Notre Dame football boasts arguably the top interior defensive line in the country in 2024, led by All-American Howard Cross

Do you want to talk about the perfect example of development and perseverance? Notre Dame All-American defensive tackle Howard Cross III is the ideal example. Originally an undersized defensive end recruit coming out of St. Joseph Regional in Montvale, New Jersey, Cross eventually transitioned inside to defensive tackle.

Over time, Cross continued to develop into a really nice rotation player for the Irish. The New Jersey becoming, and finishing on that level, would have been a big win considering the size would never be an ally. Then the 2023 season happened, which transformed Cross from a good rotational player to one of the best interior defensive lineman in all of college football.

In 13 games, Cross would record 66 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles. That production from a 288-pound nose tackle is tremendous. Cross was rewarded with his performance by multiple All-American honors. He isn’t flying under the radar any longer, coming in as the No. 3 best Irish playing returning in 2023.

Although Cross is a bit of a size outlier for the NFL at 6’ 1 ⅛” and 288 pounds, evaluators are still pretty high on the Notre Dame star. So much so that there was a decision to be made after his stellar 2023 campaign. Should Cross declare early for the 2024 NFL Draft or declare for a final sixth year of eligibility?

Obviously Cross chose the latter. Now carrying early to miss Day Three grades from the NFL, Cross enters the 2024 season no longer under the radar. In fact, the target is firmly on the back of No. 56 in blue and gold. Opponents will be keying on Cross, which could be a blessing for the Irish defense this fall. There’s a world where Cross has a less productive season in 2024 but the defense is better for it.

There are a lot of Notre Dame fans who would now list Cross as their favorite current Irish player. It’s because Cross wasn’t supposed to turn into this player. He has continued to prove doubters wrong, and will look to do more of that this fall.

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