Notre Dame Football Exit Interviews: Ronnie Stanley

Ronnie Stanley will leave Notre Dame with his degree and a major NFL paycheck waiting for him. How will the Irish replace his immense talent?

Considering the 2015-2016 college football season has finally come to a close and underclassmen have officially declared for the 2016 NFL Draft, Slap the Sign presents its “Exit Interviews,” where we review the players leaving the program, what they’re leaving behind and taking with them, and how Notre Dame plans on replacing their production and experience.

Ronnie Stanley, OT

Apr 18, 2015; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley (78) runs after catching a pass in the second quarter of the Blue-Gold Game at the LaBar Practice Complex. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Production at ND

Ronnie Stanley was groomed as an underclassman to be the next great Irish tackle following Zack Martin, and has been sensational ever since he became a starter at right tackle in Martin’s final season (2013). After Martin was drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft, Stanley was moved to left tackle and immediately established himself as a long, athletic, talented pass blocker who rarely allowed any pressure from the QB’s blind side. After an outstanding 2014 season, Stanley flirted with the NFL Draft as a possible first round choice, only to return for his senior year and catapult himself to being a potential top-10 pick with another strong season in 2015.

What His Departure Means

This one is huge, as Stanley was one of the best in the country at his position, especially in pass protection, where he was nearly perfect. However, as with Martin’s departure before him, Notre Dame offensive line coach Harry Heistand has a stable of huge, nasty linemen waiting on the sideline to take over. The loss cannot be overstated, however, as Stanley has been, besides Martin, the best offensive lineman of the Brian Kelly era, and his presence on the field and in the locker room will certainly be missed.

Who Will Step In?

This question might not be settled until well into spring practice or even summer camp, but there are various strong candidates who will likely step in and be successful in Stanley’s place thanks to Heistand’s recruiting and development efforts.

2015 starting RT Mike McGlinchey could move to the blind side and position himself to be taken in the first round of the 2017 draft by displaying he can be equally destructive there as he was this season on the right side. Junior-to-be OL Alex Bars could also grab the reins at LT, as he showed in 2015 he was game-ready when he filled in at LG for Quenton Nelson and certainly has the body type, arm length, and active hands to take over at LT. Other possibilities include rising senior Hunter Bivin and maybe even Nelson, although he was very effective at guard in 2015.

Pat’s Favorite Memory from Ronnie’s Career:

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If I looked hard enough, I could probably find some clips of Stanley dominating really good defensive ends or pancaking a defensive back out in space, but is there anything better than a big hoss catching a pass and rumbling down the field with it? It’s just a shame we never got to see this come to fruition in the actual season, as I would have loved to see a USC cornerback’s face as six-foot-five, 315-pound Ronnie Stanley came full steam at him, looking to bulldoze everything in his path as he made his way to the end zone.

Good luck to Ronnie Stanley, an excellent talent who will surely have an instant impact with whatever team drafts him in the first round!

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