2022).

As much as anything else, Botelho needed to hone his passion if he wanted to impact Saturdays. He knows that.

“I gotta play more under control,” he said last week. “Kind of break down a little bit instead of just going all out all the time. Sometimes just learning more about myself and calming down. …

“It comes with growing up and experience. The older you get, the more you kind of realize. This camp, I’ve been trying my best to show the coaches that I’m under control, and I’m just trying to be more of a leader and lead by example.”

Less can be more, and if Botelho interalizes that, then this ranking will seem low in retrospect, a possible salve to these defensive line worries.

COUNTING DOWN THE IRISH 2023
No. 25 Jaden Greathouse, freshman receiver — 18 points, four out of nine ballots, high of No. 17.
No. 24 Holden Staes, sophomore tight end — 21 points, five out of nine ballots, high of No. 18.
No. 23 Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Ohio State transfer defensive end — 26 points, five ballots, high of No. 17.
No. 22 Thomas Harper, Oklahoma State transfer safety — 33 points, five ballots, high of No. 16.
No. 21 Jaden Mickey, sophomore cornerback — 34 points, five ballots, high of No. 14.
No. 20 Jadarian Price, sophomore running back — 54 points, nine ballots, high of No. 14.
T-No. 17 Marist Liufau, fifth-year linebacker — 72 points, eight ballots, high of No. 10.
T-No. 17 Mitchell Evans, junior tight end — 72 points, eight ballots, high of No. 9.
T-No. 17 Billy Schrauth, sophomore left guard — 72 points, nine ballots, high of No. 15.
No. 16 Chris Tyree, senior receiver — 94 points, nine ballots, high of No. 6.

RELATED READING: Counting Down the Irish 2023: Others Receiving Votes
25 to 21, led by examples of modern college football roster construction
20 to 16, featuring Notre Dame’s speed at its skill positions

The voters, generously giving their time and insights in this annual exercise …

Michael Bryan, 18 Stripes
Greg Flammang, Irish Sports Daily
Tyler James, Inside ND Sports
Andrew McGuinness, The Observer
Tim Murray, Vegas Stats & Information Network, but more pertinent to his exercise, an irrational Notre Dame fan
Tom Noie, South Bend Tribune
Tim O’Malley, Irish Illustrated
Pete Sampson, The Athletic
Josh Vowles, One Foot Down

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