Notre Dame football: Irish to take on three of PFN’s top-10 quarterbacks
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team has to take on some of the top QBs in the country this season, including three of PFN’s top-10 for the 2021 campaign.
Looking ahead to the 2021 college football season, the Notre Dame football team will once again go back to their Independent schedule. Last season, the Irish were forced to play in the ACC, this after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down any opportunity for a slate of games all over the country.
This season, the Irish will go back to take on some rivals in USC and Stanford, while also playing against some of the ACC foes they took on in 2020. One such team is the North Carolina Tar Heels, who have the possible No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft under center in the player of Sam Howell.
Widely considered one of the best quarterbacks in the country, Howell presents problems for any defense, but the Irish were able to keep him in check last season. In 2021, Howell is not the only elite signal-caller they will face, as the Irish will have to hold down some of the best of the best this Fall.
Notre Dame football to be tested by elite quarterbacks
Recently, Cam Mellor of Pro Football Network put out a list of their top-10 quarterbacks for the 2021 season, and there was Howell, sitting at No. 1 overall. Also on the list were two other quarterbacks that the Irish will battle it out against this season, as Desmond Ridder from Cincinnati came in at No. 9 overall, and Kedon Slovis from USC at No. 10.
Those are three very good quarterbacks to have to take on, and all three are expected to be first-round picks in 2022. For the Irish, they have the luxury of having a veteran-laded defense, with some elite talent on all three levels, so they should be more than up to the task of taking on Howell, Ridder, Slovis, and whoever else is under center this season.
Last season, the Irish ran through the regular season with a perfect record, thanks in large part to how well the defense did in the biggest moments. They are going to need every bit of the defense in 2021 as well, and with a strong defensive front, talented linebackers, and a deep secondary, there is no reason this group can’t be one of the best in the country in 2021.