Notre Dame Football: Adetokunbo Ogundeji could be unsung hero on defense

Notre Dame football has a defensive end worth talking about, but the guy that no one seems to be talking about is Adetokunbo Ogundeji.

For the Notre Dame football team the Goodyear Cotton Bowl was nearly a colossal failure. There were, however, a few bright spots that leaves Notre Dame fans with some hope heading into 2019.

Whether or not you subscribe to the theory that the talent gap between Clemson and Notre Dame wasn’t as great as the score would indicate is up to you. However, one thing seemed pretty clear: The Irish hung with Clemson until a snowball turned into an avalanche just before halftime.

One of the young men who came up big early in that game was Adetokunbo Ogundeji, Notre Dame’s backup defensive end. Ogundeji has flown under the radar behind Notre Dame’s star defensive end, Khalid Kareem. But Ogundeji will still have a major role in the success of the Irish defense this season.

Rewind to the second quarter of Cotton Bowl for a second: The Irish are trailing 9-3 and Clemson has driven the ball to the Notre Dame 24-yardline and is facing a 3rd and 7 with just over 7 minutes to play in the half. Trevor Lawrence drops to pass and is sacked by none other than Ogundeji himself. Clemson missed a field goal on the game’s next play, leaving the door cracked for a little bit of hope.

Had the Irish found a way to gain some offensive momentum, that play could have been the turning point in that game. As it was, it was a seemingly insignificant play that few remember. It was, however, an indication of Ogundeji’s ability to get to the passer and his make big plays when it matters most.

In 2019, Ogundeji will see time backing up Kareem and will likely find his way on the field on third down passing situations. On obvious passing downs, the Irish can put all four of their best pass-rushers–Julian Okwara, Daelin Hayes, Kareem, and Ogundeji–on the field at once. Ogundeji, the most under-the-radar of those four, will have his opportunities to get after the quarterback.

While it’s unlikely that Ogundeji will elevate his play to a point where he achieves the accolades of his other defensive line counterparts, he is worth being part of the conversation when talking about Notre Dame’s extremely talented defensive line.