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Notre Dame football: Way too early awards for 2021

By Daniel Morrison

Nov 30, 2019; Stanford, CA, USA; The Notre Dame Fighting Irish mascot Leprechaun runs on the field with a team flag after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2019; Stanford, CA, USA; The Notre Dame Fighting Irish mascot Leprechaun runs on the field with a team flag after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jarrett Patterson of Notre Dame Football.
Jarrett Patterson of Notre Dame Football. /

Notre Dame football: Way too early awards for 2021

Best Assistant Coach

Jeff Quinn-Offensive Line

By now, you’ve heard plenty about Marcus Freeman and how great he’s going to be. That’s (hopefully) true. Freeman will help Notre Dame take the next step as a program, and keep the defense playing at an extremely high level. He just might not be the most important coach this season.

Jeff Quinn is the offensive line coach at Notre Dame and has been on Brian Kelly’s staff, except 2010-14 when he was the Buffalo Bulls coach since Kelly was hired by Grand Valley State in 1991. The two had been on the staff together before that as well. That’s the better part of three decades together.

That’s a deep bond of trust and mutual understanding the two have for one another. In fact, many people felt he should replace Chip Long and not Tommy Rees.

This year will be a major challenge for Quinn, with Liam Eichenberg, Aaron Banks, Tommy Kraemer, and Robert Hainsey all moving on from last season’s offensive line. He needs to find four new starters on a line that has to be elite to succeed.

They need to dominate the line of scrimmage for Kyren Williams and give time to Coan, who isn’t particularly mobile.

A successful year for Quinn and the offensive line will make him the clear choice for Assistant of the Year. It’s a position group Notre Dame recruits and develops well, so there’s no excuse for it not to happen.

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