Notebook: How Harry Hiestand pushes Notre Dame's offensive line to improve
SOUTH BEND — Harry Hiestand expects failure from his offensive linemen during preseason camp.
That doesn’t mean the veteran offensive line coach, now nearly seven months into his second stint at Notre Dame, doesn’t demand perfection. The failure that eventually finds everyone from freshmen to sixth-year seniors provides opportunities for growth.
“Every player out there has good things or bad things happen to him. It’s all how you react to it and what you learn as you go through it,” Hiestand said Thursday after preseason practice No. 6 for the Irish. “That’s what training camp is for. We try to put them in as many situations where they get challenged and have to make adjustments, have to make a block, a communication, a call.
“And then they’re going to fail some. And when they fail, how do they handle it? What do they learn from it?”
Perhaps no one on Notre Dame’s offensive line better embodies the ability to rebound from failure than senior Zeke Correll. Last season, Correll started the first six games of the season as Notre Dame’s left guard until being pulled for Andrew Kristofic in the middle of a 32-29 win at Virginia Tech. Correll couldn’t find his way back into the then-offensive line coach Jeff Quinn’s starting lineup for the remainder of the season.
The 6-foot-3, 308-pound Correll was moved back to center in the offseason. At first, Correll seemed destined to serve once again as a backup behind Jarrett Patterson, who’s been one of the best centers in the country when healthy. Then another unfortunate injury to Patterson, who tore his pectoral muscle in winter workouts, opened an opportunity for Correll.
Correll worked the entirety of spring football as the No. 1 center with Patterson sidelined. He impressed so much that Hiestand decided this summer to keep Correll at center and slide Patterson, a 6-5, 310-pound graduate senior, over to left guard.
“(Correll) blocks people,” Hiestand said. “He’s competitive. He’s strong. He’s tough. He’s there every day. He’s a warrior.
“He’s built for the center position. He has very good leverage. He’s strong as heck. He got the job done.”
Barring any sudden changes this month, Notre Dame’s starting five on the offensive line for the season opener at Ohio State on Sept. 3 will be sophomore left tackle Joe Alt, left guard Patterson, center Correll, graduate senior right guard Josh Lugg and sophomore right tackle Blake Fisher.
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The second unit consists of junior left tackle Tosh Baker, sophomore left guard Rocco Spindler, sophomore center Pat Coogan, junior right guard Andrew Kristofic and junior right tackle Michael Carmody.
Hiestand didn’t want to single anybody out from that second group as having impressed more than others, but he insisted he hasn’t been disappointed by any of them.
“I like what Tosh is doing,” Hiestand said. “He’s progressing from the spring. Rocco’s playing more aggressive. Pat at center, he’s like Billy (Schrauth). He hadn’t taken any snaps in the spring, so he’s on the right path. And then Andrew, I like where he is. Mike Carmody.
“There’s really nobody stepping out above anybody, but there also hasn’t been any disappointments as far as ‘Geez, he’s not playing close to what he’s capable of.’”
Coogan (knee) and Schrauth (foot) missed the spring with injuries. Schrauth, who Rivals ranked the highest (No. 87 overall) of Notre Dame’s five offensive line signees in the 2022 class, hasn’t necessarily hit the ground running.
“His head is spinning,” Hiestand said. “We’re still putting plays in and he’s trying to figure out the snap count. But he’ll eventually get there. It’s repetition.
“When you keep hearing something for the first — every day we go ‘OK, here’s this play’ — and now it’s a brand new play for him, and that’s all he’s thinking about. ‘How do I get this?’
“Once we get through that, which is a couple days from now, we’ll start to repeat things more. And that’s when the younger guys have a little better chance to start doing better.”
Trusted outside voices
With the return of Hiestand, who previously coached the Irish offensive line from 2012-17, came a parade of former Irish offensive lineman attending practices in the spring. NFL offensive linemen Zack Martin, Quenton Nelson and Sam Mustipher were among those who stopped by campus to share some advice with the current Notre Dame line.
“It’s learning from guys that went through what they’re going through now,” Hiestand said, “and understanding the standards of what we want. Just like all of us, when it comes from someone else, sometimes it helps click a little bit.”
Martin, Nelson and Mustipher can deliver the same messages as Hiestand, offensive line graduate assistant Chris Watt, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and head coach Marcus Freeman, but it might carry more weight.
“So they’re hearing it from the coaches, but when they hear it from somebody that they see on the outside having success that did exactly the same things that they’re doing, that helps them trust it more,” Hiestand said. “It helps them understand it better.”
Extra points
• Hiestand made it pretty clear he’s not concerned with the arm length of his offensive linemen.
“Just something some people like to talk about,” Hiestand said. “Just watch the guy play football. Either he can block or he can’t block. You get your hands inside or you get your hands outside. If you have long arms and your hands are always outside it’s not very beneficial. Not a big issue.”
One of the critiques of Martin as an NFL Draft prospect was his arm length. That likely played a role in him becoming a guard in the NFL rather than a tackle. It hasn't prevented Martin from being named an All-Pro in five of his first eight NFL seasons.
That’s because, Hiestand said, technique compensates for arm-length deficiencies.
“Future Hall of Fame player, and that’s all everybody talked about was how short his arms are,” Hiestand said. “I thought it was a joke.”
• Carmody didn’t practice Thursday but Hiestand indicated he shouldn’t be sidelined long.
“Just got banged,” he said.
Carmody played some center in the spring, with Patterson injured, but has returned to the tackle position in camp.
“Mike’s a very good athlete,” Hiestand said. “He can make those adjustments pretty well. He’s done good, pretty much using him at tackle for the most part, but it was a great experience for him to go in there and play that (center) position.”
• Hiestand was asked what his message to freshman offensive lineman Joey Tanona was once he learned he would be medically retiring as he struggled to recover from a head injury suffered in a car accident early this year.
“It’s just unfortunate,” Hiestand said. “What can you say? You just wish him luck. He’s a wonderful young man and a great family. Go on and try to achieve what you’re capable of achieving and be the best at whatever you end up doing. He’s a hell of a kid. It’s sad.”
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