Why these have been the two best players for the Notre Dame defense in 2022

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Point-counterpoint is a weekly exercise conducted by two BlueandGold.com staff writers in which they debate a topic related to Notre Dame football. This week, the pair answered the following question: Who has been the best player for the Notre Dame defense in 2022?

Here are their answers.

Tyler Horka: Jack Kiser Is A Jack Of All Trades  

What’s one of the most fundamental aspects of football? Tackling. Who was the second-highest graded tackler on the Notre Dame roster through Week 8 according to Pro Football Focus? Senior linebacker Jack Kiser.

I’m not going to base my entire answer on one number. But it’s a little peek into the type of player Kiser is. Linebackers are asked to tackle perhaps more than any other position group. Kiser is the best at it among the Irish backers by a long shot; the next closest linebacker among Notre Dame’s top-three (Kiser and seniors Marist Liufau and JD Bertrand) per PFF’s tackling grades is Liufau; he ranks 15th with a grade of 67.6. Kiser’s grade is 86.1.

When Bertrand missed a half in two consecutive games because of targeting penalties, Kiser slid to the middle linebacker position and flourished. He ranked second on the team with 34 tackles through six games before he only played five snaps against UNLV because of a thigh bruise. Bertrand had 36 tackles through six games — in 58 more snaps than Kiser.

Kiser just has a knack for being in the right spot at the right time. Isn’t that the name of the game for a defensive player?

Just let the Notre Dame head coach say it for himself.

“He’s probably, if not the, one of the most athletic linebackers we have,” Marcus Freeman said. “That’s why we played him a lot at rover, where you’re playing him out in space, but he can do so many different things and what you’re seeing now is him playing middle linebacker and getting everybody lined up, but also just executing at a high level, and we’re gonna have a challenge. It’s great.”

Todd Burlage: Isaiah Foskey Remains The Unit’s Top Player

It’s understood that Notre Dame senior defensive end Isaiah Foskey wasn’t living up to his preseason All-American billing. That was, until he recorded 3.0 sacks in a single game for the first time in his career last week vs. UNLV.

After finishing third all-time as a junior last season in single-season sacks with 11.0, Foskey entered this season with hopes of giving chase to Justin Tuck’s single-season record of 13.5 sacks set in 2003.

With 6.0 sacks through seven games, Foskey is just off the pace of Tuck’s single-season mark. But that shouldn’t diminish how valuable Foskey has been to an Irish defense that through seven games ranks a respectable 31st nationally in total defense (341.1 yards allowed) and 36th (21.9 points allowed) in scoring defense.

Foskey’s 6.0 sacks are 2.0 off the pace of the individual high across the FBS. The pass-rush menace is commanding so much attention up front, so the sack wealth has been spread around. But Foskey still leads an Irish defense that impressively ranks 26th in team sacks with 2.86 a game.

Additionally, Foskey leads the team lead with 7.0 tackles for loss, and is fifth on the defense with 28 total tackles.And given the pattern of finishing seasons strong, expect Foskey to save his best work for the stretch run to this season, it’s what he does.

There’s no arguing that Foskey’s production in the first six games wasn’t what anyone — including himself — was expecting this season. But take him out of this defense, and it would become immediately and painfully obvious that he is still the catalyst and the MVP of this unit