This Guy Plays Notre Dame Football: #7 Isaiah Foskey, Defensive End

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a roster full of players, and we want to talk about them all. One Foot Down’s player profile series will, once again, take a look at every single one of them, and hopefully we all learn a little bit more about these guys, and Notre Dame’s chances for the upcoming 2021 season.

#7 Isaiah Foskey, DE

Isaiah Foskey was a member of the 2019 recruiting class, committing to Notre Dame on February 6, 2019. Foskey selected the Irish over offers from Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Michigan, and Ohio State, among others. 247Sports Composite Rankings rated Foskey as a 4-star recruit, ranking him as the 211^th best recruit nationally, 28^th best prospect in the state of California, and 13^th best weak side defensive end in the 2019 class. Foskey attended De La Salle High School, and his hometown is Concord, California. Foskey currently stands 6’4’’ and weighs 257 pounds.

If Foskey had arrived in South Bend earlier in Brian Kelly’s tenure, he would have been thrust into a starting position immediately upon arriving on campus. However, Mike Elston has done a phenomenal job of developing talent along the defensive line over the past several years. As a result, Foskey only saw action in 4 games as a freshman, notably blocking a punt against Stanford to turn the tide of the game. He ended the season with 5 total tackles and 1 quarterback hurry.

As a sophomore, Foskey saw action in 9 games. Serving in a reserve role, he recorded 20 total tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, and 1 blocked punt that he returned for a touchdown against Pittsburgh.

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

The Restaurant That Fits

There are a myriad of options that would fit here, but I am going to go with Chipotle. Both Foskey and Chipotle have been around for a few years. Yet, each appear poised for a breakout campaign nationally in 2021. Similar to the ability to build your own bowl or burrito, the coaching staff can choose what end position Isaiah Foskey can best help the team at for the season.

2021 Outlook

With the departures of Daelin Hayes and Ade Ogundeji, it is Foskey’s turn to lead the defensive line. Based on his length and athleticism, Foskey should man the Vyper position heading into the season. After notching 4.5 sacks last season in a reserve role, Marcus Freeman would be thrilled if Foskey could notch a double-digit sack season. If that were to occur, it is a safe bet that he would declare for the NFL Draft following the season, a tradeoff most Irish fans would be willing to make.