Bethel High alum Owusu-Koramoah picks up more ACC defensive honors
Notre Dame LB gains more acclaim after winning Butkus Award
Already recognized as the nation’s top college linebacker earlier this week, Bethel High alum Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s added another ACC Defensive Player of the Year award to his resume Wednesday.
Owusu-Koramoah, a senior linebacker at Notre Dame who won the Butkus Award on Monday, was named the defensive player of the year in the conference on 29 of 64 ballots collected from voting media members and the ACC’s 15 head coaches. It was the second time this week Owusu-Koramoah won defensive player of the year distinction in the conference, including the Associated Press award he earned Monday.
Pittsburgh defensive end Patrick Jones, a graduate of Grassfield High in Chesapeake, tied for fourth in the ACC Defensive Player of the Year voting with six votes.
Owusu-Koramoah, who graduated in 2017 from Bethel in Hampton, also received one vote for the ACC’s overall player of the year award, which was won by Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
In 11 games this season, Owusu-Koramoah is tied for the team lead with 56 tackles for No. 4 Notre Dame (10-1). He leads the Fighting Irish with 11 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles to go along with two fumble recoveries and an interception.
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly was named the ACC’s Coach of the Year, while Irish running back Kyren Williams was voted the conference’s Offensive and overall Rookie of the Year. Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee won ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
On Jan. 1, Notre Dame plays No. 1 Alabama in Arlington, Texas, in the Rose Bowl, which will be a semifinal game in the College Football Playoff.