Irish OL Commit Tosh Baker Excited For Season, Notre Dame Return
Tosh Baker and his Pinnacle High School teammates are already well into the preseason training.
“We had camp two weeks ago,” the 2020 Arizona offensive lineman told Irish Sports Daily. “We’re already in full pads. We’re hitting and everything. It feels good to be back in football season.”
Baker, who is committed to Notre Dame, is enjoying the preseason grind.
“Our defense is giving us really good looks, which is awesome,” he said. “They’ve been kicking our tails a little bit the last two days. We’re starting to get that team chemistry down.”
Baker and his teammates will get their first chance to hit an opponent with a scrimmage on Thursday.
“It’s at our place,” he explained. “It’ll be nice. It’s a three-way scrimmage with Brophy, Red Mountain and us. We’ll get some work in and get to hit some ugly jerseys.”
Pinnacle has the highest of goals this season, but Baker and his squad are staying in the moment.
“This year, we’re kind of taking it game by game,” he said. “Obviously, we’re trying to win the state championship, but we’re in an open division, so we’ve really got to focus on it game to game, so we can get in the top open division bracket. Then it’s the playoffs and we’re taking it home from there.”
Baker believes the team has the talent on both sides of the ball to accomplish their goals.
“I think we’re coming together really well,” he said. “Our defense is doing a lot more. We’re blitzing a lot more. It’s really unpredictable now, which is awesome.
“Our offense, we’ve got a great QB in JD Johnson (Michigan commit). We’ve got a great receiver corps. We’re working hard. We’ve got big goals ahead.”
Personally, Baker is expecting a big year for himself.
“I think I’ve increased almost every part of the game,” he said. “I’ve just fine-tuned little things from my punch to keeping my pad level and running my feet more and just being more physical and I’ve gotten stronger too, which is awesome. My game is really coming together now and I still have a lot of room to improve too.”
Baker knows opponents will be looking to prove themselves against him, but also understands that’s how it’s going to be from here on out.
“I have a target on my back,” he said. “Even at Notre Dame, all of us will have a target on our backs, so I’m starting early I guess. It’s something I don’t really worry about. I just give every game my best and don’t really worry. I’m going to get everybody else’s best game too, which is awesome.”
Baker is one of several commits looking to return to South Bend for the Irish’s game against USC in October.
“It’s going to be a high-intensity game with a great atmosphere,” he said.
He believes bonding with his future teammates early will pay dividends down the road.
“The relationships are huge. Relationships lead to chemistry and chemistry leads to winning games on the field. After execution, I think chemistry is one of the most important things.”