Notre Dame Has Several Potential Breakout Players On Defense In 2022
There is one prediction I am certain of, Notre Dame will have breakout players on both sides of the ball. That's easy, it happens every year with every good team. The harder part is predicting who exactly those break out players will be, and what kind of breakout will that be.
Breakouts, as defined in our show, are when good players turn into dominant players, rotation players turn into quality starters or a player who doesn't play much the year before becomes at least a key member of the rotation.
During the show we both break down the five players we both Vince DeDario and myself believe will be breakout players. Some we agree, others we don't. You can listen to the entire breakout in the video above, but here are my five, and a brief explanation of why they are on my list.
1. Marist Liufau, Linebacker - This would have happened a year ago had Liufau not gone down with a season-ending injury during fall camp. He showed flashes as a redshirt freshman in 2020, and now that he's healthy he's poised to become a difference maker for the Irish. Liufau has the length, speed and playmaking ability to become a dominant player for the Irish. If he can clean up some of the assignment miscues that plagued him in 2020 there is no doubt in my mind that Liufau can become an impact player.
2. Cam Hart, Cornerback - Hart was a good player for Notre Dame last season, his first in the starting lineup and just his second as a cornerback. At times he flashed big time coverage ability, and as a senior he has a chance to go from one of Notre Dame's best defenders to one of the best corners in the country. Hart must become a more consistent technician, and he needs to finish at the ball better, but the tools are all there. With a year under his belt we expect the talented Irish corner to have a breakout for Notre Dame and become a national name.
3. Jayson Ademilola, Defensive Tackle - Ademilola is taken for granted and overlooked way too much, which can happen when you've been a key rotation player from the moment you arrived on campus. Last fall was his first in the starting lineup and Ademilola finished second on the defense last season with 7.0 tackles for loss. There were times when he was a major force, but in year two as a starter he needs to become a more productive player, and that's what I'm predicting will happen.
4. Rylie Mills, Defensive End - Mills played one game at big end last season, and he registered two sacks in that contest. The rising junior is expected to slide into a starting spot at that position, and after a strong finish to the spring he is poised to become a much more productive player in the Irish defense. Mills must improve as an edge setter, but at the very least I believe he'll add to the teams edge pass rush compared to last season. I also wouldn't be surprised if Mills becomes an even more impactful player on the edge thanks to his combination of size (6-5, 283), power and athleticism.
5. Howard Cross III, Defensive Tackle - I thought about cheating and putting Cross and classmate Jacob Lacey on this last, as I see this duo becoming a strong tandem. I'm going with Cross because I think he'll start at the nose and I think he'll be a productive disruptor in the Irish defense. Yes, he's undersized, but I've written Cross off each of the last two seasons and he's proven me wrong both times. I won't make that mistake again. I'm not sure how much he'll be able to do volume wise, but when he's in the game I expect Cross to be a playmaker.
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