Notre Dame football: Isaiah Foskey has shot at Justin Tuck's record

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Oct 9, 2021; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies running back Marco Lee (left) is chased out of the pocket by Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey (7) during the second quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

Notre Dame football: Isaiah Foskey returning, has shot at Justin Tuck’s record

Last season

Heading into the 2021 season, Foskey was tasked with replacing a two-headed monster at the edge that was very productive the year before. Both Ade Ogundeji and Daelin Hayes were 2021 NFL Draft picks, and while Foskey played meaningful minutes for the 2020 squad, he would have to elevate his game in a big way for Marcus Freeman and this defense.

He did just that, starting strong in Week 1, posting a two-sack effort against Florida State. He followed that up the next game with a sack against Toledo, and of the 13 games that the Irish played last season, Foskey only failed to rack up a sack four times. That is incredible production coming off the edge and was a big reason for the seven-game winning streak to close out the regular season.

All that hard work paid off in a big way, as mock drafts began to see Foskey as a potential Day 2 pick, and possibly someone who could sneak into the first round. He is big, strong, and fast, playing with an incredible nose for the ball, so the expectation was that he would leave South Bend for a shot at the next level.

When he announced he was coming back, it was a huge shot in the arm for this defense.

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