Notre Dame Football: 3 Bold Predictions for 2019

Jarrett Patterson emerges as impact player

The success of the Notre Dame football run game last season was of course anchored on the talented offensive line. You can’t take anything away from the running backs, but the holes created by the line were big enough to drive a truck through.

This season the Irish return four of their five starters on the line.

The only outlier — Jarrett Patterson.

Patterson comes in with three appearances as a freshman and now will be the starter in a position he wasn’t recruited for.

Yet, this winter he slid over from left tackle to the center position and has been hands down the starter since Spring.

With Sam Mustipher graduating, and Trevor Ruhland and Colin Grunhard coming off of injuries, Patterson not only stepped up — he has thrived.

There will be a window over the first few games where the Irish will be working on getting Patterson completely into game speed, but nothing has hinted that he will struggle with the transition.

His large frame will become a nightmare for the opposition. At 6-foot-4, 300-pounds he blends right in with a monster line.

Patterson’s big frame is accompanied by great footwork, quick hands, and great knowledge of the game. After not only being able to gain valuable game experience last season, but also learning behind one of the most dominant lines in the game, he’s in a great position to take the next step as a starter.

He’s not only gaining attention from the media at camp, but also the respect of the coaching staff.

“I just needed somebody that really understood what our offense is all about, and the system that he’s running right now, he fits in there quite well. He saw a lot of action in the spring, and now we expect him to have that kind of play when we start facing teams like Louisville” said offensive line coach Jeff Quinn

Patterson quickly earned his keep at the starting position and should have no problem becoming an impact player in 2019.