Notre Dame Football: Is Trey Sermon a fit for the Irish?

Premier running back Trey Sermon has hit the transfer portal in college football, could he be a fit for Notre Dame football?

Notre Dame football fans may have taken notice when it was officially confirmed on Saturday that Oklahoma running back Trey Sermon will be leaving the Sooners and finishing his college career elsewhere.

Sermon has never had a 1,000-yard season but was close in 2018 with 947 yards. Last year, he was hampered by injuries that limited his production.

When he’s healthy, he can go — 2,076 yards in his career along with 22 touchdowns. There were times that his underuse was head-scratching. Kennedy Brooks is a great back but sometimes was leaned on a bit much considering the level of talent that Sermon brings.

It’s likely the list of teams that would be interested in the 6’0″, 222-pounds back would be a long one. Teams like Ohio State, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Stanford are likely to show interest. All four are among 33 programs that offered Sermon a scholarship out of high school.

But why not Notre Dame football? After all, they were another team that offered a scholarship.

Right now, the running back position is wide open. With no spring camp to find separation, this would be a good scenario for a proven guy to come in for one year and grab a hold of the job. After all, Sermon’s played with Heisman winners and had multiple playoff appearances.

If healthy, Sermon would likely be an instant upgrade to what could turn out to be one of the most talented running back rooms on the country. Jafar Armstrong is back for another year and C’Bo Flemister and Jahmir Smith are primed for breakout seasons. Freshman Chris Tyree may just overtake all of them.

So does Sermon fit with the Notre Dame football team?

That depends. There are a few questions to be answered first, and with no spring practice, those are difficult at best to answer.

First, Will Jafar Armstrong finally break out and be that running back he’s shown the potential to be? Armstrong has had some flashes of greatness. Even with that, he barely has over 500 yards in 18 games. Unless you’re Washington State or Texas Tech, 400 yards from your leading running back is a big problem.

Would you consider moving Armstrong back to his original wide receiver spot? With the loss of Chase Claypool, Chris Finke and even Cole Kmet, that’s a lot of receiving talent lost. Could Armstrong move back and help ease the transition for a group of talented young receivers? Unlikely, but anything is possible.

Can either Flemister or Smith go from 48 and 42 carries and 162 and 180 yards, respectively, and take the next step to become an almost 1,000-yard rusher? Both are redshirt sophomores, but does the coaching staff have enough trust and belief that they can become the playmakers the Irish need?

And lastly, these go hand in hand.  Is Sermon that much of an upgrade over all of the other options? And, would Sermon’s presence help or hurt the development of younger guys like Flemister, Smith, and Tyree heading into 2021?

It’s entirely possible Sermon can be that big-time upgrade on the field while being to the running back group what Alohi Gilman was to the defense during his stint on the practice squad following his transfer. Working with young players would only make them better and add more competition in an already loaded room.

Behind what will be a top 10 offensive line in college football, Sermon would have the chance to rush for well over 1,000 yards. 1,500 wouldn’t be out of the question. Notre Dame football hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Josh Adams and Sermon are every bit as good if not better.

Sermon will undoubtedly be an asset to whichever team he elects to transfer to, and Notre Dame is no exception.