Five Irish Players Garner AP All-American Honors

NOTRE DAME, Indiana — Notre Dame senior linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and senior offensive lineman Aaron Banks were named to the Associated Press All-America First Team, as graduate student offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg was named to the second team and graduate student offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer and sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton claimed third-team honors.

First Team

Aaron Banks

Banks has racked up 30-career starts and was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his performance vs. Clemson (11/7). Selected to the preseason All-ACC Team, Banks is part of an offensive line that leads the ACC and ranks eighth in the FBS in time of possession, controlling the ball for 33:57 minutes of game time and winning the time of possession battle in 10-of-11 games this season. The 33:57 time of possession average leads the ACC by more than two minutes per game.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

The 2020 Butkus Award winner and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Owusu-Koramoah is widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in the nation. Also a finalist for the Bednarik Award and Bowden Trophy, and semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, Owusu-Koramoah was also a finalist for the Nagurski Award. The senior has totaled 56 tackles (38 solo), 11.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks, one interception, three PBU, two FR and three FF on the season. 

Second Team

Liam Eichenberg

Totaling 37-consecutive starts on his career, Eichenberg has been tabbed as one of the best linemen in the country, being named a finalist for the Outland Trophy and recipient of the ACC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy. He was twice named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week, and is a member of an offensive line unit that has been named a finalist for the 2020 Joe Moore Award.

Third Team

Kyle Hamilton

A Bednarik Award semifinalist, sophomore Kyle Hamilton ties for the lead on the Irish defense with 56 tackles (45 solo) in 2020. Along with a 14-yard interception vs. Clemson in the ACC Championship, he has posted five PBUs, 3.5 TFL and two QB hits.

Tommy Kraemer

Returning to the field in 2020 after a season-ending injury in 2019, Kraemer has totaled 38-career starts and has produced at a high level, even after missing a game due to injury. Named ACC Offensive LIneman of the Week at Boston College, Kraemer is a member of a unit that helps move the chains at a high level on third down. The Irish lead the ACC and rank ninth in the FBS in third down conversion percentage with a remarkable 49.3 success rate.

Owusu-Koramoah Tabbed as Finalist for Bowden Trophy

Credit Source: University of Notre Dame Athletics

NOTRE DAME, Indiana — Notre Dame senior linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has been named one of three finalists for the 2020 Bobby Bowden trophy, honoring the college football player who best embodies the “student-athlete,” combining athletics, academics and faith.

The 2020 Butkus Award winner and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Owusu-Koramoah has totaled 56 tackles in 2020, which leads the Irish, while also leading the team with 11.0 tackles-for-loss. He has been responsible for forcing multiple turnovers, including an interception, two fumble recoveries (one returned for a touchdown) and three forced fumbles this season. He has added three pass breakups.

Against Syracuse, Owusu-Koramoah noted five tackles, 0.5 TFL, one FF, one FR and two PBU. He forced a fumble on the opening drive of the first half for his third forced fumble of the season (fifth of his career). He recovered another fumble, forced by the Irish, for his second FR of the season and fourth of his career, which led to a Notre Dame touchdown drive.

His first-career interception came at Pitt, setting up a Notre Dame touchdown drive. In the win over then-No. 1 Clemson, Owusu-Koramoah posted nine tackles (seven solo), 0.5 sack, 2.0 TFL, one forced fumble and the fumble recovery touchdown, which was the first score of his career. Three plays later, he forced a Clemson fumble, which was also recovered by the Irish. For his performance, he was named player of the week for the Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award, and ACC Linebacker of the Week.

Owusu-Koramoah ranks 11th among all FBS players with two fumble recoveries this season. He ranks tied for fifth among all ACC players in forced fumbles (0.27 per game).

To add to his resume, Owusu-Koramoah is a finalist for the Bednarik Award and a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, and was also a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy.

Off the field, Owusu-Koramoah is a leader in his communities, using his platform to speak to many groups. He has spent time speaking at the juvenile detention center in South Bend, as well as multiple church youth groups in the area. When he returns home to Virginia, he speaks with local high school football teams, including his alma mater, Bethel High School.