Film Don't Lie: Kraemer and Hainsey in the Blue-Gold Game
For many years on the Notre Dame offensive line it has been left side, strong side. The left tackle/left guard combinations there have been great. It has the chance to be again this season with veteran Alex Bars flipping over to the left and joining Liam Eichenberg there.
It’s not out of the question that the right side of the line ends up being stronger, though. If not this year, then perhaps in the next couple. That’s because Robert Hainsey (tackle) and Tommy Kraemer (guard) are situated there now after splitting reps at tackle last season. Both have three years of eligibility remaining and there’s a chance they could play all of that time next to each other.
Expectations are going to be high for Hainsey and Kraemer after gaining valuable experience last fall. This spring they showed why that’s the case, but they also showed why no one should pencil them in as the next Big Mike and Q just yet.
There are some kinks to work out before they become a dominant duo.
Up and down
These two had the chance to play side by side in garbage time last year and there were some nice moments as they had Deon McIntosh churning up yards at the end of games.
This is a great example of the potential these two have in the running game. Tony Jones (6) is running right behind them. Kraemer (78) and Hainsey (72) are doubling Kurt HInish (41) and they get great movement here. Hainsey is able chip off and then get on to Te’Von Coney (4) as well. It’s Jerry Tillery (99) who makes the tackle from the backside here, but they gained six yards on this first down run because of the job Kraemer and Hainsey did.
That kind of thing is what you’d like to see all the time, but it’s not the case yet. This is zone away from them and you can see Kraemer get shocked by Hinish off the snap and then pulled to the ground. Hainsey doesn’t do much better as he is unable to get the angle to cut off Asmar Bilal (22).
Bilal is able to shoot in and make the play. This wasn’t going for big yards either way, but it could have been more positive if the right side did a better job.
Kraemer and Hainsey were very solid on a double that helped open things up for the that big Dexter Williams run in the second half as well. I feel very positive about the plays that are run behind them. They can be better on the plays that are run to the opposite side, though.
Kraemer in space
A common complaint I saw from Notre Dame fans after the Blue-Gold game was how Kraemer looked as a puller. I understand it to a certain extent. Usain Bolt, he is not. There are others who are much more agile when asked to block in space.
Specific plays where Notre Dame was pinning the edge and had the guards pulling on a sweep were not very successful. However, when looking back at the film, Kraemer wrongly received the blame. His mobility had far less to do with those plays being blown up than tight ends and receivers missing blocks.
On this play Alize Mack (86) is motioning down to crack the end, but Mack waits for that end to get up the field. He catches this block instead of attacking. That doesn’t help Kraemer’s pull at all and he has to slightly adjust. It also ends up taking Bars (71) completely out of the play.
Cole Kmet (84) whiffs on his attempt at blocking Drue Tranquill (23) as well. (Guess who ends up making the tackle?) That’s not going to cut it from the tight ends. They need to be better.
Could Kraemer get out quicker to block Julian Love (27) on this pull? Sure. But that was not why that play was ineffective.
It’s a similar situation here. This time Kmet does a good enough job reaching Daelin Hayes (9), but Chris Finke (10) gets defeated easily by Tranquill. And it’s him who makes the tackle again.
Kraemer could be a bit more aggressive to get attached to Love sooner, but this is still a five yard gain if Finke can hold his own against Tranquill.
Need better communication versus pressure
This is something that is going to be a work in progress, but it can’t be a big issue early in the season or Michigan is going to blitz and stunt their way to destroying the Notre Dame offense. Kraemer and Hainsey had two glaring instances in protection where they let defenders come in clean. The first was the first play of the game.
Whether Hainsey believed Kraemer was taking Khalid Kareem (53) or if Hainsey simply made a mistake and was supposed to slide left, this was Bad News Bears. Hainsey stepped out with Kmet to pick up the same guy and Kareem was untouched.
Jones can’t be in a position to have to take on a charging defensive end on this play. He’s going to lose every time and Kareem probably should have been awarded with a sack. He wasn’t, but Coney was coming in on a Green Dog seeing that the back was occupied by Kareem. Coney would have absolutely demolished Brandon Wimbush.
It all started with a blown assignment up front.
This is later on and the defense is running a game with Julian Okwara (42) dropping off into coverage and the inside linebackers running a cross dog blitz.
Tranquill comes in free here. Kraemer and Hainsey end up blocking the same guy. This kind of thing will happen from time to time, but it’s something they need to be better at. It definitely can’t be something that happens often against Michigan.
Some good news (and not as good news)
I think the move inside for Kraemer looks like it suits him much better in one on one pass protection. I thought he struggled in handling speed rushers and inside he is stuck in a phone booth battling it out more often. That works better for him as he can anchor pretty well.
This is what you like to see against Micah Dew-Treadway (97).
On that same play you see Hainsey lose the edge to Ade Ogundeji (91), though. The ball is gone and this ended up being a long touchdown to Miles Boykin, but Wimbush is likely taking a big lick when he releases in a game.
Hainsey was beat a few times around the edge in the spring game. He needs to be more consistent. I think the biggest reason why they shifted him back over to the right and inserted Liam Eichenberg at left tackle is because Eichenberg has looked better in protection. (At least from what I have been able to watch)
It’s sometimes easy to forget that players like him and Kraemer are so young. They got their feet wet last year and now they are expected to reach the level of play that McGlinchey and Nelson did. That doesn’t happen overnight and there is still work to be done for these two.
The good needs to outweigh the bad by the time the season rolls around. Then at some point this fall, maybe the scales will tip almost all the way to the good. The right side isn’t the strong side of the line yet. It will be interesting to see if it eventually shifts over because of these two getting more comfortable working together.