Notre Dame’s Playmaker? A Group of Five

It isn’t just one Irish player that is considered a playmaker by CBS Sports, it’s a group.

It seems as if every day the hope for a season gets larger and larger. With than many people are getting excited about what could be and it was CBS Sports Barrett Sallee that looked ahead to which players are the best playmakers at their positions.

It wasn’t just one Notre Dame player to make Sallee list, it was the offensive line as a unit. Although the big men up front aren’t normally seen as playermakers “they’re play facilitators. With that said, let’s give this award to a Notre Dame unit that is loaded with returning talent.” That loaded talent is led by Liam Eichenberg who is seen as a potential first round draft pick.

What was interesting is that Sallee mentioned the goal for every top program in the nation, getting into the Playoff’s. He believes that “if they’re (Notre Dame) going to get back to the College Football Playoff, it’ll be up to the big guys up front to get the job done.” Sallee isn’t wrong, as the Irish do return senior QB Ian Book but have to replace every skill position starter from last year. Leaning on the veteran line early should help Book find his go-to guys this coming season.

The health of the line shouldn’t be understated, as tackle Robert Hainsey and guards Tommy Kraemer and Aaron Banks each suffered an injury at some point in the last year. Keeping the group injury-free will be a key for the Notre Dame offense. If the quintet is healthy, expect phenomenal play from Jeff Quinn’s group and the possibility of getting back to the playoffs for the second time in the Brian Kelly era.

It seems as if every day the hope for a season gets larger and larger. With than many people are getting excited about what could be and it was CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee that looked ahead to which players are the best playmakers at their positions.

It wasn’t just one Notre Dame player to make Sallee list, it was the offensive line as a unit. Although the big men up front aren’t normally seen as playermakers “they’re play facilitators. With that said, let’s give this award to a Notre Dame unit that is loaded with returning talent.” That loaded talent is led by Liam Eichenberg who is seen as a potential first round draft pick.

What was interesting is that Sallee mentioned the goal for every top program in the nation, getting into the Playoff’s. He believes that “if they’re (Notre Dame) going to get back to the College Football Playoff, it’ll be up to the big guys up front to get the job done.” Sallee isn’t wrong, as the Irish do return senior QB Ian Book but have to replace every skill position starter from last year. Leaning on the veteran line early should help Book find his go-to guys this coming season.

The health of the line shouldn’t be understated, as tackle Robert Hainsey and guards Tommy Kraemer and Aaron Banks each suffered an injury at some point in the last year. Keeping the group injury-free will be a key for the Notre Dame offense. There’s a reason Notre Dame got the moniker of O-Line U, groups like this. If the quintet is healthy, expect phenomenal play from Jeff Quinn’s group and the possibility of getting back to the playoffs for the second time in the Brian Kelly era.