Owusu-Koramoah Ready To Master Rover

When Notre Dame started spring practice in March, the majority of people felt Shayne Simon would step into the starting rover role after getting spot time his freshman season. 

Junior Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah went to work and eventually took the spot as Simon moved to inside linebacker. 

The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder finished second in tackles (7) during Saturday’s Blue-Gold game and while Owusu-Koramoah admitted he had work to do, the Virginia native was pleased with his performance. 

“I made some mistakes and they are always correctable,” stated Owusu-Koramoah. “Everyone out there probably made at least one mistake. It went well. I wouldn’t say it went great or terrible. I’d give myself an even grade.”

In practice, Owusu-Koramoah flashed all spring. In fact, he was one of the few players to keep up with receiver Chris Finke and even caused a breakup. 

The chance to show off his athleticism in Notre Dame Stadium was a small stepping stone for Owusu-Koramoah as it was different than the previous 14 practices. 

“You have the fans out there, the time running, situations, moving the ball – it’s not that much of a difference, but it does come into play when you’re in the stadium with fans and noise,” said Owusu-Koramoah. “It’s a game-type feeling. 

“Spring game. Spring practice. That’s the difference right there.” 

Owusu-Koramoah missed virtually all of last fall as he broke his foot before week three and it cost him the rest of the season. 

Part of Owusu-Koramoah’s offseason goals includes improving his foot speed, but also to dive deeper into Clark Lea’s defense.

“I want to get my feet quicker and stay in the playbook,” explained Owusu-Koramoah. “I want to remain consistent. I want to get with some teammates and have that bond. I want good team chemistry.” 

When it comes to comfort at the position, Owusu-Koramoah is adapting just fine to the rover position. It’s a position he somewhat played in high school, so mastering the mental aspect has been the toughest part.

“Rover is all those things I played in high school mixed into one,” said Owusu-Koramoah. “You’re in the slot, in the box and make different calls. You’re also playing nickel sometimes as well. All the positions I played in high school helped me settle into one position.”