Where Notre Dame Was & Is: Defensive line, suddenly inexperienced and unproven

Javontae Jean-Baptiste is not Isaiah Foskey. He is also not Justin Ademilola. Fittingly, his game may represent a mix of the two defensive ends Notre Dame is looking to replace.

The Ohio State graduate transfer is not as big as Foskey or as stout as Ademilola, but he brings years of experience to the Irish defensive line room that is otherwise somewhat lacking in proven commodities, certainly in proven defensive ends. He may start at Vyper end, where Foskey set Notre Dame records in his career, or at “Big” end, where Ademilola split time with part-time defensive tackle Rylie Mills. Jean-Baptiste has both the range (standing 6-foot-5) wanted from the Vyper end and the pass-rush ability (emphasized by his flexibility) wanted from the “Big” end.

That wide-ranging possibility may have been part of what Drew Jean-Baptiste to South Bend. He pondered declaring for the NFL after five seasons at Ohio State which included four years of part-time work, but part-time work does not yield the kind of statistics that generally catch the NFL’s eye.

“It was just a long evaluation with my family and thinking about what truly was the best step for me and for the path I want to take in my future,” Jean-Baptiste said earlier this month, adding that his decision came down to Notre Dame, Mississippi and Texas. Of those three, clearly only one is in the Midwest, with Jean-Baptiste not only coming from Ohio State but also originally a New Jersey product, not to mention a program with multiple Playoff appearances.

The Irish are also the only program among the three that could boast multiple coaches Jean-Baptiste already knows. Defensive line coach Al Washington used to coach the Buckeyes linebackers, and defensive line graduate assistant