SOUTH BEND — Bryce Young’s face brightened after Tuesday’s Notre Dame football practice when he was asked about kickoff coverage.

Specifically, how much fun is it for the freshman defensive end to run downfield and blow people up?

“Oh, it’s awesome,” said Young, whose father is former Notre Dame great and NFL Hall of Famer Bryant Young.

Special teams coach Marty Biagi used the exact same description, adding, “I don’t envy anybody that wants to be back there.”

At 6-foot-7, 258 pounds, Young’s athleticism has allowed him to flourish on special teams. Fourth on the team with 102 total plays on those units, Young’s 90.9 Pro Football Focus grade ranks just ahead of sophomore safety Luke Talich among Irish players.

Young has used his quickness and massive wingspan to block a field goal and impact multiple punts and placekicks. But it’s on kickoff coverage where Young wreaks the most devastation.

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“Coach Biagi, he’s like, ‘Just go make a play,’ “ Young said. “And I’m like, ‘I got you, coach.’ Yeah, that’s been pretty fun.”

In Week 3 blowout at Purdue, a speeding Young mauled Illinois transfer Reggie Love III, a 5-11, 215-pound running back who foolishly tried to engage the freshman. As Love crumpled at the Boilermakers’ 12-yard-line, returner Elijah Jackson raced by Young and made it out to the 21.

In film review two days later, Biagi’s room was buzzing with anticipation.

“Oh, it was electric,” Biagi said. “Everybody was waiting. A lot of people, I think, had seen a retweet or a graphic of it on the bus ride back.”

These are known as “knockdowns,” in the parlance, and Biagi keeps track. Fellow freshman Loghan Thomas had one to set the tone against Navy, and Jaylen Sneed, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Devyn Ford, Max Hurleman and others have put the Irish at close to 30 knockdowns so far this season.

A new high for Bryce Young

Last week against Florida State, Young outdid himself. On Notre Dame’s first kickoff, Young personally took care of three Seminoles, including returner Samuel Singleton Jr.

Dropped in succession like human bowling pins were tight end Brian Courtney (6-3, 240 pounds), who went flying 5 yards back; lead blocker Casiah Holmes (5-11, 215) and Singleton, who has 10.86 speed in the 100 meters and took one to the house earlier this season against Duke.

“Purdue was fun, but honestly the best one, I think, was last weekend,” Young said. “I was able to take two guys with me and make the play. That was pretty cool.”

Young, who also recorded his first career sack against the Seminoles, nodded at the suggestion he might have set the bar at “destruction” as a kickoff returner.

“I feel like sometimes, yeah,” he said. “First is my job. I have to get my job done. That’s more important. And then the destruction comes.”

Does it ever.

“Bryce did his job violently on two people and then made the play on the (first) kickoff,” Biagi said. “The guys just feed (off) that. It’s amazing. It’s contagious.”

Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football has an 'electric' weapon in freshman Bryce Young