Notre Dame Football vs Michigan Defensive Line Comparison

After a bye week, 8th ranked Notre Dame Football (5-1) heads to The Big House, in Ann Arbor, Michigan to face the rival 19th ranked Michigan Wolverines (5-2).

Here is an in-depth positional breakdown of how Notre Dame football matches with the Wolverines in this epic matchup on the defensive lines:

Notre Dame

Julian Okwara 6’4″, 250 pound, senior, 4-star recruit out of Charlotte, NC

12 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery

Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa 6’2″, 285 pound, junior, 3-star recruit out of Ewa Beach, HI

14 tackles, a half sack, one pass deflection

Kurt Hinish 6’1″, 295 pound, junior, 3-star recruit out of Pittsburgh, PA

Eight tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble

Khalid Kareem 6’4″, 265 pound, senior, 4-star recruit out of Detroit, MI

20 tackles, three and a half sacks,

Michigan

Aidan Hutchinson 6’6″, 278 pound, sophomore, 4-star recruit out of Plymouth, MI

36 tackles, two and a half sacks, one forced fumble, three pass deflections

Donovan Jeter 6’3″, 290 pound, junior, 4-star recruit out of Beaver Falls, PA

Has not played this season due to injury

Carlo Kemp 6’3″, 286 pound, senior, 4-star recruit out of Boulder, CO

24 tackles, one fumble recovery

Kwity Paye 6’4″, 277 pound, junior, 3-star recruit from Providence, RI

31 tackles, four and a half sacks, one fumble recovery

Advantage-Notre Dame

Notre Dame’s defensive line features two of the best pass rushers in college football in Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem. Both Okwara and Kareem appeared on the preseason watchlists for the Bednarik Award (college defensive player of the year) and the Nagurski Trophy (most outstanding college defensive player). In addition, both are expected to be high draft picks in the NFL Draft next year.

The Irish defensive line also features Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and Kurt Hinish as their defensive tackles. Both have been excellent against both the run and in pass rushing situations. The defensive line has been a strength for Notre Dame all year, with one of the deepest defensive line rotations that Brian Kelly has ever coached.

In contrast, the Michigan defensive line has been a liability all year. They have been pushed around and bullied by teams such as Wisconsin and Penn State and have lacked the aggressiveness necessary to match up with more talented teams. Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson are the two pass rushing specialist on the Michigan line and the tandem has nicknamed itself “Salt and Pepper”. Outside of those two, the defensive line has not produced like Michigan had hoped, thus giving Notre Dame the heavy advantage on the defensive line.