Notre Dame has gone two-for-two with offensive line targets in North Carolina. After landing Rivals250 North Carolina native Sam Pendleton earlier this month, the Fighting Irish just landed a commitment from four-star offensive tackle Sullivan Absher. The Belmont (N.C.) South Point star picked Notre Dame over N.C. State and Clemson.
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WHAT NOTRE DAME IS GETTING...
Absher checks all the boxes physically. He's a legitimate 6-foot-7 and carries his 280-pound frame very well. He is an elite run blocker that plays mainly right tackle in a run heavy offense. Absher's first step out of his stance is incredibly quick and he simply overpowers most defensive linemen before they know what hit them. He drives defenders backwards and into the ground more times than not. He has impressive balance for a big man but he'll need to work on staying under control and not over-extending. Absher has the drive to run down the field and make blocks at the second and third levels. He has all the tools to be an excellent pass blocker but he doesn't have much experience, especially against elite defensive linemen. That's going to be the area where he faces the steepest learning curve.
WHY IT'S BIG FOR THE FIGHTING IRISH...
With the addition of Absher, Notre Dame is back atop the Rivals.com Team Recruiting Rankings. They have another impressive offensive line class in the works and the addition of Absher is all part of the plan. Absher will have time to develop once he arrives in South Bend. Notre Dame is very deep along the offensive line and there are a number of young players that Absher will be competing with and learning from along the way. Needless to say, Notre Dame is well positioned to have a very solid offensive line for years to come.
With Rivals250 lineman Sam Pendleton already in the fold, the Fighting Irish are just one of three teams in the nation with commitments from multiple four-star offensive linemen and they aren't done yet. Notre Dame would love to add Monroe Freeling, another four-star offensive lineman from the Carolinas. Look for Pendleton and Absher to work on recruiting him throughout the rest of the process.
