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5 Breakout Candidates for Notre Dame Football in 2021

By Connor McJunkin

Nov 7, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Avery Davis (3) catches a pass in the fourth quarter against the Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame defeated Clemson 47-40 in two overtimes. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Avery Davis (3) catches a pass in the fourth quarter against the Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame defeated Clemson 47-40 in two overtimes. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Notre Dame football will rely heavily on Avery Davis in the passing game.  (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Notre Dame football will rely heavily on Avery Davis in the passing game.  (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame football rang in the new year with a 31-14 loss to the eventual National Champions in Alabama. While the Irish put up a respectable fight, and held the Crimson Tide to their lowest scoring output in two years, from the very first series it was apparent they didn’t stand much of a chance.

It is a storyline we’ve become all-too-familiar with, unfortunately.

With that being said, it’s not all doom and gloom. This year’s senior class committed to Notre Dame following a disastrous 4-8 campaign, and to say they’ve just turned the program around since that season is a massive understatement.

A 43-8 record, four-straight seasons finishing the season ranked inside the Top-12, two undefeated regular seasons, and two College Football Playoff berths is a resume that only Clemson, Alabama, and Ohio State can beat.

There is no doubt this year’s seniors are going to be sorely missed, and the huge downside of having so many veteran players, and just as many NFL-ready guys, is that sometimes, they all leave at once. That is the dilemma the Irish are facing right now.

Excluding transfer portal players, here are the guys who will not be suiting up in South Bend next season:

  • Robert Hainsey
  • Ben Skowronek
  • Ian Book
  • Daelin Hayes
  • Ade Ogundeji
  • Liam Eichenberg
  • Brock Wright
  • Nick McCloud
  • Tommy Kraemer
  • Javon McKinley
  • Shaun Crawford
  • Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
  • Aaron Banks
  • Tommy Tremble

That is a lot of production and experience leaving the Notre Dame sidelines, and this off-season will greatly test this coaching staff and their ability to develop their young talent into quality starters and contributors.

The good news is Brian Kelly and company aren’t starting at square one. Through recruiting and players they’ve already developed, next season’s team has plenty of guys with the capability to make a huge impact.

There are a handful of players who will be relied on heavily to ease the impact of the talent drain from this off-season. Let’s take a look at the top-five breakout candidates for Notre Dame football in 2021.

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