Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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primary need is a second consistent blocking figure. Junior Durham Smythe established himself as the starter with a spring that was second only to Prosise for most improved on offense. Sopho- more Tyler Luatua started in the Mu- sic City Bowl in a two-tight-end pack- age as a blocker, but he did not have the overall spring Smythe did. Fifth- year senior Chase Hounshell was brought over from defense to provide another potential blocking option. If We Had To Guess … Like fel- low current senior left tackle Ronnie Stanley, a fellow Las Vegas Bishop Gorman product, Jones is not a five- year player. The staff can redshirt him if they want (like Stanley in 2012), but it won't matter because he will likely be primed for the NFL after year four (maybe even year three). So a redshirt year probably is moot. Jones' wheelhouse will likely be as a flex tight end role to create mis- matches with his 6-5 frame, and Smythe could be more of the in-line figure. OFFENSIVE LINE Freshmen: Tristen Hoge and Trevor Ruhland Need In 2015: Both are interior players, Hoge a center and Ruhland at guard, where the Irish are replete in numbers. Plus, Hoge weighed in at a relatively modest 281 pounds this spring, while Ruhland is coming off a torn meniscus incurred while playing basketball this January. The ensuing surgery likely will result in a medical redshirt. If We Had To Guess … Both are des- tined to redshirt. Among the 28 offen- sive linemen signed by Notre Dame since 2007, the only two not redshirted were Trevor Robinson (2008) and Steve Elmer (2013), and both were early en- rollees. Hoge is an early enrollee, too, but fifth-year senior Nick Martin has center locked down and sophomore Sam Mustipher is being groomed as the 2016 successor, although Hoge will challenge by then. DEFENSIVE LINE Freshmen: Micah Dew-Treadway, Elijah Taylor, Brandon Tiassum and Jerry Tillery Need In 2015: Including early en- rollees Dew-Treadway and Tillery, plus Sam linebacker Kolin Hill work- ing as a rush end in a nickel package, the Irish had 17 defensive linemen on scholarship this spring — an unheard of number since maybe the 1970s. The primary 2014 nucleus returns with se- niors Sheldon Day and Jarron Jones on the inside and junior Isaac Rochell and senior Romeo Okwara on the edge, with sophomore Andrew Trumbetti cross-training on both the strongside and weakside as a "fifth starter." If We Had To Guess … Along with Prosise, Tillery was maybe the top individual story of the spring with regard to overall surprise and/or im- pact. We foresee a minimum of 25 to 30 snaps per game for him while rotating with Jones (who is recovering from Lisfranc surgery) and Day on the in- side, although Rochell also will move inside on occasion. Many youngsters who received a baptism of fire last year — freshmen