Notre Dame football: Irish defense will be a tough test for CJ Stroud
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team has a tall task ahead of them in Week 1, but their defense will be a tough test for CJ Stroud as well.
The Notre Dame football team goes into the 2022 college football season with high expectations and even more excitement. Since taking over as head coach, Marcus Freeman has breathed new life into the program, and most media outlets have them ranked as a top-10 team already.
Last year’s defensive coordinator, Freeman saw many of his key players forgo the 2022 NFL Draft in hopes of bringing a national title to South Bend, and helping him in his first season at the helm. This year, Freeman is in full control and has enough talent on the defensive side of the ball to beat any team the Irish face.
That is a good thing, considering they will play one of the elite teams in the country in Ohio State, and potential Heisman Trophy candidate, CJ Stroud.
While Stroud should be able to put up eye-popping numbers up, the Irish defense could be the one he struggles the most against.
Notre Dame football is expected to be elite on defense
It is easy to see why this Irish defense is going to be elite next season, as they have multiple potential first-round picks, including Isaiah Foskey and Brandon Joseph. Foskey was one of the elite edge rushers in the country last season and could have been a Day 2 pick, so coming back should bolster his draft stock.
Joseph was an All-American with Northwestern and will be replacing a first-round pick in Kyle Hamilton, so the expectation is he will be one of the best safeties in the country once again. When you couple the Irish pass rush, with the veterans at linebacker, and the talent in the secondary, Ohio State could struggle on offense against Notre Dame, especially Stroud.
Being a Week 1 game, it is anybody’s guess as to how this one will shake out, especially after the exciting season opener against Florida State last season. The Irish were the favorite against FSU, and the Seminoles battled them down to the wire, so even if Notre Dame football is the underdog going into this one, do not count them out.