Liam Eichenberg’s decision to return to school wasn't much of a decision.
Notre Dame’s left tackle said at an ordinary November mid-week news conference that he planned on coming back for his fifth year instead of declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft, in which he was highly likely of being selected. No suspense or final confirmation in January followed.
Early 2021 draft prospect rankings indicate his thinking may have been astute. After generating some early round buzz at this time last year but fading during the season, he is appearing high up in position rankings and overall rankings again. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the No. 5 offensive tackle prospect in the 2021 draft.
“Eichenberg is an extremely solid, if unspectacular, tackle prospect,” PFF draft analyst Mike Renner wrote. “He saw his performance take a massive leap from his first to his second season as a starter. His pass-blocking grade went from 63.5 in 2018 to 85.6 last year and his run blocking grade from 60.8 to 78.8.”
The bugaboo for Eichenberg in 2019 was penalties. He committed a team-high 11 of them. On an offensive line that had an up-and-down run blocking season, though, he posted the highest run blocking grade by a wide margin. Next closest was right tackle Robert Hainsey, at 72.7.”
Eichenberg did not allow a sack in 2019. Notre Dame’s offensive line allowed 16 sacks all season and was rated PFF’s second-best pass blocking unit with an overall pass-blocking grade of 94.2.
The 2020 season will be Eichenberg's third as Notre Dame's starting left tackle. The three before him, Mike McGlinchey, Ronnie Stanley and Zack Martin, were all first-round picks.
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