5 Breakout Candidates for Notre Dame Football in 2021

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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Clarence Lewis will benefit from the arrival of Marcus Freeman. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports /

Clarence Lewis, CB

Outside of Shaun Crawford and Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame’s secondary had very little solid experience heading into 2020. There wasn’t much depth, which provided a golden opportunity for true freshman Clarence Lewis.

Lewis came in and immediately began making an impact for the backend of the Irish defense, earning more playing time and proving to be a great depth piece early in the season.

After seeing limited and inconsistent reps through most of the first half of the season, Lewis saw his playing time increase leading up to the North Carolina game where he made his first career start. By the time the season ended Lewis recorded 33 tackles and seven pass deflections.

Lewis’ playing time continued to trend up and his improvement is a huge positive for the future of the secondary.

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With a relatively thin secondary unit returning in 2021, Lewis is set to be a legit starter from the jump next season. Expect him to serve as the legitimate lockdown corner for this defense and be a huge piece of the success for this secondary.

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