FUTURE POTENTIAL
Without having seem Mokwuah do anything but take some snaps in the spring game, it’s impossible to know what Notre Dame has in him. But even if Jerry Tillery was the defensive lineman who stole all the attention this spring, Mokwuah will be needed if the Irish are going to be a run-stuffing defense that takes away the line of scrimmage.
Mokwuah still seems like a ball of clay, ready to be molded by new defensive line coach Keith Gilmore. The good news? He’s a really big one, and that’s more than half the battle up front.
CRYSTAL BALL
As I look at the depth chart, Mokwuah’s participation likely hinges on the health of Jarron Jones. The senior defensive lineman might be a step slow coming off of foot surgery, and that would force the entire tackle position to shift down a rung.
That bad news for Notre Dame would be good news for Mokwuah’s playing time, though. But even then, he’ll be fighting a capable group of young defensive linemen for playing time, with guys like Daniel Cage and Tillery likely having a head start.
Late attention on the recruiting trail isn’t much of an indicator in ability to contribute. We saw that with Cage, who quickly moved into the rotation at nose guard. So while Mokwuah’s road to the field looks backed up, he’s got four years of eligibility remaining. And even if his contributions are limited to special teams and garbage time, getting on the field this season should be the realistic goal.
