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Notre Dame football: One offensive playmaker to worry about on each 2021 opponent

By Brad Weiss

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 07: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish gather in the tunnel before the game against the Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Stadium on November 7, 2020 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Matt Cashore-Pool/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 07: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish gather in the tunnel before the game against the Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Stadium on November 7, 2020 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Matt Cashore-Pool/Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame Football
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 27: Isaiah Foskey #7 and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah #6 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish pressure Sam Howell #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half of their game at Kenan Stadium on November 27, 2020, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame football: Offensive star to worry about on each 2021 opponent

Game No. 8: UNC, QB Sam Howell

The Notre Dame football team will have a tough time in back-to-back weeks during the 2021 regular season, as they face two of the top quarterbacks in the country. One week after facing Kedon Slovis and USC, Sam Howell and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels will come to town, the team ranked one spot ahead of them in the first AP Poll of the season.

For many draft scouts, Howell is the best quarterback in the country in terms of pro potential, and there are more than a few 2022 NFL Mock Drafts that have him as the No. 1 overall pick. With both of his key running backs gone from last season, as Michael Carter and Javonte Williams were 2021 draft picks, look for Howell and the Tar Heels to take it to the air even more in 2022.

A starter as a true freshman in 2019, a year that saw him named ACC Rookie of the Year, Howell followed up his first season by throwing for 30 touchdowns in 2020. The Notre Dame football defense held him in check last season, and the hope is that they can do it again, or else Howell could have a big day through the air inside Notre Dame Stadium.

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