Notre Dame Football: Blake Fisher named Top-15 true freshman in 2021
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team is starting a true freshman at left tackle, and one analyst feels he will be one of the best true freshmen in the country.
The Notre Dame football team has a lot of work to do on both sides of the ball, as they are replacing 14 players who have gone on to the NFL this offseason. One of those players, Liam Eichenberg, was the first member of the program taken in the 2021 NFL Draft, leaving them with a pretty sizable hole at the left tackle position.
His replacement? A true freshman who has stepped on campus and been dominant since.
Recently, Mike Farrell from Rivals started putting together his list of the top-15 true freshmen in the country, and he got the party started with Fisher. Farrell ranked Fisher as No. 15 on his list, and rightfully so, as he pointed out that he will be only the second true freshman in 50 years to start the season opener for the Irish at left tackle.
There are some pretty high expectations on Fisher, but he has taken them in stride and has really been the starting left tackle for the team since stepping foot on campus. A huge recruit for the program, Fisher stands 6-foot-6, and weighs 330 pounds, possessing the kind of overall skillset that could eventually make him a first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
For the Irish to succeed in 2021, the young man must step up, leading a new-look offensive line.
Notre Dame football revamping the offensive line
Fisher is not the only player replacing a starter along the offensive line from last season, as they have four new faces in front of new quarterback Jack Coan. The only returning starter is center Jarrett Patterson, as Fisher, Cain Madden, Josh Lugg, and Zeke Correll dot the starting lineup to open the 2021 season up front along the offensive line.
Madden and Patterson are seen as All-American talent, and in Fisher, they could have a freshman All-American this season.
Fisher has an opportunity to continue the trend of the Irish having dominant players manning the left tackle spot. Starting as a true freshman is tough, especially at a school as prestigious as Notre Dame, but we have seen nothing to assume that he is either overwhelmed or not up to the challenge so far.