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Notre Dame football: Early takeaways from 2021 spring practice

By Daniel Morrison

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 01: Head coach Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players run on the field during player introductions before the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl football game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at AT&T Stadium on January 01, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 31-14. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 01: Head coach Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players run on the field during player introductions before the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl football game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at AT&T Stadium on January 01, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 31-14. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame football: Early takeaways from 2021 spring practice

Do We Have Any Idea What the Offensive Line Looks Like?

We take it for granted at Notre Dame, but offensive line play is so vitally important to winning football games. It doesn’t matter how open wide receivers get, or how good Kyren Williams is if defensive linemen are living in the backfield. The Irish have to completely overhaul the line this season, as four of five starters from last season’s opening day. It’s going to take a lot of work and could be an issue if not handled correctly.

So, what do we know so far?

Jarrett Patterson was lost at the end of last season due to injury, and he’ll be one of the five starters on the line. The question is do you play him at center, where he has been playing, or do you move him to the left tackle spot because he’s the best lineman on the team?

From there, it’s safe to say that Josh Lugg and Zeke Correll will have spots on the line, as they saw time last season as well, particularly after injuries battered the line. Lugg is a tackle by trade, while Correll is an interior lineman by his background, but both of them do bring some versatility, though.

The remaining two spots are very much up for grabs. Freshman Blake Fisher has reportedly been given looks on the first team, but probably isn’t ready to be a starter. Tosh Baker, meanwhile, has been getting an extended look on the line, including at the left tackle spot.

At 6ft 8in tall and 300lbs, Baker has the size he needs to play tackle at the level expected of a Notre Dame lineman. The issue is that he’s only an academic sophomore with two games of experience last season, but still, he’s positioned himself well.

As it stands now, we are confident that Patterson, Lugg, and Correll are starters next season. It looks like Baker is a safe bet as well, and that leaves (likely) one open spot on the offensive line. It also leaves the mystery of what position each guy ends up playing as well.

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