Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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2016 RECRUITING ISSUE summarized. It would be five months before anyone else from the rest of Notre Dame's 2016 recruiting harvest would join Kraemer, in part because foot- ball scholarship offers have to be ju- diciously researched and managed. In Kraemer's case, his overwhelming desire to be at Notre Dame was like manna from heaven for the Irish staff. That's because Kraemer arrives at Notre Dame as the highest ranked offensive tackle at the school by Ri- vals (No. 4 at the position and No. 41 overall player nationally) since 2006, when Sam Young edged out quarter- back Tim Tebow as Florida's Gatorade Player of the Year. That's lofty status considering that since then Notre Dame has produced one first-round tackle in Zack Martin, who already has been an All-Pro selec- tion, and another probable first-round pick this spring in Ronnie Stanley. Longtime Elder head coach Doug Ramsey, who has produced a 157-67 career record in one of the nation's elite conferences, the Greater Cincin- nati League, believes Kraemer is more than capable of continuing that string of success at tackle for the Irish. "He's a difference maker," Ramsey said. "Tommy is as dominating as any football player I've ever seen in high school. … I would be shocked if Tommy's not one of the top offensive linemen in the country by the time he graduates from college." Kraemer's enrollment also is crucial because along with safety and defen- sive end, offensive tackle was one of the three most glaring needs in Notre Dame's 2016 recruiting cycle. The Irish did not sign an offen- sive tackle in 2015, and only one came aboard in 2014 (Alex Bars, who worked at left guard last season be- hind classmate Quenton Nelson). In the previous nine recruiting cy- cles from 2007-15, Notre Dame signed 28 offensive linemen. Only two were not redshirted as freshmen: guard Trevor Robinson (2008) and guard Steve Elmer (2013) — and both were early enrollees who started two and four games, respectively, in their fresh- man campaign. Although he isn't one of Notre Dame's five early enrollees this semes- ter, Kraemer — who plans to enroll in the Mendoza School of Business and major in either economics or market- ing —will have an opportunity to vie for the left tackle slot vacated by Stan- ley once he arrives in the summer. "It's basically 'start or redshirt,'" said Kraemer of the freshman year protocol for offensive linemen at Notre Dame. "It's pretty much cut and dry. Either you go in and win the spot, or use your freshman season to develop yourself physically and with the pro- gram." Kraemer 's position coach at Elder was his father, Mike, who played of- fensive line at Vanderbilt in 1985 be- fore finishing his schooling in Cincin- nati. Among his pupils were Buffalo Bills center Eric Wood, who played in this year's Pro Bowl. The younger and older Kraemer believe that in Harry Hiestand there will be a similar father figure on and off the field. "It's hard to put into words, but