Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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possessing a nasty disposition, Nel- son has the tools to emerge as a domi- nant run blocker. He possesses solid all-around athleticism and a power- ful punch. Nelson began at tackle, but moved to guard late last season in or- der to put him in position to earn the starting left guard spot. Bars has elite size at 6-6 and 315 pounds, but his athleticism and tech- nique are what stand out. Bars is nim- ble and light on his feet, which helps him handle himself well in the pass game. In the run game, Bars plays with good pad level and hand technique. His future is at tackle, but Bars is too talented not to be given an opportunity to compete for the left guard position. Sam Mustipher has emerged as the backup to senior Nick Martin at cen- ter. Mustipher will serve as a depth player this season and be given the opportunity to prove himself capable of taking over in 2016. Guard Jimmy Byrne is still a year away, but offen- sive line coach Harry Hiestand spoke highly of his progress last season. 3. Defensive Tackle — Even with the return of seniors Shel- don Day and Jarron Jones, and the arrival of talented freshman Jerry Tillery, the sophomore class will pro- vide much needed depth inside this season. Brooklyn, N.Y., native Jay Hayes arrived as one of the top players in the class, but one who needed time to develop the size and strength needed to be an impact player. Injuries up front forced the staff to burn Hayes' redshirt for the final three games of the season. When he did play, Hayes flashed top-level skills. The problem was he was only 265 pounds as a freshman and lacked the strength needed to hold up snap after snap along the interior. Strength coach Paul Longo worked a minor miracle with Hayes over the winter. Hayes added 20 pounds and good strength while maintaining his athleticism. Day missed chunks of the spring, giving Hayes much needed repetitions, and he took full advan- tage. Over the course of the spring, Hayes started playing with an edge, dis- playing the talent Defensive tackle Jay Hayes displayed top-level skills in limited action as a freshman last year and will be a key part of the line rotation in 2015. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA