Irish graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman (10) holds the shillelagh among his teammates after Notre Dame’s 42-3 defeat of Navy on Aug. 26 at Aviva Stadium.
Notre Dame is six games into its 2023 campaign. Against Louisville, they’ll officially surpass the halfway point of their season (weird to think about, given it’s only the first week of October, I know). Those first six games have included blowouts (Navy), thrilling victories (Duke) and agonizing defeats (Ohio State) alike. Here are some mid-season awards for an Irish team that’s enjoyed a strong, if dramatic, start to the year.
Team MVP: Sam Hartman
No surprises or hot takes here. Hartman hasn’t been perfect through half of his first (and only) season in blue and gold, but he has been quite close. He ranks in (at least) the national top 20 in just about every major passing stat. He’s one of just four qualified quarterbacks to have not thrown an interception in 2023. And most importantly, when Notre Dame found itself up against the wall with a fourth and 16 against Duke, it was the graduate student’s gritty run that willed the Irish to a fresh set of downs. Hartman isn’t the only factor in the Irish’s strong start to the season, but he’s all but certainly been the most vital. He’ll only be called upon more moving forward.Breakout Player of the Year: Mitchell Evans
There might be some recency bias in this award, given that Evans’ performance in Notre Dame’s past two games surpasses his efforts in the first four by a considerable margin. But it’s impossible not to marvel at just how significant Evans’ recent emergence has been. Without his six receptions and 134 yards against Duke, Notre Dame does not defeat the Blue Devils. The junior was never going to be a like-for-like replacement for the incomparable Michael Mayer, but he’s made a lot of Mayer-esque contributions over the last two weeks. If Evans’ performances against Duke and Ohio State are indicative of the rest of his year, he all but certainly will emerge as Hartman’s favorite target.Most Underrated Transfer Portal Pickup: Thomas Harper
Notre Dame joined the growing trend of teams bolstering their roster through the transfer portal this offseason, bringing seven new players to South Bend. Hartman was obviously the pick of the bunch, and his signing was met with considerable fanfare among both Irish fans and national media. But Notre Dame made another portal addition, just one day later, that has had a sizable effect on the team’s play in 2023. Thomas Harper has proven an asset in the secondary as a versatile nickel who can perform in a number of different roles for Al Golden’s defense. He’s been useful in containing the run and has been a reliable option in coverage. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy has been the perfect supplement to stalwart returning starting cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Cam Hart.The Shaquille O’Neal “I owe you an apology, I wasn’t familiar with your game” Memorial Award: Gi’Bran Payne
For whatever reason — be it his relatively low recruiting ranking, or tweener class status between established starter Audric Estimé and electrifying freshman Jeremiyah Love — Gi’Bran Payne entered 2023 as the consensus odd one out in Notre Dame’s running back room, at least among fans. Through six games, though, it’s Payne who’s established perhaps the second most defined role in a crowded (and still not fully decided) backfield. Often entering the game on third downs and short-yardage situations, Payne has shown a remarkable knack for churning out tough yardage. His efforts doing the “dirty work” were rewarded against Ohio State when he fought his way into the end zone for his first touchdown in an Irish uniform.Coach of the Year: Al Golden
Golden entered the year as Notre Dame’s only returning coordinator following the departure of Tommy Rees to Alabama and 2022 Coach of the Year (in this writer’s eyes) Brian Mason to the NFL. He entered with some pressure on his shoulders as well. The Irish defense was good in 2022, but it wasn’t great. Improvement was expected in a group that returned a lot of starters. Needless to say, improvement has come. Notre Dame has yet to allow more than 24 points in a game, and has allowed more than 20 just once. The Irish red zone defense, a source of continual headaches last fall, has enjoyed a complete turnaround. Golden’s toughest task still likely lies two weeks ahead when his unit does battle with reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams, but his work so far has been excellent.Sign up for our Observer Sports newsletter!Have an Irish sports question? Ask it for our Observer Sports mailbag!
