ATLANTA — The greatest strength of these Notre Dame Fighting Irish is a physical and relentless defense.
Led by All-American lineman Howard Cross III and award-winning safety Xavier Watts, the Irish are stacked with veterans on a feisty unit. Notre Dame has yielded 14.2 points per game, the second-best mark in the country behind Ohio State, its opponent in the CFP National Championship Game.
That experience from Cross, Watts, sixth-year linebacker Jack Kiser and others is a main reason for ND's success this season.
But there are younger players on the rise—and a fitting place to start is Drayk Bowen.