Nelson Leading by Example

Quenton Nelson was named a captain in December, but he was still weighing his options on whether or not to enter the 2017 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-5, 329-pounder talked several people in his life to get feedback on his decision and came to a conclusion he had goals he wanted to achieve in South Bend over the next year.

“I wanted to come back to get my degree first and foremost,” Nelson stated. “That’s why we are here. I came here to win a National Championship. Those are two things I wanted to accomplish excellence in during my last year.

“I talked to Ronnie a little bit. Ultimately, it was my decision. I took input and advice from everyone to form my decision to come back.”

The senior offensive lineman now finds himself in a leadership position, and the transition has been smooth. Nelson believes the team is working hard and he has no problem pushing his teammates.

“I have been improving as a leader and holding my teammates accountable,” explained Nelson. “I have been setting an example the best I can every day of what everyone should be doing. We have a lot of young guys that are going to try to take the easy way out sometimes, and you have to call them out. You understand what they are going through, so you have to talk to them.

“If I see something wrong, I am going to call you out. If I see something that’s right, I will be the first one to tell you 'Good job.'”

The New Jersey native has also noticed a different pace to practice this spring.

“We definitely ramped up the intensity, and there has been a lot more hitting,” said Nelson. “We are moving a lot faster, especially with Coach Long.”

DeShone Kizer is gone, and it’s now the Brandon Wimbush era in South Bend. Nelson has been impressed with the junior quarterback at the midpoint of spring practice. 

“Brandon has been doing a great job,” Nelson stated. “He’s very calm, cool, and collected. He’s doing a great job of being himself and leading the offense.”

Nelson, who is entering his third-year starting at left guard, believes the Irish offensive line will be the strength of the offense as they only replace one starter from a year ago. 

“It gives us an advantage,” Nelson said of the four returning starters.  “If we had new guys, I think they would be doing a good job too. With a lot of two-year starters, it brings back a lot of experience for us.” 

The right tackle spot remains a competition between Tommy Kraemer and Liam Eichenberg, who redshirted last fall as freshmen. Nelson has seen both players work hard this offseason and believes it has translated to the football field.

“There has been a lot of growth,” explained Nelson. “They have both improved their strength and technique. They really got after in the weight room in the offseason. They have done a good job in spring practice with their first reps with the first-team.”

Nelson has also been paying attention to the two new additions to the offensive line room. Early enrollees Aaron Banks and Robert Hainsey have impressed Nelson throughout the spring. 

“They have both been impressive, and they have been improving every day,” said Nelson. “They are special players that are very coachable and very good players for Notre Dame in the future. They have good technique, and get after players. They want to be great.” 

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