Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MAY 2019 23 of intensity and production day after day — to where Kelly even publicly claimed he could possesses "first round" timber. Claypool has not only stepped into Boykin's lead role, he spent all spring playing the boundary receiver posi- tion, which over the last two seasons has been where the team's leading pass catcher aligned. If Claypool takes his spring domi- nance into the fall, he could emerge as one of the nation's premier wideouts. JUNIOR OFFENSIVE TACKLE ROBERT HAINSEY Notre Dame returns four of its five starters from the line that finished the 2018 season, and expectations are high that group will lead the charge on offense. All five expected starters were ranked top-250 players by at least one recruiting service, and three of the quintet were top-100 recruits. With the 2018 experience, it must now improve upon its performance. Leadership emerging is a part of that upgrade occurring, and when you analyze offensive coordinator Chip Long's unit, it is evident how vital tackle play is to its success. That is why the emergence of Rob- ert Hainsey as an impact blocker and team leader this spring has been so sig- nificant. From the beginning of winter workouts, the junior stepped into the leadership vacuum left by the depar- tures of Alex Bars and Sam Mustipher. He went from a quiet young player who followed the example of his more experienced peers during his first two years to a passionate and vocal leader on offense — mainly because he per- formed at a very high level. Senior left tackle Liam Eichenberg has performed quite well likewise, but he battled a bit of an ankle injury down the stretch. Eichenberg and Hainsey have emerged as a potent outside duo, but Hainsey's always steady and some- times outstanding play this spring has him poised to become Notre Dame's next stellar big man. SOPHOMORE CENTER JARRETT PATTERSON The lone opening up front was at center after Mustipher — a three-year starter and 2018 captain — exhausted his eligibility. Of all the options dis- cussed as possible replacements, the name Jarrett Patterson did not arise. Yet when Notre Dame trotted out its first-team line in the opening practice, It was Patterson who lined up there. With fifth-year senior and projected starter Trevor Ruhland sidelined all spring because of an injury, Patterson spent the 14 practices and the Blue- Gold Game entrenching himself as the starter. He still has a lot to learn as a snapper and an interior player after spending his freshman season at left tackle, but he assimilated quickly. Long's run schemes work best when the interior linemen can pull, trap and work to the second level, which re- quires a higher level of athleticism. Mustipher excelled at Notre Dame, but he wasn't the ideal athlete at the posi- tion (which is why he did not receive an invitation to the NFL Combine). Part of the Patterson move inside centered around utilizing his quick- ness into the lineup. Patterson showcased explosive- ness and in-space athleticism, but the main surprise was how physical he was inside. The sophomore battled fiercely against the defensive tackles and won a lot more than he lost. His physicality is why supplanting him in the fall will be extremely difficult, unless he takes a step back in August. SOPHOMORE TIGHT END TOMMY TREMBLE If this article had been written at the halfway point of the spring, it would not have included him. The young pass catcher started slowly, struggling with confidence in his as- signments and lacking the full grasp of the offense. Tremble still has a lot to learn about the position, but down the stretch he demonstrated greater confidence and let loose, and that is when his supe- rior athletic skills took over. He is not a traditional tight end, measuring in at 6-3 and 237 pounds, which is shorter and smaller than past stand- outs at the position. But Tremble has a gear seldom seen at the position. He ran a 4.63 at the Nike Football The Opening Regional in Atlanta prior to his high school senior season, and that speed was evident all spring. He became a matchup nightmare for Irish safeties and linebackers, and he showed the ability to stretch the field like a wide receiver from the slot. Tremble caught the ball well, and by the end of spring his route run- ning had made significant leaps from where it was at the beginning. This allowed him to get more separa- tion in the pass attack, and when he caught the ball in stride he displayed the ability to run away from defend- ers for the desired "chunk plays." Junior Cole Kmet is the starter and his classmate Brock Wright is go- ing to play, but do not be at all sur- prised if Long — who doubles as the tight ends coach — finds ways to get Tremble the football this fall. JUNIOR WIDE RECEIVER MICHAEL YOUNG The sophomore wide receivers — Kevin Austin, Lawrence Keys III, Braden Lenzy and Joe Wilkins Jr. — received a lot of the publicity and plaudits this spring, and at times each one of those young pass catch- ers had outstanding stretches. All four will be counted on to pro- vide snaps and production in the fall, so the praise they have received this spring has been earned. Between the sophomores matur- ing and the emergence of Claypool as the top player on the offense, what became over-shaded was the play of Michael Young. A standout last spring as well, Young was plagued in the fall by injuries that prevented him from becoming a regular in the rotation. Despite catching just seven passes, Young had two of the three longest receiver receptions of the season, and he exhibited home run ability. Pivotal to Young this spring was that he showed up every day and didn't miss time with any nagging injuries, which has been an issue for him in the past. Being present every day allowed him to impress, and his combination of deep speed, precise route running and after-the-catch skills made him a consistently pro- ductive figure. Stepping into the X receiver posi- tion that was manned by Claypool last season, Young brings a unique — and needed — skill set to the offense. If Young can continue being the big- play weapon he flashed last season, but do it with a heavier work load, he'll be a major reason in the offense getting the explosiveness it needs and often lacked outside in 2018. The combination of Young's break- out and the emergence of the sopho- more class creates a more optimism about the offense making the neces- sary leaps next fall from the prover- bial "solid" level to one of champion- ship level. ✦