Underrated Notre Dame Defenders Must Take Yet Another Jump In 2023

Notre Dame has several underrated players on defense who must take even bigger steps in 2023

Despite the fact Notre Dame has been a much better defensive team than offensive team for much of the last five seasons, that side of the ball doesn't seem to be generating as much excitement as I expected heading into the 2023 season. The unit was good in 2022, but it wasn't great and it needed to be. 

The unit will have to be even better in 2023 despite losing several key players from the 2022 defense, including standout end Isaiah Foskey, defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola and nickel TaRiq Bracy, among others. Even with those losses, Notre Dame has a chance to be outstanding on defense this season.

There is a lot to prove to get there, but the talent and potential is there. If Notre Dame is going to be better this season a number of players will have to thrive. Notre Dame needs stars to emerge, but there are also unheralded and underrated players that must also play a big role.

There are four players on the Irish defense that often go overlooked, and their games don't get the attention they deserve. Notre Dame also needs these four defenders to be at their best in 2023.

Howard Cross, Nose Tackle

Cross has been overlooked his entire career, even going back to when he committed to and signed with Notre Dame. It's easy to understand why that is the case, as Cross is short, undersized and doesn't have the chiseled NFL physique of other front seven players for the Irish defense.

There were times last season when Cross was the team's best defensive lineman, and the Ohio State game is one example. Despite battling some nagging injuries, and the fact at times he played too many snaps, Cross was a very important interior player for the Irish defense.

Cross took his game to yet another level during the spring, and expectations are high for him going into his fifth season. He's no longer in anyone's shadow, and now Cross is being tasked with being not just a leader up front, but to be a playmaker. His 2022 production numbers weren't great (2.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks), and they will need to improve this fall. But Cross has the quickness and power to do just that, and if he does the Irish interior will be quite good.

Jack Kiser, Linebacker

Kiser was second on the Notre Dame defense last season in both total tackles (58) and solo tackles (28). The Indiana native also chipped in with 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, both career highs. Like the rest of the linebackers, Kiser was better in the second half of the season than he was the first, and he is another defender that had an outstanding spring.

The questions with Kiser are where will he line up this season, and how will he be used. He was an effective zone defender in 2021 while playing the rover, but he wasn't as good in coverage the way Notre Dame used him in 2022. Kiser was, however, much more effective in 2022 when he was allowed to attack downhill. We saw a very aggressive Kiser making a lot of plays during the spring, and Notre Dame needs that to carry over into the fall.

Kiser is one of the fastest defenders Notre Dame has, and with a better grasp of the defense the hope is he'll make even more plays. At times I expect that to be in the Rover position he has manned the last two seasons, but I also expect Notre Dame to play a lot of nickel this season. That will put Kiser in situations where he moves inside in either a 4-2-5 look, or a 3-3-5 look. The closer you get Kiser to the ball the better he is, and that is why I think he'll be a lot more productive on a per snap basis this fall, and it will have a big impact on the Irish defense.

Thomas Harper, Nickel/Safety

Harper is new to the Irish defense, but I'm surprised at how little discussion there is about him. Harper was one of the biggest additions for Notre Dame this offseason, and now that he's back to full health I expect Harper to be a big time player for Notre Dame.

Harper has the difficult challenge of replacing Bracy in the nickel, and those are big shoes based on how well Bracy played last season. The good news for Notre Dame is that Harper's coverage numbers were even better than Bracy's last season, and the film was impressive. Harper allowed completions at a better rate (59.4% to 67.9%), lower yards per reception allowed (9.7 to 10.6), and he had a much better yards allowed per target than Bracy (5.8 to 7.2).

Oklahoma State's defense fell apart when Harper went out last season. Making the adjustment to Notre Dame's complex scheme won't be easy, but Harper played in a complex system with the Cowboys as well. As long as he can stay healthy, Harper will have a major impact on the Irish defense this season. Whether or not he starts to get the attention that Bracy received remains to be seen, but he'll need to be every bit as important to the defense as Bracy.

NaNa Osafo-Mensah, Defensive End

A great defense doesn't just need playmakers, it also needs leaders, and Osafo-Mensah has emerged as a leader for the Irish this offseason. That contribution alone makes him an underrated player for Notre Dame, but Osafo-Mensah also needs to be an even more productive player.

The Texas native has never shown the big time pass rush potential needed to be a star, but as the 2022 season went on his ability to set the edge and be effective against the run became a key part of the Irish defense. Greater consistency is needed, but Osafo-Mensah will be a key part of the Irish rotation this season.

He'll likely never produce the sexy numbers that make him a fan favorite, but Osafo-Mensah will be an important part of the edge rotation for Notre Dame.

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