Fresh off his 10 tackle performance and leading Notre Dame to a 31-0 shutout of Michigan, linebacker Jaylon Smith earned a nomination for the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week award.
Fans can vote for the award here, with a $1,000 donation going to the school of the winning player. Balloting closes Tuesday morning at 8 a.m.
Smith played a key role in the Irish victory, also making 1.5 tackles-for-loss and playing well in pass coverage. The Irish’s defensive game plan shut down a Michigan offense that had a record-breaking week one performance against Appalachian State.
“It feels amazing, just the preparation, it’s an amazing feeling,” Smith said after the shutout victory. “It means everything. A great rivalry coming to an end, at least in our era.”
Smith’s brother plays for Ohio State, so the family understands quite well how important it is to get a win over Michigan.
Also nominated this week are Baylor linebacker Bryce Hager, Duke linebacker David Helton, Kansas State defensive end Ryan Mueller, Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Washington defensive lineman Danny Shelton, Arizona’s Jared Tevis and USC’s Leonard Williams.