Comparisons are inevitable in all aspects of sports and in college football it’s no different. But now with the transfer portal it’s even more common. Ohio State and Notre Dame have a huge matchup in week one and they both landed elite defensive backs who will impact.
DB Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame vs. DB Tanner McCallister, Ohio State
This is a battle of two elites and it doesn’t matter than Joseph is a safety and McCallister is a cornerback, they will both be key in coverage. McCallister has the easier job in the game as the Notre Dame passing game is nothing close to what Ohio State can deliver, but Joseph is the better portal get. Why?
McCallister follows his defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, Jim Knowles, to Ohio State and has the advantage of familiarity but Joseph’s leadership from Northwestern is crucial for Notre Dame as they replace Kyle Hamilton. And Joseph has knowledge of the Big Ten coming from Pat Fitzgerald’s program so that will help again the Buckeyes at least a little bit. But overall Notre Dame needed someone who could cover the middle of the field and come up and tackle and he’s going to be absolutely crucial to the success of the Irish this year. He was a first team All Big Ten performer in 2020 and second team in 2021 and if he can play close to that level he’ll be a massive addition.
Edge: Joseph
