Veteran Ends Announce Plans To Return To Notre Dame

Notre Dame will have to overcome the loss of two talented and productive ends now that Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem have exhausted their eligibility. The same is true for top reserve Jamir Jones, but the announcements from two other veterans provides the 2020 defense with a huge boost.

Both Daelin Hayes and Adetokunbo Ogundeji have announced their plans to return for a fifth and final season with the Irish.

Their path to a fifth season were completely different, but the duo will serve as anchors to what could be one of the nation's elite defenses in 2020.

Hayes was expected to be done after this season, but his season was lost in September when he suffered a shoulder injury during the win over Virginia. The timing of the injury meant Hayes could take a medical redshirt, which gave him a chance for a fifth season.

When he went down against the Cavaliers a case could be made that Hayes was playing as well as anyone on the Irish defense, if not better.

Hayes will enter the 2020 season as the projected starter at drop end, the spot he held in 2017 and at the beginning of 2018. He will also enter the season with 78 career tackles, 14.5 career tackles for loss and six career stats.

The Belleville, Mich. native will also provide the defense with leadership and a veteran presence up front. But his athleticism, strong all-around game and pass rushing potential that will benefit the defense the most.

Ogundeji enters the season with 58 career tackles, 10 career tackles for loss and six career sacks, but his play took off late in 2019. A strong rotation player all season, Ogundeji was arguably the best lineman on the defense in the final four games.

While rotating with Kareem, Ogundeji racked up 14 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in the final three games of the season. According to Pro Football Focus, Ogundeji finished the 2019 campaign as the team's second highest graded player, behind only Kareem.

Ogundeji showed a knack for getting to the quarterback this season, with nine of his 22 pressures resulting in a sack or hit on the quarterback. Ogundeji proved to be a stout run defender, and if he shows the same growth in 2020 that he showed in 2019 he could finish his career as one of the best power ends in the entire country.

The return of Hayes and Ogundeji gives Notre Dame a chance to not miss a beat at end next season, with the veteran duo anchoring what should once again be one of the most disruptive group of edge players in the country.

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