Film Don't Lie: Tommy Tremble
Notre Dame didn’t need another tight end in this class to go with previous commitment George Takacs. They are only losing one (Durham Smythe) off the roster for next season as well so adding one more had nothing to do with numbers at the position.
They didn’t need one. They wanted one and one in particular. That one is Tommy Tremble and he brings a skill set that is a bit unique to the tight end room at Notre Dame. He has the potential to be an exciting piece in the Irish offense in the years to come and could very well end up being a match-up nightmare in the middle of the field.
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 225
Projected Position: Tight End
ISD Grade: 89 (3 star)
National Average Grade: 87.9 (3 star)
What he does best:
Tremble is a heck of an athlete. Not many 225 pound tight ends have been timed in the low 4.6 range and his timed speed translates to the field. He is going to be faster than many linebackers and some safeties as well.
That is what makes him a threat down the seam and he should be able to take advantage of poor discipline by the defense like he does here. The linebackers were not even close to prepared for how fast he is on this touchdown.
That athleticism comes through with his ability to make defenders miss as well. There just aren’t many tight ends who can do that like he can. They don’t have the agility that he has to slip tackles in tight quarters like he does here.
One thing you don’t see from many tight ends is long runs after the catch. I think it’s a possibility with Tremble because he can run through or around defenders. He is much more than a possession receiver.
He has very impressive ball skills and naturally catches the football away from his body. He routinely snatches it out of the air and can make difficult catches because of superior body control. This one-handed catch he made during his junior season was sick.
I think his best spot coming in will be as a move tight end/H-back, which would be the second tight end on the field in most cases. Linebackers should have a very tough time trying to cover him.
What he needs to work on:
The first thing he needs to do is make sure he gets fully healthy. He broke his ankle early in his senior season and missed the rest of the year. With that injury, he needs to be able to maintain his speed after he gets back to football activities. That’s going to be so important for now and for the future as he gains weight to become a better blocker.
I think that is one thing with Alize Mack where he may have gained weight a bit too fast and he lost some juice as a runner. If Tremble can put on 20 pounds, get stronger, and still run a 4.6, then that would be ideal.
Clearly he needs to improve as a blocker. That’s probably the biggest reason why I have him as a high 3 star prospect rather than a 4 star. It’s a big part of the game as a tight end and he needs to develop both with technique with sustaining blocks and will obviously need to add strength to handle defensive ends and linebackers.
One positive sign is this finish I saw from him in a game from early in his senior season. The mentality is certainly inside of him to be a good blocker.
Can he ever develop into an in-line option? That is going to be an important thing he needs to answer because if that answer is no, then he may only be a big slot or move tight end. If can become someone who can play in-line in a couple of years, then that would be huge for the Irish.
What’s his ceiling?
The way he adjusts to the football reminds me a lot of former Clemson tight end Jordan Leggett. His combination of size and athleticism made him so tough to defend against and I see the same type of talent in Tremble.
Leggett was only listed at 205 pounds as a recruit (3 star) and now he is pushing 260 playing for the New York Jets. Tremble is already ahead of that pace with his weight and if he probably doesn’t need to get up to 260 either. But if he gains enough weight and strength while keeping his speed, then he has the chance to be a dynamic receiving option at tight end.
Notre Dame fans are still waiting for Alize Mack to breakout and become the player everyone thought he would be at Notre Dame. We’ll see if that happens or not, but if it doesn’t, Tremble may be able to do the job in that role after some time in the program. I’m not sure if he will see the field as a freshman, but he has the chance to develop into a dangerous weapon for the Irish. He’s a 3 star because of the reasons I pointed out, but could end up being much better than his ranking once his college career is over.