I didn’t think Notre Dame deserved to in the final four a year ago. Georgia were the superior team and an Alabama vs Georgia rematch felt like a proper ‘semi-final’.
Notre Dame were selected due to their unbeaten record and were subsequently pummelled 30-3 by Clemson. Their best wins in the regular season were against a 10-3 Michigan, a 9-4 Stanford and a 10-3 Syracuse.
Georgia weren’t unbeaten but their two losses were against LSU and a classic against Alabama. I think an eye-test and strength of schedule consideration is required for the playoffs. At the moment there’s a clear power-four in college football — Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma. Everyone else is trying to keep up. Notre Dame weren’t close and they still aren’t.
Saturday’s game is being billed as a titanic encounter but I’d expect a fairly comfortable Georgia win. They have the better players. We’ll see if I’m right. I’m always happy to admit when I’ve got something wrong.
Julian Okwara (DE, Notre Dame) is often touted as a sure-fire first round prospect. I’m just not seeing it. He has a lean upper-body and is listed at 248lbs. You don’t see any real power generated with his hands and he doesn’t control his side of the line with any gusto. Equally though, I’m not sure he’s a dynamic enough athlete to consider a great speed-rusher.
I went back-and-forth with Brian Burns a year ago — initially listing him as a top-10 talent before second-guessing how the league considered his size. Yet the one thing you couldn’t deny with Burns was his explosive power and quickness. He jumped a 34-inch vertical at 213lbs at SPARQ and on the field you could see cat-like agility to work around blocks and win against overmatched college linemen. He’s had a good start to his NFL career in Carolina and we’ll see how he progresses. I still wonder whether he has the size to be more than a specialist rusher but he’s started well.
With Okwara I’m not seeing the same kind of athleticism. He ran a 5.14 forty at Nike SPARQ and only a 4.63 short shuttle. His overall score was a fairly abysmal 52.23. Players develop in college and improve as athletes. I’d never expect Okwara to run a 5.14 at a pro-combine. Yet I’d equally be shocked if he matches Burns’ 4.53. On tape you see the occasional flash where he stunts inside and beats a block or works a lineman off the edge. There’s very little that wows you though and he had games (eg Vanderbilt, 2018) where you struggle to notice him.
This will be a good test for him against Georgia. Andrew Thomas (LT, Georgia) is one of the top players eligible for next years draft along with the likes of Grant Delpit, Jerry Jeudy and Tua Tagovailoa. He’s so incredibly balanced and in control. He has excellent size, mobility and power. Thomas has the potential to be a day-one starter at left tackle and a long term fixture in the NFL.
I’ve also been impressed with Isaiah Wilson (RT, Georgia). I watched him for the first time this week and he’s a gigantic monster of a lineman. He’s 6-7 and 340lbs but carries the size superbly. He’s not carrying much bad weight and cuts an intimidating presence on the right side.
When he locks his arms into position he’s extremely difficult to disengage from. There’s evidence of effective combo-blocks (you always love to see that) and he’ll drive defenders back in the running game. There are occasions where he gets his drop wrong and loses balance and leverage. He drops too deep against speed and gives faster rushers an opportunity to attack from within the pocket, eliminating much space and freedom for the quarterback. He needs to play more inside-out against speed and allow his massive frame to act as a blockade. If he can’t win with a kick-slide then use your tools to your advantage.
This is a coachable issue though. What he does well is appealing and if Thomas is a high first round pick, it won’t be a surprise if Wilson ends up going later in round one as a hulking, powerful right tackle capable of excelling in the run game. And yes, he’s one to watch for the Seahawks if they move on from Germain Ifedi. If you want to focus on anyone in this game — make it Wilson. Interestingly they usually leave him on an island without tight end support. He has first round potential for sure.
How Okwara plays in this game will play a big factor in his draft stock. Many believe he’s a mid-first round talent. He won’t have a better opponent to prove it. Whether he attacks the left or right side, he’s going to face a NFL opponent. I’m not convinced he warrants the hype but I’ll happily be proven wrong.
Khalid Kareem (DE, Notre Dame) plays across from Okwara. He’s a bigger, stouter defender. Georgia has been creating enormous running lanes and plenty of space for D’Andre Swift (RB, Georgia) this season. Kareem needs to be able to push-back against this to max-out his stock. I actually hope it’s a competitive battle in the trenches (although my suspicion is Georgia will win this battle comfortably). Let’s see Swift get some hard yards and face some tough snaps. So far it’s looked so easy for him. He’s a first round talent in his own right. Let’s see a challenge where he has to create some yardage rather than exploiting the opportunities presented to him.
It’s also a key game for Jake Fromm (QB, Georgia). He lacks some of the physical skills of the other quarterbacks in this class but he’s been very effective for two and a bit years now. He’s not flashy but he’s generally accurate and makes good decisions. He rarely gets flustered and he benefits from good blocking, a great running game and speed/talent at receiver. He doesn’t have to declare for 2020 and he might stick it out if Georgia misses out on a National Championship again. This is the type of game where you him want to prove he belongs in the early rounds.
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