Defense Dominates 2024 Notre Dame Football Captains

Notre Dame ended its fall camp portion of the summer this weekend with its latest jersey scrimmage. As the Irish “break camp,” they also named their captains for the 2024 season. The defense dominated the selections, with four defenders—Jack Kiser, Xavier Wats, Rylie Mills, and Benjamin Morrison—and just one offensive player—Riley Leonard—getting a “C” on their jersey this season.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the defense is so much more represented than the offense, given all the returning experience and playmaking on that side of the ball. Notre Dame has three new starters on the OL, a totally revamped wide receiver room, a new quarterback, and two new lead backs. Defensively, there is much more continuity for the Irish, even though they are also replacing five starters on that side of the ball.

Riley Leonard, QB

It is significant that Leonard was named captain, given that he transferred in January and missed a good portion of spring practice with an injury. Sam Hartman was also a captain as a transfer last year, but three years ago, Jack Coan was not. The difference between Leonard and Hartman, in terms of captainship, is that Leonard is the only offensive captain this year, whereas Hartman was joined by offensive lineman Joe Alt last year. Leonard is being asked to be the unquestioned leader of the offense.

Leonard has gone out of his way to lead this team in the short time he’s been at Notre Dame. In the off-season, the Duke transfer hosted Irish receivers and quarterbacks at his home in Alabama to train and bond. Leonard was also a captain at Duke last year, so leadership is not new for him.

Rylie Mills, DT

Mills could have left for the NFL this year, but he returned for a 5th year for a playoff run and to improve his draft stock. Mills got the nod at captain along the defensive line, seemingly over fellow veteran Howard Cross. Notre Dame has an experienced defensive line this year, but Mills’ most significant responsibility as captain might be for 2025. Notre Dame’s younger interior lineman might not play many snaps this year behind Mills and Cross. Still, their development this year is critical for 2025, with Mills and Cross out of eligibility after this year.

Jack Kiser, LB

Kiser could have left for the NFL last year, too, and if he did, Notre Dame would be replacing all three starters in its linebacking corps. Returning, however, allowed Kiser to move to what is likely to be a much more effective position for him – WILL – after being Notre Dame’s primary ROVER for the last two years. Kiser is tasked with leading a linebacking corps that has the potential to be much more impactful than their predecessors. Notre Dame will rotate in five linebackers with regularity this year. Drayk Bowen, Jaiden Ausberry, Jaylen Sneed, and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. Outside of Sneed, the other three have not played many meaningful snaps.

Xavier Watts, S

The reigning defensive player of the year, whom the national media seemingly keeps overlooking, is one of two members of the secondary to be named captain. Watts is an excellent example of perseverance and commitment in today’s college football. He changed positions two times before settling in at safety and took until his junior year before he really started to see meaningful snaps. Most players in his shoes would have transferred a long time ago. Watts, however, stayed the course and developed into a defensive player of the year. That screams captain.

Benjamin Morrsion, CB

Rounding out the captains is the only junior in the group. Benjamin Morrison burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2022, and while his numbers came back down to earth a bit last year, he is still one of the best corners in college football and a likely first-round draft pick next spring. Morrison is already displaying the qualities of a captain building up the freshman corners, including recently stating that true freshman Leonard Moore will eventually be better than him.