Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING Rankings: Listed as a four-star offensive tackle by ESPNU, Scout.com and 247Sports … Ranked the No. 21 player nationally by 247Sports, and No. 56 by ESPNU and No. 66 by Scout.com … Rated as the No. 5 offensive tackle in the country by 247Sports and ESPNU, and No. 9 by Scout.com … Tabbed as the No. 2 player in the state of Ohio by ESPNU and 247Sports. Statistics/Honors: Selected a Max Preps second- team Junior All-American … Named a Cleveland.com first-team all-area player … Picked to the Division I North- east Ohio Lakes District first team … Earned Associated Press Division I All- State special mention. Recruitment: Committed to Notre Dame on April 19, 2015 … Had offers from Alabama, Florida State, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Tennessee. BGI's Take: Despite being slowed by a knee injury as a junior, Eichenberg showed himself to be one of the na- tion's premier offensive tackles. The St. Ignatius product is exactly what Notre Dame is looking for in its edge players. He has a thick frame that will allow him to add significant weight and strength. At 6-5 with long arms, he has ideal length and he plays with a strong base. Eichenberg is also a quality athlete, possessing good agility, loose hips and the ability to bend at the knees. When healthy he has shown excellent lateral quick- ness. He is an elite pass blocker, a skill that will only improve as he gets healthy and adds more strength at the next level. Eichenberg is a physical run blocker that comes off low, does an excellent job driving his hips through contact and then bur- ies opponents with a strong leg drive. He shows the understanding of how to use his hand strength and hand quickness to dominate his opponents. His all-around game is as good as any tackle in the country. As a prospect, Eichenberg is one of the best linemen Notre Dame has signed in the last decade. TOMMY KRAEMER Cincinnati • Elder H.S. Measurables: Listed at 6-5, 310 pounds. Rankings: Tabbed as a five-star offensive tackle by 247Sports … Rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, ESPNU and Scout.com … Named the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country by Rivals.com, and No. 3 by Scout.com and 247Sports … Listed as the No. 1 player in the state of Ohio by Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports. Statistics/Honors: Selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl … Named to the All-USA Today All- USA second team … Chosen to the All-Greater Catholic League South first team … Division I AP All-State special mention. Recruitment: Committed to Notre Dame on Oct. 4, 2014 … Had offers from Georgia, Iowa, Louisville, Michi- gan, Ohio State, Penn State and Ten- nessee. BGI's Take: Notre Dame's first com- mitment in the 2016 class was Krae- mer, a versatile lineman with the ability to play guard or tackle. Kraemer is an exciting prospect because while he is already a good player, his upside is enormous. Kraemer is just starting to tap into his immense potential and has plenty of room for physical development. At 6-5 and 310 pounds, he already has elite size, but his frame should allow him to carry 320-plus pounds once he matures and gets into the Notre Dame strength program. Kraemer already knows how to throw his weight around in the run game. He has a good natural punch and long arms, and is developing a bit of a nasty streak. As he learns to play with more consistency and better pad level, his run blocking prowess will be enhanced. Kraemer is a solid ath- lete that has enough agility and length to play on the edge as a tackle, but his game is better suited for the inside. On the inside, Kraemer would be able to focus on playing with power, which would maximize his immense physical gifts. ✦ KRAEMER