Notre Dame football: Blake Fisher should play RT if he can return
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team could have Blake Fisher back for the Fiesta Bowl, but he should not replace Joe Alt at the left tackle position.
Throughout the early part of the 2021 college football season, the Notre Dame football team had some serious issues upfront along the offensive line. The first issue came in Week 1, as Blake Fisher was injured against Florida State, and never returned.
Fisher would end up missing the entire regular season, a huge blow to a Notre Dame football team that was leaning on their true freshman to start at left tackle. He was a key recruit for the 2021 class and earned the starting left tackle job right away, a true testament to just how good the coaching staff thought he could be.
Once Fisher was lost for the year, the Irish went through a few left tackles before settling on Joe Alt, a former high school tight end who has been outstanding for the Irish. Alt would finish the season as a Pro Football Focus freshman All-American, earning the right to stay at left tackle for the bowl game, even if Fisher returns.
During practice this week, Fisher has appeared healthy, and there is a good chance he will be able to go against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Fiesta Bowl. That is great news for the Irish, but even if he is healthy enough to start, Notre Dame should keep Alt at left tackle, even if it is only for the bowl game.
If the Irish choose to, they can always put Fisher at left tackle for 2022, and Alt at the right tackle spot, giving them two, dominant young players as bookends for at least the next two seasons.
Notre Dame football has a statement to make vs Oklahoma State
The Fiesta Bowl is going to be a chance for this Notre Dame football team to really make a statement on a national level. They have struggled as a program in big-time bowl games, as well as the College Football Playoff, but they should be able to knock off the Cowboys in this one.
Sure, they will be without stars like Kyren Williams and Kyle Hamilton, two key players who declared for the 2022 NFL Draft and will sit out the bowl game. However, Hamilton has not played since the USC game, and the Irish have some solid depth at the running back spot behind Williams, including Logan Diggs and Chris Tyree.