5 Notre Dame players to keep an eye on in Friday night’s CFB Playoff matchup vs Indiana football

Indiana football and Notre Dame will clash on Friday night, playing in the opening game of the 2024 CFB Playoffs.

Both teams enter the game 11-1 on the season, both showcasing beyond impressive success in the regular season.

Specifically, Notre Dame defeated four ranked teams and two Big Ten teams. The Fighting Irish concluded the season on a 10 game win streak, after suffering a 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois at home in week two.

There are several key Notre Dame players to watch Friday vs Indiana football in the CFB Playoff opener.

Trending: 3 matchups to follow in the Indiana football CFB Playoff game on Friday night

QB – Riley Leonard

Riley Leonard has successfully commanded Notre Dame’s offense all season long. The senior quarterback has passed for 2,092 yards and 16 interceptions, while rushing for 721 yards and 14 touchdowns on 124 carries.

Leonard transferred to Notre Dame in the offseason after spending three years at Duke. Across his time at Duke, Leonard passed for 4,450 yards and 24 touchdowns, rushing for 1,224 yards and 19 touchdowns.

While his rushing statistics stand out, his passing ability doesn’t quite match it. Leonard surpassed 200 passing yards in a game just four times this season. In comparison to Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke, Rourke surpassed 300 passing yards in a game four times, despite sitting out 1.5 games.

Leonard failed to surpass 200 yards in each of Notre Dame’s last five games of the regular season.

Indiana’s defense has collected 14 interceptions on the season, recording two in the team’s most recent game against Purdue. Combine Indiana’s strong defense with the expectation of rain and or snow in Friday’s game, Leonard could be forced to rely heavier on his run game.

RB – Jeremiyah Love

Jeremiyah Love has been spectacular this season for Notre Dame.

Love has brought in 134 carries for 949 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. In addition to his excellent run game, Love excels at pass catching, squeezing 22 receptions for 206 receiving yards and two touchdowns, averaging 9.4 yards per reception.

Love’s 17 total touchdowns on offense made him a key player to watch in every game, as he found the end zone at least once in every single game on Notre Dame’s schedule this season.

Averaging nearly 1.5 total touchdowns per game, Love is someone that any opposing team’s defense should be focused on containing.

Expect to see consistent explosiveness throughout the game Friday from Love.

RB – Jadarian Price

Love hasn’t been the only running back to shine for Notre Dame this season.

Jadarian Price has been another strong force in Notre Dame’s running back room.

Price, a redshirt sophomore, has reeled in 89 carries this season for 651 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, an average of 7.3 yards per carry.

Price finished the season on a very high note, finding the end zone three times in Notre Dame’s last two games, totaling 164 rushing yards.

Having three strong ball rushers in Leonard, Love and Price will be difficult for Indiana’s defense to continuously stop. Any three of them immediately pose as a threat when carrying the ball.

Cornerback – Christian Gray

Christian Gray is coming off of the best game of his collegiate career.

On the road at USC, Gray had seven total tackles, six solo tackles and one interception, which was returned for a 99 yard touchdown.

Gray, a true sophomore, has recorded 26 total tackles this season, making 19 solo tackles, one forced fumble and two interceptions.

Gray is likely to match up against Indiana receiver Elijah Sarratt on Friday night. Sarratt has played as Indiana’s best receiver this season, bringing in 49 catches for 890 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

Sarratt is coming off of one of his most memorable games of his season, squeezing eight catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns.

Safety – Xavier Watts

Xavier Watts has been one of the backbones of Notre Dame’s defense this season.

Watts, a fifth year senior, has made 50 total tackles, 31 of which were solo tackles, one forced fumble, five interceptions and one touchdown on the year.

Watts has constantly shined for Notre Dame, bringing in 156 total tackles and 12 interceptions across his last four seasons.

Watts’ experience and lock down defense brings immediate difficulties to any offensive player that gets near him.

With his veteran experience and how long he’s been with the Notre Dame program, Watts is a model player on the defensive end for Notre Dame.

SEE ALSO: Indiana football using ‘learning experience’ against Ohio State as fuel vs Notre Dame and the ‘hostile environment’ it’s preparing for

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