Drew White Named Notre Dame's Most Unheralded Star by ESPN
ESPN has hit the nail on the head with its latest article: Most unheralded star for each Top 25 college football team.
There could have been a host of players for Notre Dame from Robert Hainsey and Tommy Kraemer to Ade Ogundeji and Kyle Hamilton.
However, linebacker Drew White took the honor for Notre Dame and I couldn't agree more as the Florida native had an extremely productive 2019 season.
In his first year starting at Mike, the 6-foot, 227-pounder recorded 80 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and two fumble recoveries. The 80 tackles tied for the team lead with Rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who has earned All-American recognition.
It was an impressive season from Notre Dame's linebackers as the entire unit was a significant question mark entering the season and even coming out of halftime against Louisville in week one.
Defensive coordinator Clark Lea and graduate assistant Nick Lezynski kept to their guns and saw White and the unit take off by week three.
Entering the 2020 season, the linebacker unit will be looked on to lead and make more plays, which is just fine with White.
"We want the unit as a whole to be better," White said before Notre Dame's bowl game. "Whoever is playing, we're just playing for the rest of the guys who aren't playing because we know how bad everyone wants to get on the field.
"I think we've progressed a lot this year and I'm proud of what we've accomplished."
White being chosen as the most unheralded star is fitting as he's a team-first guy, embraces the Notre Dame culture and is more than fine with being out of the spotlight.
"If you're going to play at Notre Dame, you have to know how to balance your life," said White in December. "When we walk through those Gug doors, it's all football, about our love of the game and playing with one another.
"You don't want to have anything else on your mind that you're thinking of because you can miss your assignment or job. You don't want to do that for your teammates."