Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/954261
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com APRIL 2018 25 BY THE NUMBERS 8 Years Brian Kelly has been at Notre Dame, and in all eight he had a future or currently pro- jected first-round pick at left tackle: Zack Martin (2010-13), Ronnie Stanley (2014-15) and Mike McGlinchey (2016-17). Stan- ley and McGlinchey shifted over af- ter starting one year at right tackle — as sophomore Robert Hainsey is doing now. 25 Years that new offensive line coach Jeff Quinn will have worked with Brian Kelly, including 2018. They were on the same staffs from 1989-2009, and Quinn was hired as an offensive analyst by Kelly in 2015 before his recent promotion to replace Harry Hiestand (2012-17), who is now with the Chicago Bears. 269.5 Rushing yards per game by Notre Dame in 2017, which ranked seventh in the country and was a major reason why the Irish won the annual Joe Moore Award for best offensive line unit in the country. Since 1997, the only other years where Notre Dame finished with an average of more than 200 rushing yards per contest in a season — including bowl games — was 1998 (208.1) and 2015 (207.6). WHO'S GONE Quenton Nelson A unanimous All-American in 2017 and potential top-10 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Mike McGlinchey Consensus All-American who combined with Nelson to give Notre Dame the nation's best left side. WHO'S BACK Fifth-year senior Alex Bars Flashed brilliant play in 2017, but better consistency is needed in his final season. Fifth-year senior Sam Mustipher Named a team captain as he heads into his third season as a starter. Junior Tommy Kraemer Cincinnati native returns at right tackle, but a possible move to guard could be in his future. Sophomore Robert Hainsey Talented young blocker is being tasked with moving to left tackle, where he follows in McGlinchey's footsteps. TOP NEWCOMER Sophomore Joshua Lugg After redshirting as a freshman, Lugg is pushing hard for a start- ing role at left guard. OFFENSIVE LINEMEN 2018 SPRING FOOTBALL PREVIEW Brian Kelly's Take "Robert Hainsey will be the first guy that goes there at that left tackle position. He's proven to be one of our most effec- tive technicians. Tommy Kraemer, Josh Lugg, you're going to see those guys cross-training. …There are probably four or five different combinations that we could run out there at the offensive line, and I think you're going to see a lot of them in the spring." PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH Four players will be competing to fill the fifth starting spot. Sophomore Joshua Lugg opened spring drills with the first team at left guard, but expect junior offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg to get reps with the first group as well. Senior Trevor Ruhland and sophomore Aaron Banks had strong offseasons and will push for playing time. N otre Dame won the 2017 Joe Moore Award as the nation's best line and had a pair of All-Americans in Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey. Expecting the line to repeat that success is not re- alistic, but the unit returns four players with starting experience and a roster that contains nine scholarship players ranked by at least one recruiting service — five of which were rated as top-100 players. If Notre Dame is going to be dominant up front again, first-year offensive line coach Jeff Quinn needs fifth-year seniors Alex Bars at right guard and Sam Mustipher at center to make strides in their third seasons as starters the way recent luminaries such as Zack Martin, Ronnie Stanley, Nick Martin, Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson did. Junior Tommy Kraemer started nine games at right tackle last season and could once again man that spot in 2017, but if classmate Liam Eichenberg proves to be the fifth starter then expect Kraemer to move inside to guard. He will stay at tackle if strongly ascending sophomore Joshua Lugg emerges as the fifth starter. Lugg would then be tasked with replacing Nelson at left guard. Either way, Kraemer has the talent to become a top player in 2018. Sophomore Robert Hainsey was out- standing as a true freshman in 2017, and now he is moving to the left side. Hainsey could be in line for a breakout season from a national perspective. Returning Year Starts 2017 75 2018 65 ALEX BARS