Notre Dame football: 5 returning players who’ll lead Irish reload in 2021
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team goes into the 2021 season fresh off another double-digit win campaign, though they are losing a ton of talent on both sides of the ball. They will have to replace Ian Book, the school’s all-time winningest quarterback, while also replacing four-fifths of their offensive line.
On defense, the linebacker corps take a big hit with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah leaving for the NFL, and both defensive ends, Daelin Hayes and Ade Ogundeji are off to the NFL as well. It is going to be tough to fill a lot of the shoes of the players that are leaving, but this is Notre Dame football we are talking about, and there is a lot of talent left on the roster.
Looking ahead, players on the 2020 team are going to have to step up, and we look at five who are going to lead the reload in 2021.
Linebacker Drew White will help lead the Notre Dame football defense in 2021
Notre Dame football hired Marcus Freeman to be their defensive coordinator this offseason, and if there is one thing he is elite at, it is coaching up the linebackers. Sure, he is an elite recruiter, and that is going to pay off down the line, but for the 2021 college football season, he needs to make sure the defense does not take a step back.
Leading the linebacker group in 2021 will be middle linebacker Drew White, a guy who plays with a lot of intensity, and is a very capable player. White has the experience to be the leader on this Irish defense this season, and you can be sure that a coach like Freeman is going to get the most out of him in his final season in South Bend.