Tag: Rocco Spindler

Notre Dame freshmen lineman receive massive praise

A couple of freshmen aren’t acting like freshmen so far this spring.

There are some positions you see as true freshmen who are able to step on the field and be difference makers immediately.

Usually, that doesn’t include the offensive line simply because the time in a college training program hasn’t taken form quite yet and physically players are often overmatched strength-wise.

Known by many as “O-Line U”, Notre Dame brought in another stellar recruiting class on their offense front in 2021.  A pair of those players, Blake Fisher and Rocco Spindler, received massive praise from nose guard Kurt Hinish who battles against the offensive line each practice.

Speaking on Fisher and Spindler specifically Saturday, Hinish offered the following:

“Rocco Spindler and Blake Fisher are damn good.  They’re the best two freshman offensive linemen I’ve gone against.  They’re grown men playing against us.” – Kurt Hinish

By no means does that guarantee a starting spot for either by the time September comes around, but it’s quite the praise for a couple of freshmen who have only ten collegiate practices under their belts to date.

Related:

Watch: Blake Fisher get a carry as a seventh-grader

Check out newest Notre Dame football players arrive on campus

This weekend was huge for incoming Notre Dame football early enrolling football players, they have arrived on campus.

This weekend was a big one for incoming Notre Dame football members of the 2021 class. They have finally arrived on campus and will begin their Irish football journeys. Take a look at some of the fresh as they make it to their dorms.

 

Does a certain stat validate Notre Dame’s status as O-Line U?

A stat brought to light by Pro Football Focus shows why Notre Dame should be at the top of the O-Line U rankings.

Plenty of schools argue back and forth which team has sent the best talent from their universities off to the NFL. There was an interesting stat that Pro Football Focus brought to light recently that should give Notre Dame fans plenty of ammo to fight off those other schools as to who produces the best offensive line talent into the NFL.

The number of snaps played is a great indicator of talent, especially along the O-Line where there aren’t many stats to back-up performance. Multiple former Notre Dame linemen stars including Quenton Nelson, Sam Mustipher, Mike McGlinchey and Zach Martin are huge forces for their NFL teams.

Not only that, we should see each of the four NFL Draft eligible (Liam Eichenberg, Robert Hainsey, Tommy Kraemer and Aaron Banks) ultimately hear their names being called in late April.

Jarrett Patterson will also hear his name getting called when he leaves South Bend and surely some of the younger players like Tosh Baker, Blake Fisher, Rocco Spindler and Zeke Correll should make it to the next level as well.

It’s safe to say that for the time being, Notre Dame holds the mantle of O-Line U.

Reload or rebuild for Notre Dame in 2021?

Will Notre Dame have a season where they struggle like in 2016 or will it be a prosperous season like this past season?

The list keeps growing with Notre Dame players making their intentions for next year known, many of them opting to move on instead of come back. Quarterback Ian Book, tackles Liam Eichenberg and Robert Hainsey, guards Tommy Kraemer and Aaron Banks, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, tight end Tommy Tremble, defensive lineman Ade Ogundeji, cornerback Houston Griffith transferring are just a few of the players on the move.

Recently, ESPN took a look at which schools have recruited the best (insider) to have success in 2021 due to their recruiting. Although Brian Kelly’s efforts have been great, they didn’t make the main portion of the article, the Irish were mentioned in the second group of teams.

Being on the list alone is a good omen for Notre Dame, as the list of players moving on that were major contributors from this past season is significant. Luckily, Kelly has done a great job accumulating talent in South Bend, giving hope that 2021 won’t have a similar result as the 2016 season did.

Per the ESPN article, the Irish will have 38 players returning to the 2021 roster at the current moment that were ranked inside their top 300. So what does that mean for the ‘21 season?

There will be some bumps in the road with many of the younger players getting their first significant amount of playing time, but that doesn’t mean it will be all bad. This past year saw multiple freshman (cornerback Clarence Lewis, tight end Michael Mayer, running back Chris Tyree, defensive end Rylie Mills and linebacker Jordan Botelho) each show flashes of their futures. The first three really shined and you can add Jordan Johnson to the list as well.

Second-year players like safety Kyle Hamilton, interior lineman Zeke Correll, defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey, running back Kyren Williams, linebacker Marist Liufau, and punter Jay Bramblett were major contributors. This group will need to continue to grow.

As for the 2018 class which was ranked in as the 10th best class nationally, they have struggled to make a significant mark. Griffith transferring along with quarterback Phil Jurkovec already leaving and wide receiver Kevin Austin unable to stay healthy has hurt the classes outlook. Those three were the top ranked players in the class. There, however, have been contributors from that class, with include linebacker Jack Lamb, wide receiver Braden Lenzy and tight end George Takacs, linebacker Bo Bauer and center Jarrett Patterson. This class needs to step up in a big way for the Irish to be successful this coming season.

I haven’t even touched on the potential incoming-freshman contributors, which include tackle Blake Fisher, wide receiver Deion Colzie, guard Rocco Spindler, quarterback Tyler Buchner, linebacker Prince Kollie and other talented players.

The schedule isn’t quite daunting, the first three games should give Kelly plenty of time to get the pups feet wet before their big contest against Wisconsin in Chicago.

In my opinion the Irish are not rebuilding, but they aren’t quite reloading. Having a regular spring schedule will be extremely important for this team. The reps and practice time will further develop the players who don’t have as much experience. We should not see another year like 2016.

Notre Dame Football: 2021 Early signing day superlatives

With the 2021 early signing period having come and gone, here are some superlatives for the Notre Dame Football recruiting class.

The early signing day has come and went, with it’s normal drama which the Irish saw plenty of. There was a surprise signature from Ron Powlus Jr., two Friday flips (from MSU Audric Estime and from LSU Khari Gee) while the Irish are battling instate LSU to retain the signature of running back Logan Diggs. As we look back on the 8th best recruiting class in the nation according to the 247Sports composite, let’s take a look a some superlatives for the newest incoming Notre Dame football stars of tomorrow.

Signed: Notre Dame offensive guard Rocco Spindler

Michigan offensive guard Rocco Spindler signed with Notre Dame today.

The Irish have signed Michigan offense guard Rocco Spindler, six-foot-four-inches and 315-pounds.

 

247Sports composite ranking: 60

247Sports positional composite ranking: 3

Welcome to the Irish family Rocco!

Notre Dame Football: Early signing day prospect decisions to watch

There’s always plenty of drama on signing day, here are a few notable Notre Dame storylines to follow for tomorrow.

It has become increasingly common for the majority of prospects to verbally commit and then sign with their school of choice during the early signing period, which begins tomorrow. There is always drama on signing day, wether it is in mid-December or the traditional first Wednesday of February. Right now the Irish have 24 committed players, but that number could move. Here are a few things to watch for with Notre Dame players who have committed, aren’t committed, or could be on flip watch tomorrow.

 

Must see: A top-prospect shares Notre Dame acceptance letter

Getting accepted to your dream school is an incredible accomplishment, and a star Notre Dame recruit shared his experience with the public.

For any living being with a heartbeat, the moment in the movie “Rudy” when our hero surprises his father with a visit to the steel mill and shows him his acceptance letter to the University of Notre Dame.

The dad is understandably thrilled and shares the news with all of his co-workers by getting on the loud-speaker at the mill.

It’s not the same circumstances by most measures but it was still a cool video to watch on Wednesday when one of Notre Dame’s top commitments in the 2021 recruiting class, offensive guard Rocco Spindler, shared his acceptance letter from Notre Dame with his father.

Spindler shared the video on his Twitter page Wednesday:

A few great parts from this include, but not limited to:

  • “Hey dad, you mind reading this?  Notre Dame sent me something, I gotta go do something”
  • Dad responds with, “It looks like it’s made out to you”
  • The obvious happiness that fills that house upon the elder Mr. Spindler reading the news loud enough for all to hear.

Congratulations on the accomplishment, Rocco, and thanks for sharing.

Notre Dame Football: Meet the 2021 Recruiting Commitments

Find out more about Notre Dame’s stars of tomorrow right here in the 2021 recruiting class commitments!

Notre Dame had big dreams of their 2021 recruiting class and despite not hitting a home run on their most desired playmaker and one of the nation’s top receivers dropping his commitment, the Fighting Irish still stand in pretty good shape.

The Irish have 20 commitments in the 2021 class and are ranked 11th nationally according to 247Sports. Although it’s not what Brian Kelly had in mind when he stated his goal was to land a class in the top five, it’s one with a bunch of high-side potential players who offer a lot of versatility where they can line up.

Here are the commitments in Notre Dame’s 2021 recruiting class. Be sure to check back often and see who has been added or removed themselves from the list.

Midweek Recruiting Update: Johnson offer, latest on Colzie, and more

A look at the latest recruiting news for Notre Dame Football.

It’s safe to say that it’s been fairly quiet on the recruiting trail for the Irish. The coaching staff changed that last night, as they offered Northwestern commit Theran Johnson.

The instate cornerback has been committed to the ‘Cats since May 3 of this year, Johnson is a very solid prospect. He stands six-feet tall and weights 170-pounds. The offer should catch Johnsons attention as aside from Northwestern, every other one of his offers are from non-Power Five schools.

I love this offer, Johnson is a player that might take some time to develop, but getting some of the better talent in Indiana to play for the Irish is a positive development. Almost all of the top 25 players in the state are heading off to a Power Five team, the Irish only have a commit from Blake Fisher. Yes, he’s a big one, literally and figuratively, the top overall player in the state.

Looking ahead at what’s to come for the Irish, the potential for Georgia wide receiver Deion Colzie to rejoin the class is looking better and better as we inch towards his commitment date on the 28th of this month.

Tom Loy, of Irish Illustrated, changed his crystal ball pick to the Irish. That gives me a ton of confidence that as of right now, Colzie is trending to rejoining Lorenzo Styles Jr. as the wide receivers in the 2021 class.

Right now the class consists of nine players on offense: quarterback Tyler Buchner, running back Logan Diggs, Styles Jr., Fisher, offensive tackle Joe Alt, guard Rocco Spindler, center Pat Coogan and tight end’s Mitchell Evans and Cane Berrong.

The defensive commits are a group of nine as well: defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio, defensive ends David Abiara and Jason Onye, linebackers Prince Collie and Will Schweitzer, and defensive backs Philip Riley, Ryan Barnes, Chance Tucker and Justin Walters.

The group of 18 players ranks 12th at ESPN, 13th at 247Sports and 11th at Rivals. Brian Kelly has a solid group of three players committed in the 2022 class: offensive tackle Joey Tanona, tight end Jack Nickel and safety Nolan Ziegler.

It has been a bit slow, but with Colzie’s timeline to recommit set and spatula being brought out to flip Johnson, there could be some positive movement for the Irish. Stay tuned to Fighting Irish Wire for the latest in Notre Dame Football recruiting.