Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 71 OFFENSIVE LINEMEN and the veterans did not disappoint. The emergence of junior right guard Steve Elmer this spring was not assumed, but it was certainly a welcome development. Elmer came to Notre Dame with a strong prep pedigree. He made four starts as a freshman, but his sophomore season was highly inconsistent. "We thought he was sloppy at times, and he's really cleaned up a lot of what we consider unforced errors in technique," Kelly observed in April. "He's really become more technically sound. He's a big, strong kid. Once he's elimi- nated a lot of those, it's allowed him to work so much more efficiently." According to Hiestand, the game is slowing down for Elmer. "Sometimes you have to go fast and other times you have to be under control, depending on what you're seeing," the fourth-year Irish line coach explained. "What he would see was always fast; what he would do was always fast. Now he's figuring out that, 'Okay, on this block I can be under control.' "There are times to pull the trigger and go all out with everything you've got, and sometimes you've got to take a little off so you stay in balance. That was a challenge for him in that process." As the game slowed down during the spring, Elmer's performance took off. "With the consistency of his play and the way he's just more comfort- able with everything that's going on around him, he's made a tremen- dous jump," said Denbrock, who called Elmer one of the offensive bright spots during the spring. "He is showing the ability to control his body and be in good football position all the time. … Steve's a good football player and a good teammate." For Notre Dame to become a truly dominant unit, the newcomers to the starting lineup must develop quickly. Much is expected of the Notre Dame vet- erans, but that trio cannot carry the line on their own. The line will not be a championship-caliber unit unless Mc- Glinchey and the winner of the battle at left guard produce. At 6-7½ and 310 pounds, McGlinchey is an imposing force. His combination of size, raw power and athleticism makes him one of the most intriguing players on the Notre Dame roster. There is still plenty of room for improvement in his game, but PRESEASON ANALYSIS ★★★★ National Title Caliber; ★★★ Playoff Contention; ★★ Top 25 Potential; ★ Too Unproven Starters ★★★½ Four of the five starters from Notre Dame's bowl victory over LSU return, and the newest addition to the starting lineup is a former five-star recruit, sophomore Quen- ton Nelson. Not many teams can match that type of personnel. Senior left tackle Ronnie Stanley is an All-America candidate. Fifth-year senior Nick Martin is healthy and returning to center, where he should rank among the nation's top players at the position. Martin lined up at left guard last year out of necessity. Stanley is largely considered a potential first round pick. Junior right guard Steve Elmer enters his second season as a full-time starter and is coming off a strong spring. Junior right tackle Mike McGlinchey began impressing with his raw talent the moment he arrived. His strong play against LSU could serve as his coming-out party. Experience ★★½ Stanley and Martin have combined for 50 starts, and with Elmer the Irish have three players with multiple years of starting experience. McGlinchey is a new starter, but he received much needed experience against USC and LSU to end the season. The major question mark in terms of experiences is at left guard. Nelson appears poised to emerge as the starter, but he is being pushed by classmate Alex Bars. Neither player has any game experience, both preserving a season of eligibility in 2014. Depth ★★★ Assuming good health, Notre Dame enters the season with quality depth. The loser of the Nelson/Bars competition will be a key reserve, with Bars likely to move to tackle at some point. Right tackle Mark Harrell is a senior and former four-star recruit. He could play guard and even center in a pinch. Some of the highly regarded players from the 2013 class are top backups. Guard John Montelus was praised by Stanley as the most improved and physical lineman this spring. Tackle Hunter Bivin has garnered praise from Heistand, but he battled health problems in 2014 and remains a question mark. Guard/tackle Colin McGovern has been quite good when healthy, but he has not been healthy very often. Sophomore Sam Mustipher is the heir apparent at center. The depth chart is laden with top recruits, but the more experienced backups have largely struggled to stay healthy and the younger backups have no experience. Overall Grade ★★★½ There is a great deal of promise with the 2015 line. Of course, there was with the 2014 line as well, and that one was inconsistent and largely underperformed. The unit is now a year older, is much bigger and stronger, and some of its top players are poised for their best seasons. Notre Dame has a chance to have a dynamic offense, but that will be largely deter- mined by the line. If the Irish line comes even close to reaching its full potential it will show itself to be one of the best units in the country. BY THE NUMBERS 4.61 Notre Dame's yards per carry average in its eight victories last season. In their five losses, the Irish averaged just 3.66 yards per carry. 68 Total number of starts by the returning offensive linemen, a number that surpasses the 65 career starts from the line entering the 2012 season. 263 Rushing yards in Notre Dame's 31-28 Music City Bowl victory over LSU, marking Notre Dame's best bowl output since running for 279 yards in a 39-28 victory over No. 3 Florida in the 1992 Sugar Bowl. Year Yds. Per Game (Yds. Per Play) 2005 477.3 (6.1) 2006 389.8 (5.7) 2007 242.2 (3.5) 2008 355.1 (5.2) 2009 451.8 (6.4) Year Yds. Per Game (Yds. Per Play) 2010 379.7 (5.5) 2011 413.0 (5.9) 2012 412.2 (6.0) 2013 405.8 (6.1) 2014 444.9 (6.1) ND'S YEAR-BY-YEAR OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION "We lined up and we were going to run the ball down their throat, and that's what we did. … It was definitely a huge challenge in LSU, but the five of us across the board took care of business that day." JUNIOR TACKLE MIKE MCGLINCHEY Mike McGlinchey, a 6-7½ 310-pound junior, made his first career start in Notre Dame's impressive Music City Bowl victory over LSU. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA