Notre Dame 2020 All-Opponent Offense

Breaking down the best offensive players Notre Dame will face in 2020

Notre Dame is just over two weeks away from its first conference game in school history. That will be when Notre Dame kicks off the 2020 season against Duke, which will now be an ACC league game.

The Fighting Irish are slated to play 10 conference games in 2020, and the Irish will get arguably the three best ACC teams in Clemson, Louisville and North Carolina. There’s plenty of talent on the rosters of the Irish opponents.

As we creep closer and closer to the season-opener, let’s take a look at Notre Dame’s All-Opponent team, which is made up entirely of their 10 ACC opponents. Players who have opted out for the season (like Wake Forest wideout Sage Surratt) will not be included.

FIRST TEAM

QB Trevor Lawrence, Jr., Clemson

Lawrence is 25-1 as a starter, has a national championship under his belt and has already passed for 6,945 yards and 66 touchdowns in just two seasons. He’s not only the best quarterback in the ACC, he’s the best quarterback in the country.

RB Travis Etienne, Sr., Clemson

Clemson has the nation’s best backfield, with Etienne fighting for best back in the country status after racking up 3,272 rushing yards (8.0 YPC) and 49 total touchdowns the last two seasons.

RB Javian Hawkins, Soph., Louisville

Hawkins had a monster freshman season, racking up 1,525 rushing yards (5.8 YPC) and nine scores. The redshirt sophomore is an electric runner that has tremendous feet and vision, and he’s tough for his size.

WR Tamorrion Terry, Jr., Florida State

Terry is the most dynamic and dangerous wideout in the ACC, hauling in 60 passes for 1,188 yards last season. He has tremendous length (6-4, 210) and is a legit home run threat every time the ball is snapped. Terry can beat you deep or turn a short throw into a long score.

WR TuTu Atwell, Jr., Louisville

Atwell is another diminutive weapon for the Cardinals, and he was incredibly productive last fall, hauling in 70 passes for 1,276 yards and 12 scores. Atwell is electric with the ball in his hands, and trying to defend him with man coverage is brutally challenging.

TE Hunter Long, Jr., Boston College

Long had a quality sophomore season, hauling in 28 passes for 509 yards despite quarterback troubles throughout the season. With Phil Jurkovec on board, Long is expected to become an even bigger part of the pass offense.

OL Jimmy Morrissey, Sr., Pittsburgh

Morrissey began his career as a walk-on, but he won the starting center job as a redshirt freshman in 2017. He was a third-team All-ACC pick in 2018 and a first-team pick in 2019. He’s clearly the best blocker in the league.

OL Jackson Carman, Jr., Clemson

Carman showed flashes in 2019, which was his first in the starting lineup, but consistency was an issue for him. Now that he heads into year two I expect his game to take off, with Carman set to emerge as one of the league’s best tackles.

OL Ben Petrula, Sr., Boston College

Petrula made his first start against Notre Dame back in 2017, and he’s been a steady player ever since. He had a bit of a down season in 2019, but with a fresh start in 2020 I fully expect the physical Petrula to bounce back and have a big final season.

OL Tyler Vrabel, Soph., Boston College

Vrabel came out of nowhere last season and emerged as one of the best pass blockers in the ACC. Now that he’s a year older and more experience, which means he’ll likely also be stronger, Vrabel should be a rock for the BC line.

OL Jordan Tucker, Jr., North Carolina

Tucker is the best returning blocker for what was a quality North Carolina line last season. He’s massive (6-6, 335) and surprisingly nimble for a player with his size. Tucker is a quality all-around blocker that should have a strong junior season.

SECOND TEAM

QB Sam Howell, Soph., North Carolina
RB Michael Carter, Sr., North Carolina
RB David Bailey, Jr., Boston College
WR Dyami Brown, Jr., North Carolina
WR Joseph Ngata, Soph., Clemson
TE Braden Galloway, Jr., Clemson
OL Zion Johnson, Sr., Boston College
OL Alec Lindstrom, Jr., Boston College
OL Bryce Hargrove, Sr., Pittsburgh
OL Jack Wohlabaugh, Sr., Duke
OL Cole Bentley, Sr., Louisville

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