Film Don't Lie | Pat Coogan
Sometimes a player and a school seemed destined for each other. That seemed to be the case with Pat Coogan even before he was offered by Notre Dame.
After the offer went out, it was assumed a commitment would be a case of “when” and not “if”. The when is now and after the Irish pulled the trigger on their offer, he had a run of offers from big time programs like Ohio State, Oklahoma, and LSU. I don’t view Coogan as an elite prospect, but he’s certainly capable of developing into a quality starter at any of those programs, which includes Notre Dame.
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 275
Projected Position: Guard
ISD Grade: 89 (3-star)
National Average Grade: 88.3 (3-star)
What he does best:
No player is going to be effective playing guard if they don’t play with power, leverage, and are at least a little mean. Coogan is a lot more than a little mean. He’s a finisher who puts a little extra when he gets a defender on the ground, exactly the mentality Notre Dame is looking for.
For someone who is 6’5”, he can get off the ball low and play with good leverage. This defensive tackle might not be a beast, but Coogan has to get his pad level down to win and he does just that. He adjusts well with it.
Here he flashes the recognition to get off the double team when it was necessary when the linebacker tried to shoot the gap. This is an underrated part of the position because if a guard can’t recognize this or is late to react, that double team won’t matter as much.
This nose guard is slanting into him, but Coogan still has to flip his hips to reach and that’s a critical skill for any offensive lineman. It opens up a lot of options when a player can do this.
If he can’t do it, then it’s really hard to have him on the field.
What he needs to improve:
Although he moves fairly well as a puller, he’s not a great athlete in my eyes. That’s not a dealbreaker, but not ideal. He’s going to be super efficient and controlled in space.
For an interior player, the ability to anchor vs power is more important than athleticism. While he does flash a good punch, he does show some balance issues in pass pro when setting his feet wide to anchor. Good defensive tackles will take advantage of it and use that against him. He has to be able to handle quick 3-technique defensive tackles who play with suddenness.
What’s his ceiling?
I think Coogan is a solid guard prospect, but clearly a tier below an elite one like a Rocco Spindler in this cycle. I also don’t see a guy who has the feet to play tackle and I’m unsure about his arm length despite him being listed at 6’5”.
That’s why he’s a high 3-star for me as an interior only prospect. That doesn’t mean he can’t develop into a very good guard or maybe even play center. He’s going to take some time to catch up with physical development, but I see a guy with the potential to be a starter later in his career. My Notre Dame comparison would be a better Trevor Ruhland for his ceiling and he certainly added value to the team. Coogan is capable of adding more.