With the season that Notre Dame All-American defensive tackle Howard Cross had in 2023, a lot of Irish and general college football fans are going to underrate his counterpart Rylie Mills. The Illinois native was also quite good last season, beginning this season as the No. 6 best player on the Notre Dame roster.
During his first full year inside in 2023, Mills recorded 47 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries. That is especially impressive when you consider that Mills had worked primarily on the edge during his first three seasons. He has steadily added weight, now standing at 6’ 5 ⅝” and 306 pounds.
Mills surprised some by returning to school in 2024, bypassing the opportunity to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. The hope for him is to now put it all together during his final campaign, needing to finish plays on a more consistent basis. When you look at Mills physically, there isn’t much he is missing. All the tools are there.
The early feedback from NFL scouts is that not only do they want Mills to finish plays more consistently, they also want him to play with a little more aggression. The raw power is outstanding, as is the frame. There are moments where you see him physically dominate, but those are too irregular.
Mills currently holds mid round grades from the NFL. That feedback should strengthen quickly with a big final year. He starts the year safely inside the top 10 players on the Notre Dame roster, but truthfully he could be even higher on the list centered around level of importance.
In case you missed any of the previous lists, they are hyperlinked below. It is an impressive group of current Notre Dame stars to be acquainted with. The list continues tomorrow when we finally break into the top five overall players on the roster heading into the fall.
PLAYERS 16-20
PLAYERS 11-15
BREAKOUT IN THE SECONDARY
TRANSFER PASS RUSHER
BIG TIME SPEEDSTER
ALL-PURPOSE WEAPON
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