Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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36 APRIL 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY JACK SOBLE A t the NFL Scouting Combine held in Indianapolis Feb. 29 to March 3, Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt was asked to recall a time he got beat. Alt had to think about it for a second. That very rarely happened, which is why most experts project the 6-foot-9, 321-pound behemoth of a blocker to go in the top 10 of April's draft. He settled on a sack he allowed against Louisville Oct. 7, but even then there was a caveat. "I think there might've been a leg un- derneath mine, but I'll let you guys look at that if you want to," Alt said. He's right, of course. Alt and left guard Pat Coogan worked well together most of the season, but Coogan's left leg accidentally tripped Alt while his run- ning mate was being bull rushed. Alt was as sturdy and dominant as they come, starting 33 consecutive games over the course of his three-year college career. He garnered on-site in- terest at the NFL Combine from sev- eral teams in the top 15, including — and these are just the teams he discussed in his 14-minute media session — the Chargers, Titans, Bears, Jets and Raiders. The North Oaks, Minn., native and son of longtime NFL offensive tackle John Alt enjoyed meeting with those teams and complimented them at the podium. But when it comes to the pre- draft process itself and all the mock drafts with his name in it, Alt tries to block out the noise. "I don't pay too much attention to that kind of stuff," Alt said. "I like to keep my head down and just keep work- ing each and every day, and that stuff's gonna take care of itself when it comes to that time." What Alt does pay attention to is his technique and that of his peers. He spent a good chunk of his conversation with reporters talking about his me- chanics in pass protection, breaking down every step. It starts with his first punch, which he calls his strike. Being a long-armed tackle, a strong punch gives him an ad- vantage right away. His footwork in the first second or two of his pass set is cru- cial, too. "It gets you in that position to be able to mirror guys post the strike," Alt said. FRANCHISE ALTERING Joe Alt focuses on his craft, while the NFL prepares to make him a top-10 pick Alt, who started 33 straight games at left tackle for the Irish since his freshman year, is projected as a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. PHOTO BY KARA DURRETTE/NFL