The Notre Dame football team has the top linebacker in the 2021 NFL Draft class, as Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is slated for the top half of the first round.
The Notre Dame football program heads into their final regular-season matchup on Saturday against Syracuse sporting a perfect 9-0 record. While a lot of the publicity, and rightfully so, has been around quarterback Ian Book, who should be in the Heisman conversation, the defense has not gone unnoticed.
Last week, the Irish went up against one of the more high-powered offenses in all of college football, as the North Carolina Tar Heels had been putting up points in bunches. After allowing two early touchdowns, the defense clamped down on Sam Howell, Javonte Williams, and company, giving up three points the rest of the way, and really dominating in the second half.
A big reason for the success of this Irish defense has been linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, a unicorn of a linebacker who can play sideline to sideline. Besides, he has the ability to make plays deep in coverage and is one of the more elite tacklers in the country.
Next year, he is headed to the 2021 NFL Draft, where he is certain to make his mark.
Notre Dame football has top linebacker in 2021 NFL Draft class
Owusu-Koramoah is the most NFL-ready linebacker available
Looking ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft, it is clear that Owusu-Koramoah is going to be one of the first linebackers off the board. There is some good talent at linebacker in the class, as Joseph Ossai from Texas, Dylan Moses of Alabama, and Nick Bolton from Missouri have gotten some first-round buzz, but Owusu-Koramoah is on another level.
The reason this kid should be the first linebacker off the board, and I consider the best linebacker in the class is just how versatile he is. At the NFL level, you have to be able to cover if you play linebacker, you have to be able to come up and hit, and you have to be able to get into the backfield, Owusu-Koramoah checks all of those boxes.
He could find a nice landing spot in the middle of the first round, being the first member of the Irish off the board, as there are teams in the middle right now, like the Las Vegas Raiders, who need a linebacker with his skill set in the worst way.
Of course, there is still work to be done with the Irish, and he will play his final home game inside Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday against Syracuse. The draft process will be huge for Owusu-Koramoah because he will show all the scouts how athletic he is, and when the first linebacker is called next year, my feeling it will be No. 6.