Irish Continue To Examine Offensive Line Puzzle On Right Side
Irish head coach Brian Kelly revealed a piece of the offensive line puzzle earlier during spring practice when he announced the move of senior Mike McGlinchey to left tackle and sophomore Sam Mustipher as the starting center.
Figuring out the rest is where it gets tricky.
Sophomore Tristen Hoge, junior Alex Bars and senior Hunter Bivin are vying for the two spots on the right side of Notre Dame’s offensive line, with the coaching staff hoping to get a good look at all three players before the spring session concludes.
“We want to get Hunter Bivin over the next probably four or five periods of practices and in particular the periods where there's team competition we're getting him some guard work,” Kelly said after the team’s practice Friday. “We want to kick Bars out to some tackle work because we're still in a very competitive mode there on the right side. It's just exciting to see all these guys compete. There's good football players on the right side. We're still not there in terms of who's going to be where at those positions.”
With McGlinchey and Nelson at left tackle and left guard, respectively, Notre Dame is aiming for a left side that rivals — or perhaps even surpasses eventually — the dominant duo of Zack Martin and Chris Watt.
“Those two players are really good,” Kelly said. “Really, really good. Mike's been our most efficient blocker and Quenton is in the best physical shape he's been in, moves extremely well for 346 pounds and he's a rare, rare, rare football player. He moves well, physically strong. Knows his assignments. We're very, very fortunate. And Sam's been very good. Those three guys are really, really solid football players for us and we would love the competition that is going on the right side.”
Most of the attention this spring has and will follow the three talented Irish quarterbacks, but the configuration used to protect the eventual No. 1 signal-caller is also playing itself out.
Quick hits
• Senior receiver Corey Robinson officially took over as student body president Friday, but he was unable to participate in practice due to a lingering concussion originally suffered last week.
Kelly indicated that Robinson will meet with a specialist next week to “make sure we’re covering all the bases with him.”
“He's had a couple concussions [in his career],” Kelly said. “Obviously we want to do everything that we can to get him all the information necessary so we don't put him in a position where he doesn't feel comfortable getting back on the field. We'll do that next week and we'll have him in a better position relative to making a decision when we get back on the field.”
• Senior quarterback Malik Zaire and senior running back Tarean Folston have not displayed signs of frustration over having to earn their starting jobs back after suffering season-ending injuries in the second and first games of the 2015 season, respectively.
“No,” Kelly said. “It's been really for Tarean just [working] himself back into the physical condition necessary to play in the offense and gaining confidence to make that explosive cut. I think the last time he put his foot in the ground and was really explosive, he tore his ACL. Getting past that is where he's more focused. I don't think he's frustrated as well.
“Malik is still working through the strength and it's a little tender and sore at times with that ankle so today we just worked on his base, getting his base back in there. I don't sense frustration. He's a competitive kid, but I don't think for one second regardless of what he said to everybody here that he was going to be handed the job. He knows me well enough that people are going to compete for jobs here.”
Zaire told reporters March 18 that he believes he is the best option at quarterback for the program.
“You really wonder what it’s going to take to finally convince people enough that I’m able to do the job,” Zaire said. “I don’t make decisions [on who starts], so I’ve got to keep balling and do what I’ve got to do — that’s being the best in the country every time I’ve got to be out there.
“I know I’m a championship quarterback, and that’s something we’re working on. Every day is another process for me in my growth and development, and I know I have to be in the best shape at all times to help this team win football games.”