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Notre Dame Football Recruiting

Film Don't Lie: Zeke Correll

June 18, 2018
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Notre Dame has shown flashes in recent years of ascending to a higher level as a program under Brian Kelly. In order to get over the hump and have a consistent double digit win team every season, there are things that they need to do better.

One of those things is recruiting and it starts with beating programs like Ohio State and Stanford for top of the board prospects. That’s exactly what they just did by securing a commitment from guard/center Zeke Correll. Those programs wanted him, but it was the Irish, led by offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, that ended up winning out.

Correll is a violent football player and is exactly the type of mauler inside that fits what the Irish want up front.

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 270

Projected Position: Center or Guard

ISD Grade: 91 (4-star)

National Average Grade: 91.8 (4-star)

What he does best:

I know the word nasty gets thrown around with offensive line prospects frequently, Sometimes too often. But when you watch a player like Correll, it’s impossible not to associate that word with him.

He is a player that is all about finish. He’s driving guys into the ground or wanting to block them through the whistle. The job is done here on this trap, but he refuses to stop. He imposes his will on this defensive end and when you do something like this to an individual, that player might think twice about taking on that trap the rest of the game.

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He’s got a good base and is strong the at point of attack. He delivers a pop on contact when he gets to the second level as well. An above average athlete for the position, he has good mobility and more importantly has the balance and control to lock on to defenders in space.

via GIPHY

That’s something that Quenton Nelson was terrific at and Correll shows that same ability to fit and finish on linebackers.

Correll has pretty good feet and it shows in pass protection. He’s not always short setting trying to bury defenders on each snap, although he can do that. This particular play where he goes off his initial block to pick up an outside rusher stood out to me.

via GIPHY

That is something he will have to do often if he plays center for the Irish. He might help inside with a double team for a split second and then have the awareness to go out and pick up and blitzer from the outside. The fact that he already has the intelligence and recognition to do that is a very good sign for the future.

What he needs to improve:

Correll consistently works out of a two point stance. Going from that to playing center is a pretty big adjustment. It can and has been done before, but it may take a bit of time before he gets truly comfortable doing so.

At times he can be overaggressive. I love him wanting to finish, but his hand fit isn’t always where it should be. Him having the desire to go looking for more work after an initial block is a huge plus. Him not always properly fitting that initial block is something he needs to improve on.

I do see really good knee bend from him and he plays the game with good leverage most of the time, but can get a little bit high with his pads on first contact.

What’s his ceiling?

I think Correll has the potential to be a multi-year starter at guard or center. Given that Nore Dame has not targeted many centers in recent classes, that might ultimately be the best plce for him and the team.

He is a higher rated prospect than Nick Martin was out of high school, but I think he can be a very comparable player to the former Irish captain. Tough, intelligent, and agile are three good traits to have in a center and that’s was Martin had. I see the same kind of thing with Correll and it would not surprise me to see him have a similar career to the one Martin had at Notre Dame.

 
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