Former Butkus Award-winning star linebacker for Notre Dame Jeremiah Owusu Koramoah got PAID by the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday. The Browns inked JOK to a 3-year extension worth $39m with $25m in guaranteed money.
Owusu-Koramoah was in the final year of his rookie contract that he signed as a second round pick of the Browns in 2021. His initial deal was worth $6,476,216 over four years. Just as he did at Notre Dame, he outplayed his contract and has become a rising star in the NFL. After earning All-Rookie honors in 2021, JOK continued his ascent by earning a trip to his first Pro Bowl in 2023 after racking up 101 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and recording 2 interceptions – the first two of his career.
JOK‘s new contract pays him as one of the top-20 linebackers in the NFL, and has the highest average annual salary for any Notre Dame linebacker. Jaylon Smith inked a larger overall deal at 6 years, $68m ($35m guaranteed) with Dallas in 2019, but the average annual salary was slightly lower, $11m, than Koramoah’s.
It is always great to see former Notre Dame players make it big in the NFL, but it’s especially fun to see ones who came to Notre Dame less heralded who end up becoming stars both collegiately and professionally. Owusu-Koramoah was a relatively obscure 3-star recruit when Notre Dame signed him in 2017 before developing into a 2nd-round pick. NFL teams even shied away from him in the draft for some unknown reasons though there were rumors of medical issues that proved to be false. Three years later, JOK is making teams wish they didn’t pass on him in the first round. He’s been doing that since his first pre-season game, though.
For Notre Dame, it’s another weapon the Irish have on the recruiting trail when targeting linebackers. The linebacker position is not one that the Irish have developed a lot of NFL talent at over the years. The timing also couldn’t hurt with Notre Dame’s pursuit of JOK‘s younger brother, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, who, unlike his older brother, is a highly-rated recruit. Notre Dame is still trying to secure a commitment from the 70th-rated prospect in the country over Ohio State, USC, and Michigan.
The more big contracts like this that recent Notre Dame players sign, the better for Notre Dame’s recruiting efforts. Most recruits have their eyes on the NFL when selecting a college, and the more positions Notre Dame can point to as having success developing, the better. It’s why the Irish never struggle to recruit tight ends or offensive linemen, but one of the reasons they do struggle recruiting wide receivers.
Julian Love recently inked a 3-year, $33m contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks, placing him just outside the top 10 highest-paid safeties in the NFL. Kyle Hamilton is entering the third year of his rookie contract and will be eligible for a contract extension next summer. He is likely to also get paid very well at that time. After exploding as a second-year running back last year, Kyren Williams could be in line for an extension with the Rams next summer as well.
