NOTRE DAME, Indiana — Notre Dame senior linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has been named one of three finalists for the 2020 Bobby Bowden trophy, honoring the college football player who best embodies the “student-athlete,” combining athletics, academics and faith.
The 2020 Butkus Award winner and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Owusu-Koramoah has totaled 56 tackles in 2020, which leads the Irish, while also leading the team with 11.0 tackles-for-loss. He has been responsible for forcing multiple turnovers, including an interception, two fumble recoveries (one returned for a touchdown) and three forced fumbles this season. He has added three pass breakups.
Against Syracuse, Owusu-Koramoah noted five tackles, 0.5 TFL, one FF, one FR and two PBU. He forced a fumble on the opening drive of the first half for his third forced fumble of the season (fifth of his career). He recovered another fumble, forced by the Irish, for his second FR of the season and fourth of his career, which led to a Notre Dame touchdown drive.
His first-career interception came at Pitt, setting up a Notre Dame touchdown drive. In the win over then-No. 1 Clemson, Owusu-Koramoah posted nine tackles (seven solo), 0.5 sack, 2.0 TFL, one forced fumble and the fumble recovery touchdown, which was the first score of his career. Three plays later, he forced a Clemson fumble, which was also recovered by the Irish. For his performance, he was named player of the week for the Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award, and ACC Linebacker of the Week.
Owusu-Koramoah ranks 11th among all FBS players with two fumble recoveries this season. He ranks tied for fifth among all ACC players in forced fumbles (0.27 per game).
To add to his resume, Owusu-Koramoah is a finalist for the Bednarik Award and a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, and was also a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy.
Off the field, Owusu-Koramoah is a leader in his communities, using his platform to speak to many groups. He has spent time speaking at the juvenile detention center in South Bend, as well as multiple church youth groups in the area. When he returns home to Virginia, he speaks with local high school football teams, including his alma mater, Bethel High School.