Notre Dame defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey will enter the 2023 NFL Draft, he announced Thursday, and will not play in the Irish’s Gator Bowl appearance against South Carolina. Here’s what you need to know:
- Foskey had 45 total tackles (23 solo) this season, which is fourth-best among the Fighting Irish.
- During the regular season he racked up 11.0 sacks, the fourth-highest total in the FBS and the same number of sacks he had in 2021.
No Place Like Notre Dame!! ☘️ #IFFactor #FTB
•
All Glory To God pic.twitter.com/O0340Rwqph— Isaiah Fos🔑 (@IFoskey) December 8, 2022
Scouting report
An active player off the edge, Isaiah Foskey leads the Irish in tackles for loss (9.0) and sacks (7.0) and also has a pair of blocked punts this season. He tends to be overly reliant on his long-arm techniques and must improve his block-destruction skills, if he’s going to crack the first round. There are also questions about his best NFL position, but his high-energy playing style is an appealing part of his game. — Dane Brugler
How will the Irish line up without Foskey in the Gator Bowl?
After the defensive line had grown into a strength of the program during the past five years, Foskey’s departure may signal the beginning of an important rebuild. The Irish don’t have another body type like Foskey (6-foot-5, 265 pounds) on the roster now and won’t add one in recruiting this cycle unless it comes via the transfer portal. The simple answer is Justin Ademilola will start in Foskey’s place against South Carolina, but the fifth-year senior has his own stay-or-go decision to make. He’s eligible for a sixth season at Notre Dame, but he’d be playing it without his twin brother Jayson Ademilola.
After those two, the Irish quickly got down to junior Jordan Botelho, a four-star prospect who hasn’t quite clicked in his three seasons in South Bend. Freshmen Josh Burnham, Junior Tuihalamaka and Aiden Gobaira all feel at least a year away from being Vyper candidates. Five-star Keon Keeley’s summer de-commitment could be brushed off at the time, but come spring practice it will hurt.
Bottom line, with Foskey gone and Justin Ademilola potentially departing, Notre Dame may need to take a pass rusher in the transfer portal to balance the roster. — Sampson
Required reading
(Photo: Matt Cashore / USA Today)
.