Notre Dame Football: 3 reasons the Irish defense will be top-10 in 2021

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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 19: Safety Kyle Hamilton #14 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates with defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey #7 after a first-quarter interception against the Clemson Tigers during the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium on December 19, 2020, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame Football: 3 reasons the Irish defense will be top-10 in 2021

The Irish are a veteran group on that side of the ball

In terms of college sports, you can never have too much veteran talent, especially with how often players leave their schools early for the pro ranks. For the Notre Dame defense, they saw some key defensive stars leave for the NFL, as JOK, Hayes, Ogundeji, and Shaun Crawford, to name a few, are gone.

However, on the defensive side of the ball, veterans remain, and new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman is getting a solid group of leaders. From Kurt Hinish up front along the defensive line to a stacked group at linebacker and a talented secondary, he is taking over position groups that have guys who have been through the fire.

Remember, this is a Notre Dame football program that has been to two of the last three College Football Playoffs, so they have played in some big-time games. That kind of veteran leadership is going to go a long way when the team is in a dogfight, and against some elite offenses, they should be able to get crucial stops.

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