Notre Dame football: 5 Fighting Irish players poised for breakout seasons in 2020
These five Notre Dame football players are set for a breakout season.
After an 11-2 season and a third straight double-digit win season. Brian Kelly and his Fighting Irish football team are looking to continue that momentum in 2020.
They have plenty of losses to speak of after last season both on offense and defense. These losses need to be replaced in order for Notre Dame to continue the good fortunes they have had of late.
Quarterback Ian Book will be back for his senior season so that is one position that they don’t have to worry about. But Tony Jones Jr. is gone at running back, and their top two receivers in Chase Claypool, as well as Cole Kmet, are gone too.
On defense, they will have to replace Jamir Jones and Julian Okwara off the line as well as Tony Pride Jr. and Alohi Gillman in the secondary. It is a daunting task to do so, but Notre Dame has proven to be a top tier program over the years, able to produce star players year in and year out.
There are plenty of players waiting in the wings to make their mark on the Fighting Irish in 2020. Let’s get into the breakout players for Notre Dame this upcoming season.
5. Braden Lenzy | WR | Redshirt Sophomore
With the top two receivers gone from last season, someone is going to have to step up and be the No. 1 receiver in 2020. The immediate person that comes to mind to do it is former four-star athlete Braden Lenzy
Lenzy, the No. 10 athlete in the class of 2018 from Portland, Oregon, is a speed demon on the outside and showed his potential to be a big-play receiver for the Fighting Irish in 2020. He totaled 11 receptions, for 254 yards, and 2 touchdowns.
But Lenzy was recruited as an athlete and he is that in every sense of the word as he frequently received the ball in the backfield as well on jet sweeps and totaled 13 carries, for 200 yards, and 2 touchdowns as well.
With Claypool departing, the Irish are going to need as many playmakers on offense as they can get, and Lenzy is a playmaker in every sense of the word. His elite speed allows him to break a long one from almost anywhere on the field. This includes offense as well as special teams too.
Not only will he be taking plays both at receiver and in the backfield, but Lenzy is also rumored to be the lead punt returner in 2020. It is a no-brainer for head coach Brian Kelly with his speed, and versatility and it only maximizes his potential to be a breakout player in 2020 for the Irish.