Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/102697
Under the Dome Irish Thin On Offensive Line The preparation for the Jan. 7 Alabama game had most of the two-deep present and accounted for, with the notable exception of several members of the No. 2 offensive line. Freshman left tackle Ronnie Stanley, junior right tackle Tate Nichols and sophomore center Matt Hegarty all had been sidelined since November with season-ending health ailments and were unable to participate in the bowl practices. Sophomore Nick Martin served as the third option at either tackle spot, behind starters Zack Martin, a senior, and Christian Lombard, a junior. Sophomore Conor Hanratty was the No. 3 figure at guard, behind senior starters Chris Watt and Mike Golic Jr. Golic also was the second option at center, behind fifth-year senior starter Braxston Cave, although freshman Mark Harrell was taking reps with the second team. Consequently, head coach Brian Kelly indicated that the Fighting Irish didn't engage in the volume of one-versus-one work that it did during the preseason. "If you take an hour and a half practice, we're probably taking 10 minutes of that time to go ones versus ones," Kelly said Dec. 29. "I would go a little bit more, but we're thin on the offensive line, and I can't afford to lose a guy there." • Sophomore wide receiver DaVaris Daniels returned to full contact work Dec. 28. He had broken his clavicle during the 21-6 victory at Boston College Nov. 10 and had surgery the next day. His estimated time of recovery was about six weeks, which was right on schedule, but he also participated in noncontact work in the pre-Christmas practices. • The pre-Christmas practices, which were held until Dec. 21, placed some emphasis on scrimmaging or developing younger players. Sophomore Mike linebacker Jarrett Grace in particular received extensive work while senior Manti Te'o was making his cross-country tour picking up seven national awards. Freshman quarterback Gunner Kiel, freshman running back Will Mahone, sophomore offensive guard Freshman left tackle Ronnie Stanley was among a trio of blockers who suffered season-ending injuries in November, which tested the offensive line's depth leading up to the national title game. Photo by bill panzica Conor Hanratty and freshman defensive end Jarron Jones, among others, benefitted from the extra work, according to Kelly. "I didn't look at it as like a spring ball where we trying to find somebody," said Kelly, noting that game preparation still took first priority. "… There was nobody that I would say, 'Man, he's a can't miss guy.'" • Junior safety Austin Collinsworth, who missed all of 2012 after tearing his left labrum in the spring and undergoing surgery in early June, had a second procedure to address problems with his back. Kelly couldn't recall when the surgery took place, but said it was a similar situation as tight end Tyler Eifert experienced during his freshman year in 2009. "He had a discectomy, kind of like [Tyler] Eifert had," Kelly said. "Very similar. He needed that attended to. He got that taken care of and feels great. We think we've got him put back together. He's champing at the bit." Kelly said Collinsworth will be ready to play this spring. — Lou Somogyi