Notre Dame’s 2015 plans up front all but went down the drain in August, when Jarron Jones got rolled up in a practice drill during fall camp. But that didn’t stop Sheldon Day from having one of the most productive seasons in the country, the senior captain earning All-American honors for a tremendous season in the trenches. Nor did it stop Romeo Okwara from putting together an impressive season as a pass rusher, an unlikely eight-sack season for the two-time team leader.
But both Day and Okwara are gone, leaving very large holes in a defensive front. While Day’s production and leadership will be missed from the moment the team takes the field without him, all is not lost in the trenches.