Dissecting the Depth Chart - O-line

Notre Dame played well on the offensive line during Harry Hiestand’s time as offensive line coach, but they capped off his final season with their strongest performance. It couldn’t have been gone better than having his group win the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s top offensive line.

2018 is going to be a transition year for the line after losing two top-10 picks and with Jeff Quinn taking over from Hiestand. But just because there will be a new voice in the room and some new players counted on, it doesn’t mean that the line can’t still be one of the best groups in the nation.

They have recruited and developed well enough to still be a consideration for that. It might not happen right away because of some inexperience, but Notre Dame fans hope it will because because of the difficult test the line will face early against Michigan.

Quinn has to get the new group of starters (and key reserves) to play as a cohesive unit. The same culture of togetherness remains so that’s not expected to be a long term problem, but can the players with greater roles this season play at a high enough level to establish dominance? We’ll have a pretty good idea by the time October rolls around.

Stability on the Interior

The one thing everyone can feel very confident about is the experience returning on the interior. Alex Bars and Sam Mustipher are fifth year players and both are entering their third season as a starter. They are team captains and looked outstanding during the spring. Bars shifted over the left side, but it shouldn’t be a difficult move for him. He has experience working on the left and right.

Some have projected them as All-American candidates. Playing up to that hype would go a long way in getting the group in contention for the Joe Moore Award again.

Tommy Kraemer might not get national recognition this fall, but I expect him to play at a similar level to Bars. He gained experience splitting with Robert Hainsey at right tackle last season, but was moved to guard during spring ball and looks much more comfortable in pass protection when lined up inside. He is not as mobile as Bars and that may alter slightly how Chip Long decides to call the running game compared to how he did so in ‘17. That doesn’t mean Kraemer won’t be a huge asset as a run blocker, though. His strength is at the point of attack. Kraemer is a people mover who should open up running lanes.

Trevor Ruhland missed a good chunk of practices in the spring, but the staff has talked quite a bit about their confidence in him. He’s the next man in at all three of the interior positions, but is he someone that can play a big role if given more of an opportunity? He hasn’t played much football on Saturdays so having a strong and healthy fall camp would ease some concerns.

With a fourth year player like Ruhland as depth, Dillan Gibbons is probably not going to be counted on to play much. He showed he is on track to develop into someone who can compete at guard in the future based on what we saw this spring. He would likely need a couple of injuries to have a role this year even with a lights out August.

Protecting the Edges

It was a very good freshman campaign for Hainsey at right tackle. He proved he is not a guy who makes the same mistake twice. The big question is going to be if he has progressed enough to avoid that initial mistake.

It would be disappointing if he wasn’t much better as a sophomore than he was in his first year, but there wasn’t enough in the spring to show he was in the process of making the leap as a player. Maybe that changes in this upcoming camp.

Liam Eichenberg has big shoes to fill at left tackle. It’s more than just Mike McGlinchey’s too. The last three starters who have protected the blind side Notre Dame quarterbacks have been first round draft picks. While there is nothing wrong with embracing the expectations that exist, Eichenberg would be better off focusing on being the best he can be rather than trying to duplicate what those who came before him did.

It will be critically important that Eichenberg proves he can protect against top pass rushers on a consistent basis, but the biggest question for me is whether or not he can move people in the running game. McGlinchey definitely could. Stanley, while not a mauler, could as well, though not in dominant way. The offense needs him to get to the Stanley level as a run blocker. It should help that he has Bars working beside him.

It was only the spring game, which is essentially equal to one practice. However, it was not a day that Josh Lugg shined when having to block Julian Okwara one on one. Is it a case of Lugg still going through some growing pains in pass protection or was it Okwara putting everyone on notice about him as a pass rusher?

Aaron Banks looked a little bit better at right tackle that day, but neither of these second year players haven’t performed well enough to distinguish themselves as the next tackle if something were to happen to Eichenberg or Hainsey. That third tackle needs to be established in fall camp.

If it’s not one of them, then maybe it will be an incoming freshman.

Not Counting on the New Guys 

I don’t anticipate any of the four freshmen offensive lineman to play this year other than to get in some snaps during four or less games to maintain their redshirt. Even then, it will probably be no more than two that get that chance.

Which two that will be is yet to be determined. All of them have different obstacles to overcome with their development to be able to play at the college level. My best bet heading into summer would be that Jarrett Patterson will be the most ready to play, but there always seems to be a surprise offensive lineman that is ahead of the developmental curb.

Patterson, Luke Jones, John Dirksen, and Cole Mabry should all receive plenty of reps in August. It will sort itself out during that time which of the group will have a chance to travel with the team this season.