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Notre Dame Football

Camp Notes - UGA, UNC, MSU, and BC

August 8, 2017
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Notre Dame is in the middle of Fall Camp right now and so is every other program in America. We've had a couple of chances to watch the Irish up close in the last week, but that doesn't mean all the focus is on what is happening with team from South Bend.

I've been keeping an eye on some developments with some Irish opponents and there are a few things that have jumped out for four programs in particular. I was unable to find any news of note on the program Notre Dame opens the season with, but more stuff has trickled out about some others that they'll be playing early in the season.

Figuring things out on the offensive line at Georgia


Everyone on this site knows that the biggest question mark for the Irish on defense is the defensive line. The good news is that Georgia has even more question marks on their offensive line currently.

They are trying to replace three starters and moving their left guard to left tackle this season. As of now they haven't found the right mix of players quite yet. Isaiah Wynn is the projected left tackle, but he missed practice yesterday. It's not clear if it was only a one day thing or if it's anything more, but it would be a huge blow if he had to miss time.

They shuffled players around without him there and also were giving former Notre Dame recruiting target Andrew Thomas first team reps at left guard. He's a true freshman and starting a true freshman is rarely a good sign of where things stand on the offensive line. We'll see if he is going to be slotted there by the time they make their way to the Bend, but either way, it suggests that things are fairly unsettled as to where everyone fits.

Uncertainty about who will play is about the worst thing to have for a position that thrives on continuity. Georgia may have the most talented backfield in the nation aside from Alabama. That might not mean as much if they can't get the right mix of players up front to block for them. It's something to monitor heading into the season.

Young wide receivers will be counted on at Michigan State


We know that Sparty had a horrible off-season and one the major developments of that was losing Donnie Corley at wide receiver. He was dismissed from the team due to his involvement in a pending sexual assault case.

He was going to be counted on heavily and without him, Michigan State has very little returning production at the wide receiver position. From what head coach Mark Dantonio said at their media day, it sounds like they will be relying on several young players to step up at the position.



That Davis is Felton Davis, the leading returning receiver on the team. The veteran of the group, he's a junior this fall, only recorded 12 receptions in 2016. Five of the other six players that were mentioned are two sophomores, a redshirt freshman, and two true freshman.

There is some raw talent there with three of those players ranked as blue-chip recruits in high school, but Notre Dame fans have a pretty good idea about the issues of having so much youth and inexperience at the wide receiver position after last season.

Another BC DE to look out for


I think most Notre Dame fans are aware that Boston College has arguably the best edge rusher in the nation in Harold Landry. I took at look at the problems he is going to present the Irish here. He led the nation in sacks with 16.5 and had 7 forced fumbles in 2016.

The bad news is that it sounds like BC has another potential star end opposite him in Zach Allen. Head coach Steve Addazio told Lindy's Sports last week that Allen is going to be breakout player this season. He added, "That'll be a mistake if you turn him into a single block."

That is pretty high praise and a frightening proposition if true because doubling Allen would mean single blocking Landry. The hope is that Mike McGlinchey will be able to hand one of these players by himself, but I think Tommy Kraemer or whoever wins the right tackle job will likely need some help on the other side.

The 6'5" 272 pound Allen had 10 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, and 4 pass breakups last season for BC last fall.


UNC has a murky situation on the O-line


Georgia isn't the only ND opponent with some problems on the offensive line. North Carolina had some big issues protecting the passer in the spring and were hoping that some new transfers on the line would help plug some holes for them.

USC transfer Khaleil Rodgers was projected to start for them at guard, but he walked out of at the start of camp and retired. When you consider that they also have to replace a quarterback that went in the top three picks of the NFL Draft, their top four leading rushers, and four of their top five leading receivers, that couldn't have been welcome news for head coach Larry Fedora.

The last time UNC played Notre Dame, they gave the Irish a ton of trouble with their uptempo offense. It's going to be very interesting to see what that offense looks like by the time the Irish travel to Chapel Hill to play them on October 7th.
 
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