Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/841614
BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ✦ 71 OFFENSIVE LINEMEN QUOTABLE: OFFENSIVE LINE C O A C H H A RR Y HIE S TA ND ON T HE C OMP E T I T ION AT RIGH T TACKLE BETWEEN SOPHOMORES TOMMY KRAEMER AND LIAM EICHENBERG: "They both have good qualities about them and the basic, fun- damental things you look for in players. They have great work ethic, great attitudes and ability." 2016 VS. 2017: STOCK UP OR DOWN? Entering 2016, the Notre Dame offensive line had only 27 career starts among them, the lowest total in head coach Brian Kelly's seven seasons. In 2017, the total career starts has nearly tripled to 76, the second most ever by a line under Kelly (the 2013 group led by Zack Martin and Chris Watt had 78). More experience doesn't mean improvement is automatically inevitable. Notre Dame's 1988 national champs had four career starts returning along the offensive line (all by guard Tim Grunhard). Still, it looks far better on paper this year than last. X-FACTOR Sophomore Tommy Kraemer is the lone member of the starting line who hasn't started at least a dozen times — but he came to Notre Dame as the No. 4 offensive tackle and No. 41 player overall nationally according to Rivals. Still, it's never easy for younger players such as Kraemer or Liam Eichenberg to deal with playing in space at tackle. The staff was so eager to get Kraemer into the lineup that they moved senior Alex Bars, who started all 12 games in 2016 at right tackle, to guard. If needed, Bars could always move back to tackle, but keeping the current continuity would be ideal. FRESHMAN OUTLOOK In the nine seasons from 2008‑16, 31 offensive line recruits have enrolled at Notre Dame and 29 were redshirted as freshmen, including recent first‑round picks Zack Martin in 2009 and Ron‑ nie Stanley in 2012. The two exceptions were guards Trevor Robinson (2008) and Steve Elmer (2013), who happened to be early enrollees. Among the four freshmen this year, left tackle Robert Hainsey, the No. 11 offensive tackle and No. 108 player in the 2017 re‑ cruiting class according to Rivals, and left guard Aaron Banks, the nation's No. 13 offensive tackle and No. 121 overall pros‑ pect, were early entrants. Hainsey espe‑ cially demonstrated some advanced skills. Nevertheless, with the options along the line, the preference will be to redshirt all four again. DID YOU KNOW? Notre Dame had a future first-round pick lined up at left tackle in each of head coach Brian Kelly's first six seasons from 2010-15, first with Zack Martin, who started all 52 games from 2010-13, and then Ronnie Stanley, who moved from right tackle to replace Martin and start all 26 games there in 2014-15. If current fifth-year senior left tackle Mike McGlinchey (2016-17) fulfills his first-round potential that many an NFL scout has projected for him, then that would make it eight years in a row that Kelly has had a first-round pick at one position. At Central Michigan (2004-06), Kelly also had Joe Staley start at right or left tackle all three years before becoming a first-round pick and five-time Pro Bowl pick. SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS (13) Listed after the class year is the years of eligi- bility remaining. Left Tackle 68 Mike McGlinchey (6-8, 312), 5th-Sr./1 72 Robert Hainsey (6-4½, 292), Fr./4 Left Guard 56 Quenton Nelson (6-5, 329), Sr./2 70 Hunter Bivin (6-6, 318), 5th-Sr./1 69 Aaron Banks (6-5½, 310), Fr./4 Center 53 Sam Mustipher (6-2½, 305), Sr./2 57 Trevor Ruhland (6-3½, 303), Jr./3 Right Guard 71 Alex Bars (6-6, 320), Sr./2 67 Jimmy Byrne (6-4, 294), Sr./2 76 Dillan Gibbons (6-4, 315), Fr./4 Right Tackle 78 Tommy Kraemer (6-5½, 313), So./4 74 Liam Eichenberg (6-6, 294), So./4 75 Josh Lugg (6-6, 280), Fr./4 NOTABLE DATA Notre Dame's rushing average in 2016 dropped to 163.3 yards per game (80th in the country) and 4.5 yards per carry after averaging 207.6 (28th nationally) and 5.6, respectively, the year prior while finishing 10-3. Raw numbers alone don't always tell the story of a team's efficiency and effectiveness. However, history does show that only one Fighting Irish team has ever finished in the Associated Press top 10 while rushing for less than 190 yards — the 9-3 team in 2005 (No. 9) with a 147.1 figure. In Notre Dame's 12 games last season, the team with the better rushing total won 11 times. The lone exception was Virginia Tech's 34-31 win last November when the Irish out- rushed the Hokies 200-152. Sophomore Tommy Kraemer, who is competing for the starting job at right tackle, was ranked as the No. 4 offensive tackle and No. 41 overall prospect in the class of 2016 by Rivals. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN