Being “Counting Down the Irish” week, let’s offer a teaser of what is to come by Friday: Four Notre Dame seniors or fifth-years received all the first-place votes in the balloting of a dozen media members. What should not surprise: All four line up in the middle of the field, which makes sense considering the series attempts to gauge who is the most impactful player on the team.
What may surprise: Two play offense.
Nonetheless, four of the top five play for first-year defensive coordinator Clark Lea, a large part of the reason any Irish hype ties to that defense.