JEREMIAH OWUSU-KORAMOAH – Linebacker/Safety
Height/Weight: 6’1″ 215 lbs.
Home Town: Hampton Virginia
Team: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Class: R-Junior
Age: 21
| Year | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | PD | FR | TD | FF |
| 2019 | 13 | 54 | 26 | 80 | 13.5 | 5.5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020 | 12 | 42 | 20 | 62 | 11 | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Talent: Owusu-Koramoah was a two-sport star at Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia. The stud defender came to Notre Dame as a three-star prospect and the 17th rated overall player coming out of Virginia in 2017. (247sports.com) Once he cracked the Notre Dame starting lineup, Owusu-Koramoah made national headlines with his play, winning the Butkus Award as the country’s top linebacker. He was also named first-team Associated Press All-American, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, a finalist for the Bednarik Award, and a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy. In 2020, Owusu-Koramoah led the Irish to an NCAA playoff birth and the Rose Bowl.
Size and Speed: At 6’1” and 215 pounds, the Notre Dame linebacker is a smallish version of an NFL linebacker. Although Owusu-Koramoah may not fit into every defense, he’s perfect for certain schemes that require coverage linebackers. In fact, Owusu-Koramoah is so good in coverage there is NFL chatter that he could move to safety in the pros.
Production: The 21-year-old defensive star has played in 25 collegiate level games over the past two seasons, and has proven his abilities at every level of the field. In his career, Owusu-Koramoah produced 142 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, seven defended passes, five forced fumbles, and four fumbles recovered. The Notre Dame alum was dominant, using his athleticism and speed to get to the ball and make plays.
Weaknesses: Owusu-Koramoah occasionally struggles with fundamentals. In some cases, he plays in a hurry, causing mistakes in pursuit and tackling. His play dissection and instincts are inconsistent but should improve with experience. If corrected, Owusu-Koramoah’s ceiling is a combination of Eric Kendricks and Derwin James.
Injury/COVID Impact: Notre Dame chose to join the ACC for the 2020 season in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. This decision allowed Owusu-Koramoah and the rest of his Fighting Irish teammates the opportunity to play a full season and to perform in a bowl game. Owusu-Koramoah only improved his draft stock during the 2020 season.
Draft Slot: Owusu-Koramoah is projected to be chosen in the first round in the 2021 NFL draft. The talented athlete can play linebacker and safety and has excellent coverage skills. He will become a valuable addition to any defense but could be extremely tantalizing for a team like Cleveland, Seattle, or Minnesota. If selected by one of the teams listed above, Owusu-Koramoah would likely become a three-down player with a chance to become the most impactful defender in the 2021 draft.
Rookie IDP Ranking: Owusu-Koramoah is likely to be valued in the 1st tier of IDP defensive players in most rookie drafts. Depending on your scoring structure, Owusu-Koramoah could be the 2nd or 3rd defender taken in 2021 integrated rookie drafts. I expect that the stud linebacker/safety will be selected in the third round of most combined rookie drafts, just behind Parsons, Moses, and possibly a pass rusher or two.
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