Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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see games, so it really came down to Ohio State-Notre Dame." Byrne said Ohioans struggled with the concept of an in-state talent opt- ing for a team other then the Scarlet and Gray, but eventually accepted his decision. Because he chose the Irish so early and ended his recruitment more than a year ago, he spent fall of 2013 focusing on his high school team and envisioning where he would fit on the Notre Dame offensive line. "They play pretty similar to what we did in high school with the zone protection," said Byrne, who added that he expects to redshirt in 2014. "I feel like I should be able to go in there and not have to learn too much." Kyle noticed Byrne's talent during the prospect's sophomore season, which began with backup duty be- fore the Irish-bound lineman earned a starting spot. "Maybe three or four games into the year that, suddenly, 'Yeah, he's ready,'" Kyle said. "He made the move to be a starter in a state championship year. We had a sophomore tackle out there against great playoff teams, going against guys on their way to Division I football, and it was pretty clear that was his path also." ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Byrne is strong at the point of attack … Blocks from snap to whistle … Combination of size and power allows him to block players not only out of the gap but 10-15 yards off the football … Good discipline keeping hands inside and works well to the second level of the defense instead of staying locked in on one assignment. Areas To Improve Increased work in the weight room will al- low him to change from execution on blocks to domination … Needs work on steps in pass pro- tection to get deeper kick on a faster defensive lineman … Looks to be a better fit for the interior at the collegiate level.