How Notre Dame's Jayson Ademilola, Tyler Buchner are Preparing for Ohio State

On Tuesday evening, Notre Dame defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola was fired up as spoke to the media after practice in the Irish Athletic Center. 

His swagger appears to be at an all-time high. He’s ready to dominate opposing offensive linemen, no matter if they’re run-blocking or pass-protecting. 

“What I add to the pass-rush, it’s really my motor,” Ademilola said. “I’ll look you in the eye and stare at you until you decide to blink or turn your head. I’m going to intimidate you.”

Assuming this same attitude has permeated throughout the defensive line room, Notre Dame’s defense should be just fine when playing in front of 104,000 screaming fans on Saturday. 

Either way, he’s confident he and his fellow defensive linemen will get their jobs done.

“This year, the trust in the D-line is at its all-time high,” Ademilola said. “I play D-tackle, but I know what [Howard Cross III] is going to do. I know what Jacob [Lacey] is going to do. I play D-tackle, but I know what the D-ends are going to do. I play D-tackle, but I know what the Vypers are going to do. 

“We’re all on the same page. We’re all communicating. Yes, we all play different positions, but our jobs are just as important.”

This trust comes from each defensive linemen knowing their strengths and how to use them to their advantage. 

They’ve also focused on how to be the best versions of themselves come Saturday, rather than stressing over how to stop the top offense in college football. 

“Coach [Al] Washington, he made it all about us because, at the end of the day, it’s all about us,” Ademilola said. “We’re worried about our own personal goals.”

This translates to film study as well. Ademilola evaluates Ohio State’s preseason All-American left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. based on his play and nothing else. He’s not caught up in preseason accolades or the name on the front of his jersey.

“I just study each guy the same way,” Ademilola said. “I’m not stressing about who’s who, what their name is. We’ve played against some big dogs.”

When evaluating the Buckeyes, the Irish offense faces a slightly different challenge. 

The Ohio State defense struggled last year and, as a result, head coach Ryan Day fired defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs and brought in Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State.

Preparing for a Knowles defense requires extensive research, as well as a bit of player projection.

“It’s probably two-fold,” said Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner. “Obviously, you have to look at it schematically, you’re going to watch a coach’s systems, so [I’ve watched] a lot of Oklahoma State stuff from last year and their scheme. 

“Then, of course, you’ve got to prepare for personnel and some of the Ohio State stuff from last year.”

Learning from Past Mistakes

On Tuesday, Buchner acknowledged that since he was named the starter, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has coached him harder, demanding the sophomore signal-caller do everything perfectly before moving on to the next drill or lesson. 

They’ve also reviewed mistakes Buchner made in 2021 that could be applicable to their matchup in Ohio Stadium.

“On one of the plays, I forgot a motion against Virginia Tech with the signal and all the noise and things like that. That’s one of the things I can learn from. The emphasis is on communication and making sure everyone knows the play. The calls I’ve got to make and everything that’s going on.”

Throughout practice, Notre Dame has pumped in noise at the Irish Athletic Complex in order to simulate the communication challenges they’ll experience on Saturday.

“Coach Freeman has done a great job at practice, playing the sound to get used to it,” Buchner said. That’s been my big emphasis to work on communication and going on a silent cadence and being able to communicate non-verbally.”

Buchner is also approaching Saturday’s matchup against Ohio State with a healthy mindset. He’s well aware of the fact that no matter how talented he is, he cannot defeat the Buckeyes by himself.

He understands that Notre Dame’s offensive success will come from his wide receivers, tight ends and running backs making plays. It’s his job to put them in a position to succeed. 

“I think we’re really good up front,” Buchner said. “We’ve got a lot of playmakers on the outside. I think our backs are really good. If I can get the ball out to those guys and let them make plays, and we can continue to run the ball well, I think our offense will be really good.”

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Powder Lite Omni-Heat Reflective Full-Zip Vest