Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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72 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW OFFENSIVE LINEMEN Senior Sam Mustipher started all 12 games at center in 2016 and should benefit from that experience in 2017. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA QUOTABLE: SENIOR CENTER SAM MUSTIPHER ON THE CONTINUITY OF THE LINE WITH THE RETURN OF FOUR PL AYERS WHO STARTED EVERY GAME IN 2016: "Cohesion is definitely something that helps any unit — definitely a position like the offensive line. Having guys that have been around and that you know how they work, how they operate on a day-to-day basis, is definitely something that is going to help us." Starter ★★★★½ Fifth-year senior left tackle Mike McGlinchey and senior left guard Quenton Nelson are pro- jected as possible first-round picks in the 2018 NFL Draft. Notre Dame needs that pair to anchor the line much like Nelson and Ronnie Stanley did in 2015, and Zack Martin and Chris Watt did in 2012. Senior right guard Alex Bars had a quality spring after moving inside to guard, and senior center Sam Mustipher should benefit from having a year of starting under his belt. Right tackle is unsettled, but sophomores Tommy Kraemer and Liam Eichenberg were highly regarded recruits. Experience ★★★★ Four of the five projected starters entering the 2017 season were first team on the 2016 line that was erratic when compared to the lofty preseason expectations. Their struggles in 2016 should prove beneficial in 2017 with a far more seasoned unit that has 76 starts under their col- lective belt. McGlinchey (26 career starts), Nelson (23) and Bars (14) have started over two seasons, and Mustipher is much better prepared. Fifth-year senior backup Hunter Bivin made a start in 2016 and has appeared in 29 contests. Depth ★★★★ Since the arrival of line coach Harry Hiestand prior to the 2012 season, no team has signed more Rivals250 linemen (12) — and nine are still on the roster. When the season kicks off Notre Dame will have eight different linemen that were ranked as top-100 recruits by at least one major recruiting service. Interestingly, starting center Mustipher was not among those eight players, which means Notre Dame will have six former top-100 recruits serv- ing as backups. However, Kraemer and Eichen- berg have yet to take a snap at Notre Dame, and backup left tackle Robert Hainsey is a true fresh- man. Backup centers Tristen Hoge and Parker Boudreaux also transferred to BYU and Central Florida, respectively, this summer. Overall Grade ★★★★½ On paper, this should be the strength of the 2017 team. Notre Dame has everything you want in a national championship-caliber line: expe- rience, NFL-level talent, depth and size. Notre Dame's projected starting line checks in on aver- age at 6-5, 315.8 pounds. No position group on the roster has been re- cruited as well as the offensive line, but line coach Harry Hiestand must now turn the on-paper tal- ent and potential into dominant play if the Irish are going to make a legitimate run at the College Football Playoff. The actual play on the field has to match how impressive the group is on paper. BY THE NUMBERS 3 Lindy's Sports ranked the Fighting Irish 2017 offensive line the third best in the country, behind only Alabama and Oklahoma. It was the highest position group ranking for the Irish this year by the pub- lication, just ahead of the receiver/tight end corps coming in at No. 4. 35 Years that Notre Dame offensive line coach Harry Hiestand has been a college or NFL as- sistant, with the last six coming with the Fighting Irish. He has had the longest stint as Notre Dame's offensive line coach since Joe Moore's nine seasons from 1988-96, although during his first year Moore coached only the tackles and tight ends. 1994 The only year among the last 50 NFL Drafts that a Notre Dame guard was taken in the first round: Lombardi Award winner Aaron Taylor (although former Irish tackle Zack Martin stars at guard for the Dallas Cowboys). Senior Quenton Nelson could change that next spring. 72 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW PRESEASON ANALYSIS ★★★★★ National Title; ★★★★ Top 10; ★★★ Top 25; ★★ Too Unproven; ★ Major Concern