The most surprising player for Notre Dame football in 2022
Every year, teams have players who weren’t projected to be top contributors break barriers and put themselves high up on depth charts. Notre Dame had a couple key ones who fit that billing in 2022.
Here are the choices of two BlueandGold.com writers for the title of Notre Dame’s most surprising player this season.
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Tyler Horka: Benjamin Morrison is the one we didn’t see coming
If any of the class of 2022 defensive backs were going to break out for the Fighting Irish this fall, everyone was adamant it was going to be Jaden Mickey, the highest-ranked of Notre Dame’s three signees in the secondary.
None of the three were guaranteed any sort of playing time whatsoever.
Notre Dame has a veteran corps of defensive backs, from graduate student TaRiq Bracy, senior Cam Hart and junior Clarence Lewis at cornerback to graduate students DJ Brown and Houston Griffith and senior Brandon Joseph at safety.
The Irish were solid on the back end, too, ranking a respectable 21st in passing defense through the end of the regular season. True freshman Benjamin Morrison played a major role in garnering that statistic.
Both Morrison’s first 2 interceptions of the season came in the Irish’s biggest win of the season, a 35-14 blowout of then-No. 4 Clemson. There’s an argument to be made the Irish do not win that game without Morrison. It definitely would have been a lot closer.
Then, Morrison picked off 3 passes versus Boston College for good measure. He became the 15th player in school history to have 3 interceptions in one game. His 5 interceptions in the regular season currently are tied for seventh in the country.
To say Notre Dame would not have its biggest triumph of the season without a true freshman defensive back is quite remarkable. Morrison has caught the attention of former Notre Dame defensive backs Julian Love of the New York Giants and Troy Pride Jr., formerly of the Carolina Panthers. He must be doing something right. Now to saw those two saw it coming? That’s a different story. Did anybody outside of the Irish coaching staff?
Todd D Burlage: Audric Estimé came out of nowhere
In the preseason my colleagues and I put together a countdown for BlueandGold.com of who we projected would be the top 25 Irish players this season.
And checking in at only No. 21, Notre Dame sophomore tailback Audric Estimé barely even made the list.
Two of my five colleagues that participated in the voting and rankings — including the talented Tyler Horka — didn’t even list Estimé on their top-25 ballots.
Now, at the end of the regular season, if we could revisit and rerank the players, it would be hard to keep Estimé out of the top five, maybe even the top three. He finished the regular season with 825 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns, both of which are team highs.
He has three 100-yard rushing games this season, and the bruising back also has an outside chance to reach 1,000 yards rushing with a strong bowl game showing.
Estimé entered this season considered the No. 3 rushing option behind junior Chris Tyree and sophomore Logan Diggs. Instead, the Nyack, N.Y., native became more productive than both of his tailback teammates, and proved that he’s a versatile every-down back, not just a short-yardage guy.
Now, consider that Estimé recorded just 7 carries for 60 yards as a freshman all of last season — which ranked only fourth among all Notre Dame tailbacks — and it’s impossible not to consider Estimé not only the most pleasant surprise on the team this season, but the most improved player as well.
