Notre Dame football: New-look offensive line to be strength, not a question
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team may be revamping their offensive line this season, but it will be a strength and not a question mark.
One of the bigger questions for the Notre Dame football program this offseason has been what the offensive line will look like, as four starters from last season have gone on to the NFL. With Liam Eichenberg, Aaron Banks, Robert Hainsey, and Tommy Kraemer enjoying their first preseason at the next level, the Irish have spent the last few months reconstructing the starting offensive line.
The finished product is an impressive one, with two players who could end up being All-Americans when all is said and done in center Jarrett Patterson and guard Cain Madden. The team had toyed with the notion of moving Patterson off of center, a position he has dominated in recent seasons, but in the end, they made the right move by moving him back.
Madden has transferred in from Marshall, where he was a second-team All-American, and Zeke Correll will round out the guard spots. On the outside, the expectation is true freshman Blake Fisher will start in Year 1, and Josh Lugg will hold down the right side, making this Irish offensive line a formidable one.
Notre Dame football continues to produce high-level offensive linemen
For most programs, losing four starters from an offensive line that was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award would be a tough pill to swallow, but not the Notre Dame football program. They continue to produce high-level offensive linemen every season, and in 2021, while the group started out as a question mark in terms of who will start, it will certainly be a strength.
Jack Coan will replace Ian Book at quarterback and is used to playing behind a strong offensive line, as his unit at Wisconsin helped lead the Badgers to a Big Ten title game. While Patterson and Madden are the big names, all five of these guys have earned their roles, and there is tremendous depth coming off the bench in guys like Michael Carmody, Rocco Spindler, and Tosh Baker to name a few.
The offense has some elite players, including a running back in Kyren Williams, and a tight end in Michael Mayer who could be All-Americans this season. However, nothing will work unless this new-look offensive line gels in time for the regular season, but based on the talent that should not be an issue in South Bend this season.