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Notre Dame football: 3 true freshmen on defense to thrive in a backup role

By Brad Weiss

Nov 30, 2019; Stanford, CA, USA; The Notre Dame Fighting Irish mascot Leprechaun runs on the field with a team flag after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2019; Stanford, CA, USA; The Notre Dame Fighting Irish mascot Leprechaun runs on the field with a team flag after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec. 8, 2020; Nashville, TN, USA; The 2020 BlueCross Bowl/Tennessee Titans Mr. Football DIVISION I CLASS 5A winner Prince Kollie, of David Crockett, at Nissan Stadium, in Nashville on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. Notre Dame football Mandatory Credit: Helen Comer/The Daily News Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK
Dec. 8, 2020; Nashville, TN, USA; The 2020 BlueCross Bowl/Tennessee Titans Mr. Football DIVISION I CLASS 5A winner Prince Kollie, of David Crockett, at Nissan Stadium, in Nashville on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. Notre Dame football Mandatory Credit: Helen Comer/The Daily News Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK /

The Notre Dame football program is loaded with veteran talent on defense, and these three true freshmen will end up thriving in backup roles in 2021.

With so many veterans on the defensive side of the ball, the Notre Dame football program is in a good position to be one of the best defenses in the country in 2021. However, that means that most of the true freshmen coming in will have to wait their turn to earn a starting job, which could end up being the best-case scenario for them.

With that said here are three true freshmen who are going to get immensely better as depth players in Year 1.

Notre Dame football: 3 true freshmen on defense to thrive in a backup role

Prince Kollie, LB

Teaching the linebackers has been a strength for Marcus Freeman during his time as an assistant coach, and he has even been offered jobs at the NFL level to be a linebacker coach. That talent is going to help this Irish defense in a big way in 2021, as they have a tremendous group at the linebacker spot, as well as talent behind the starters.

One such player is Prince Kollie, a dynamic linebacker who is one of the top prospects coming in for the 2021 recruiting class. He will have to work his way up the depth chart, but he is going to have a lot of players who have played in big games to help him through it, and by next season, he could be one of the leaders on this defense moving forward.

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