2020 OL Monroe Mills Loved Seeing Notre Dame's OL In Closing Role

2020 Tolton Catholic (Mo.) offensive lineman Monroe Mills‍ made the trip to  South Bend over the weekend for an unofficial visit to see Notre Dame roll Florida State 42-13. 

The 6-foot-7, 280-pounder was impressed with many aspects of his visit, but it started with being able to experience the campus.

It was awesome to see The Grotto and seeing the religious stuff around campus was really cool,” Mills told Irish Sports Daily. “ It was a huge highlight for me. I like the culture it builds. I thought the green jerseys were special. I liked the architecture as well.

“They have a culture that’s undeniable. The Walk was awesome to see too.” 

However, it was Notre Dame’s offensive line that might have made the most significant impression on the Mills as the  Irish ran right at Florida State in the second half. 

“The offensive line did an amazing job,” stated Mills. “Some of the best I’ve ever seen. They made some holes that were unbelievable. They were dominant. 350 yards on the ground says it all.

“I love being able to run block and move guys from one place to another. It seemed like a brick wall.”

The Tolton Catholic standout was not only impressed with the offensive line’s ability to run, but it was the mindset of punishing the Seminoles defense that caught the attention of Mills.

“I feel like other programs might throw the ball more near the end of the game to get a few extra points and not do what Notre Dame did,” explained Mills. “Notre Dame decided to run it everything time. I was a fan of how they knew they could run the ball because they could  get a first down.”

After the game, Mills was able to connect with offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, and while the interaction was short, it was a meaningful moment for the Missouri native.

“I felt he really cared for the whole Notre Dame team,” Mill said. “I felt he was happy to meet me and he seemed like a really good coach.” 

Notre Dame’s fans also made quite the impression on Mills as they braved freezing temperatures and showed him the tradition of the program during the game. 

“I thought all the fans loved the Fighting Irish,” Mills stated. “They had all these chants and were throwing marshmallows. They had all the gear, and you could tell they cared about the whole program. You could see the true love for the idea of Notre Dame.” 

Mills will now get back to work to improve his pass protection as he looks to build on his offers from Dartmouth and Kansas. 

“I think I’m decent at most things, but I want to work on my pass set,” said Mills. “I want to get my form down and perfect it. Run blocking, I got really good at, and I move my feet well. I had 135 pancakes this year.”