Notre Dame’s Offensive Line Picture Is Coming Clearer Into View
Officially, Notre Dame has two confirmed starters on the offensive line. On the first day of fall camp, head coach Brian Kelly tabbed Jarrett Patterson the Irish’s starting center, ending discussions of a potential position move. He named Josh Lugg another starter, presumably at right tackle.
The other three starters may not be formally revealed until Notre Dame releases its depth chart the week of its opener at Florida State.
But they’re sure getting easier to spot.
During Thursday’s open practice, the Irish’s first-team offensive line was once again freshman Blake Fisher at left tackle, junior Zeke Correll at left guard, Patterson at center, sixth-year senior Cain Madden at right guard and Lugg at right tackle. That combination has been standard operating procedure the last week or so, save for injury absences.
“You’ve seen enough practices to kind of get a sense of how that thing is shaping up to where it was today,” Kelly said Thursday.
There have been some bumps and bruises. Fisher missed a couple practices last week because he entered the concussion protocol. Lugg exited early Thursday due to a neck strain, Kelly said. In both instances, Notre Dame called up sophomore Michael Carmody from the second team to fill in.
But at full health, Notre Dame has identified the five it trusts and has kept them together. It’s not too late for someone to make a move, and there have been second-team strides this month, but the window appears to be closing. Kelly is speaking about the first-team unit with greater assurance than he did at the onset of camp.
“I think [center] Andrew Kristofic has done some nice things,” Kelly said. “[Tackle] Tosh Baker has done some nice things. [Guard] John Dirksen has done some nice things. But I think you guys can kind of see how that’s shaping up. We’ll continue to refine that and work with the group you’ve seen out there.”
Unless an intrepid disruptor forces an 11th-hour change, Notre Dame will start a freshman on the offensive line when Fisher takes the field in Tallahassee for the first time since Robert Hainsey in the 2018 Citrus Bowl. Steve Elmer’s four 2013 starts are the only others by a freshman in the Kelly era. Not since Sam Young in 2006 has a freshman started the opener or started an entire season.
“He’s better than anyone we have,” Kelly said. “That’s why he’s there.”
That’s not to say the 6-6, 335-pound Fisher is a likely starter because he’s the best of several middling options or is a jumping-off point for 2022 and beyond. He has staked his claim to the job and began taking first-team snaps in spring practice.
Fisher’s awareness and fast learning curve stood out in the spring. Kelly has previously lauded his mental makeup and ability to stay on one emotional level. He was a consistent pass protector during the scrimmage portion of Thursday’s practice.
“From a pass-rush standpoint, he’s hard to get around,” Kelly said. “He’s long, he moves his feet well. He’s strong — you can’t bull-rush him. He gets his hands on you. His development is still there. It needs to continue to grow.”
In one specific area, most of all.
“It’s the length of the play,” Kelly said. “You saw it today. It’s finishing off plays.”
Fisher’s strengths far outweigh those areas to develop, though. The hope was always that he could be one of Notre Dame’s tackles of the future. He arrived in January as a five-star recruit and Notre Dame’s highest-ranked 2021 signee, after all. He’s part of the present because his mix of fast progress and rare physical skill set aren’t typical of freshmen. They’re typical of the standouts who have previously manned his spot.
“It’s hard to compare him to anyone we’ve had here,” Kelly said. “Was Ronnie Stanley a better athlete? Maybe. But he certainly didn’t have the size. His makeup is elite. When I say makeup, it’s his ability to go out there and his body recovers. Most of these guys don’t recover. They don’t have the ability to bounce back and recover with the workload they get. He has a gift.”
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