Every year, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are an ambitious college football program. Behind their 2024 NFL Draft class, can they turn ambition into achievement and accomplishment in 2023? Let’s take a look at the players who’ll be anchoring the team’s approach.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Roster and Depth Chart Changes
Michael Mayer, Isaiah Foskey, and Jarrett Patterson all represented notable losses for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 2023 NFL Draft. But overall, the roster has improved heading into Year 2 under head coach Marcus Freeman.
Through the transfer portal, Notre Dame added QB Sam Hartman, who’s proven his ability as one of the most prolific passers in college football. Protecting Hartman is one of the best returning tackle duos in the nation, led by a potential top-10 pick in Joe Alt.
The question marks are similar for Notre Dame this year. Will their weapons corps be good enough, and will their defense be able to slow down the offenses on their schedule? Several safety additions in the secondary provide optimism, but it remains to be seen if it will all come together.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish NFL Draft Prospects
Sam Hartman, QB
Across the past five seasons, Sam Hartman has been one of the most productive QBs in college football. At Wake Forest, he amassed 12,967 yards, 110 touchdowns, and just 41 interceptions. Now, he’s set to close out his career at Notre Dame with a chance at legitimate contention. Hartman profiles as more of a good college QB who maxes out as a backup at the NFL level, but he has the mobility, toughness, and situational accuracy to last.
Audric Estime, RB
If you think the power-back mold is growing outdated, Audric Estime may cause you to rethink that. The 5’11”, 227-pounder is bringing old-school football back in style after accumulating 156 carries for 920 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022. Admittedly, Estime’s NFL projection may be a bit stunted. He doesn’t have top-end speed or overwhelming initial explosiveness, but he’s a freight train through contact who also brings good congested vision.
Chris Tyree, WR
Chris Tyree was a valuable change-of-pace component in Notre Dame’s RB room from 2020 to 2022, but this year, the 5’9″, 192-pound playmaker will be switching to slot receiver. He’s proven his receiving value before, with 56 career catches for 461 yards and four touchdowns, and he has the explosiveness, lateral agility, and foot speed to translate there. If he can hold up over the middle of the field, this could be a defining move for him.
Jayden Thomas, WR
Notre Dame’s receiving corps needs a new player to take charge, and Jayden Thomas could be that player in 2023. He flashed exciting catching instincts and body control in 2022 while picking up 25 receptions for 361 yards and three scores. And in the spring game, he gave a sneak peek of his brisk lateral agility and RAC upside against defenders in space. Thomas — who’s 6’1″ and now over 200 pounds — could be in line for a breakout.
Deion Colzie, WR
Hartman has done well with size at WR before. In 2021, the connection between Hartman and A.T. Perry was very productive. Deion Colzie doesn’t have nearly the separation skills that Perry had, but he is an explosive long-striding athlete at 6’5″, 211 pounds, who’s proven his mettle as a downfield weapon in spurts. In 2022, Colzie averaged a whopping 21.3 yards per catch, and his big-play ability could once again be valued in 2023.
Joe Alt, OT
The Fighting Irish’s top prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft cycle is undoubtedly Joe Alt. He’s already ascended to the ranks of the elite among collegiate tackles, and he profiles as a potential top-10 pick next April.
At 6’8″, 315 pounds, Alt has rare athleticism and recovery capacity, as well as the unobstructed flexibility necessary to absorb power and maintain leverage against resistance. With more refinement, he can reach the blue-chip tier.
Blake Fisher, OT
There’s a sizable gap between Alt and right tackle Blake Fisher as 2024 NFL Draft prospects, but Fisher himself also has early-round upside if he can improve in a few facets of his game. Fisher’s footwork can be inconsistent and uncoordinated, and a lack of synergy can contribute to lapses in balance. But Fisher is well-sized, quick off the snap, and a powerful, physical finisher who relishes the chance to make defenders submit.
Andrew Kristofic, G
Andrew Kristofic started the first game of the 2022 season and seems in line to start at left guard for Notre Dame in 2023. At 6’5″, 305 pounds, he has decent size but lacks high-end proportional length. He can also be a lumbering athlete in space and struggles to bring his feet through blocks and maintain balance at times. That said, Kristofic has shown he can drive power from his base — an important quality for interior blockers.
Zeke Correll, C
The 6’3″, 300-pound Zeke Correll has started 19 games over the past three seasons for the Fighting Irish and was the team’s full-time starter at center in 2022. At 6’3″, 300 pounds, he doesn’t have the most mass at his position, nor is he overly controlled or coordinated with his hands and footwork. There’s still room for Correll to keep growing, but he has shown he can seal the backside on run plays, and his experience aids him often.
Rylie Mills, DT
The top returner on the interior defensive line for Notre Dame is Rylie Mills. In 2022, Mills was a standout defender for the Fighting Irish, accumulating 24 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and six tackles for loss. At 6’5″, 296 pounds, Mills’ long and dense frame allows him to forklift past blockers and create displacement through grating power exertion. He also has the athleticism to play as wide as 5-tech. His raw tools should have NFL teams very interested in April.
Howard Cross III, DT
Alongside Mills, Howard Cross III helps give Notre Dame some stability on the interior defensive line in 2023. Through 2021 and 2022, Cross contributed 5.5 sacks and 7.5 TFLs.
At 6’1″, 280 pounds, he’s noticeably undersized, and that impacts his ability to prevent displacement and maintain balance at times. But Cross has good quickness off the snap, good lower-body flexibility, and has the hand force to club past extensions as a rusher.
Gabriel Rubio, DL
Gabriel Rubio earned more playing time in his second season this past year and rewarded the Fighting Irish with four TFLs. The 6’5″, 302-pound defender isn’t the most dynamic pass-rushing presence yet, but he has shown he can penetrate the interior, clog lanes with his strength, and halt offensive momentum. The depth of Notre Dame’s unit should play in his favor in 2023, alleviating pressure and allowing him to play free.
Javontae Jean-Baptiste, EDGE
There’s a big void to fill at EDGE with Isaiah Foskey gone. The hope is that Ohio State transfer Javontae Jean-Baptiste can help the Fighting Irish in that department. Jean-Baptiste is a former four-star recruit who has yet to truly reach his ceiling. 2022 was his best year yet, with Jean-Baptiste accruing four sacks and 4.5 TFLs. Bend is a noticeable weak point in his game, but he has a long frame and a first step that must be respected.
Jordan Botelho, EDGE
Jean-Baptiste has more experience, but Jordan Botelho may also factor into Notre Dame’s plans on the edge. The 6’2″, 255-pound defender was more of a rotational presence in 2022 but still managed to pick up 4.5 sacks and 6.5 TFLs on the stat sheet — with two two-sack performances against Syracuse and South Carolina. He’s strong and stocky, but he’s also a high-energy athlete who accelerates upfield quickly with his urgent strides.
Nana Osafo-Mensah, EDGE
Nana Osafo-Mensah will likely remain a depth player in 2023 behind Jean-Baptiste and Botelho. That said, he’s earned enough playing time in years past to suggest he’s worth writing down. At 6’3″, 260 pounds, he has a nice blend of natural leverage and proportional length, and while he doesn’t have the smoothest change of direction in pursuit, he does have good burst off the line. He can also fight through combo blocks with his motor.
Cole Aubrey, EDGE
To help with their EDGE revamping, the Fighting Irish added Princeton’s Cole Aubrey through the transfer portal in the 2023 offseason. Aubrey doesn’t have the size to be a three-down defender on the edge at 6’2″, 235 pounds, but he has proven his chops as a pass rusher in space before. In 2021, he put up six sacks. Provided that Notre Dame allows him to rush from wider alignments, he could make an impact in the 2023 campaign.
JD Bertrand, LB
Simply put, JD Bertrand has been a tackling machine for Notre Dame over the past two seasons. Across that span, he has a combined 184 takedowns, along with 15 TFLs, three sacks, and four pass deflections. Bertrand’s ability to finish tackles, along with his compact 6’1″, 230-pound frame, makes him an ideal fit as a traditional LB. But beyond that, he also has the agility and urgency to be a pass-rushing threat on the blitz.
Jack Kiser, LB
Joining Bertrand, Jack Kiser is another intriguing prospect to keep tabs on in Notre Dame’s LB group. At 6’1″, 223 pounds, Kiser is a bit underweight, and that plays into his projection. He’s not always able to hold up as a solo tackler, but he does flash impressive range, and he’s also shown he can play the overhang slot if necessary. He might be best as a role player at the next level, but he has a few specific traits that could generate appeal.
Marist Liufau, LB
Past Bertrand and Kiser, there’s one more LB prospect to know on Notre Dame’s roster. At 6’2″, 235 pounds, with good proportional length and eye-catching explosiveness as an attacking defender, Marist Liufau might have the most translatable NFL profile. He’s still developing as a traditional LB and can be drawn off course by misdirection. Nevertheless, another offseason of growth could yield exciting results for the Hawaii product.
Cam Hart, CB
Now a third-year starter for the Fighting Irish, Cam Hart remains an intriguing sleeper in the 2024 NFL Draft. Overarching consistency is still an issue for him at times, but Hart has all of the necessary tools in his arsenal. At 6’2″, 207 pounds, he’s long and lean with an NFL frame. He’s supremely explosive when closing downhill or matching vertically, and he has the long-strider speed to contend with deep threats.
Clarence Lewis, CB
Hart and Benjamin Morrison constitute the core of Notre Dame’s CB group, but Clarence Lewis is also a valued presence. The 5’11”, 192-pound veteran has two picks and 15 pass deflections in three seasons with the team and will once again be a quality contributor in 2023. He can play the boundary or the slot, and although his size isn’t as appealing outside, he does have the foot speed and corrective twitch necessary to match releases.
Thomas Harper, S
Though he only played in seven games last year, Thomas Harper stood out as a top defender for Oklahoma State, registering 30 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, a pick, and two pass deflections. The tape provides an even stronger endorsement for Harper. Though he’s average-sized at 5’11”, 195 pounds, he’s a very smooth athlete with agility and twitch, who can pinch tight angles to match WRs from the slot, as well as pedal in space.
Antonio Carter II, S
You don’t always see FCS transfers land at programs like Notre Dame, but when you do, you take notice. Antonio Carter II comes to the Fighting Irish program after a 2022 campaign that saw him put up 60 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, a sack, an interception, 11 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. At 6’1″, 200 pounds, Carter is productive and fits the NFL mold, and he could provide a welcome upgrade for Notre Dame.
Xavier Watts, S
Of the Fighting Irish’s 2024 NFL Draft prospects, Xavier Watt’s career trajectory is perhaps the most intriguing. He joined Notre Dame’s roster as a wide receiver, then switched to a box safety position in 2021 before sharpening his defensive roots in 2022. He started the final four games of the 2022 campaign, and in that span, he put up 22 tackles, two TFLs, a sack, and three deflections. Watts might just carry over that hot streak into 2023.
DJ Brown, S
Brown’s playing time may be sapped by the arrivals of Harper and Carter, but Brown himself has achieved respectable production over the past two seasons. Through 2021 and 2022, the 6’0″, 200-pound DB has 90 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, three picks, and three pass breakups on record. He’s not the smoothest mover in coverage, but he can at least carry and pass off receivers, and he’s a willing support defender as well.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule
- Week 1
Aug. 26 vs. Navy Midshipmen - Week 2
Sept. 2: vs. Tennessee State Tigers - Week 3
Sept. 9: at NC State Wolfpack - Week 4
Sept. 16: vs. Central Michigan Chippewas - Week 5
Sept. 23: vs. Ohio State Buckeyes - Week 6
Sept. 30: at Duke Blue Devils - Week 7
Oct. 7: at Louisville Cardinals - Week 8
Oct. 14: vs. USC Trojans - Week 9
BYE - Week 10
Oct. 28: vs. Pittsburgh Panthers - Week 11
Nov. 4: at Clemson Tigers - Week 12
BYE - Week 13
Nov. 18: vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons - Week 14
Nov. 25: at Stanford Cardinal - Week 15
BYE