Hopefully you enjoyed our overview of the 2021 Notre Dame recruiting class with recruit grades and some thoughts on the class. We started a deeper dive on each position group with the offensive backfield (and shoehorned the kicker into it), then we moved on to the guys whose main job is to catch the damn ball. Today we’re hanging out with the hogs up front.

As a reminder, here’s our standard grading scale for this exercise:

95-100: Truly elite prospect with All-American potential
90-94: Multi-year starter with All-conference level potential
85-89: Eventual starter with chance to play as underclassman
80-84: Raw prospect with decent potential but a couple years away from impact
75-79: Likely a backup
70-74: Reach by the coaching staff

Signees

.9739 97 Blake Fisher 6-6/336 Avon, IN OT * * * * *
.9715 90 Rocco Spindler 6-5/315 Clarkston, MI OG * * * * *
.8958 87 Caleb Johnson 6-7/295 Ocala, FL OT * * * * *
.8864 83 Joe Alt 6-7/283 Minneapolis, MN OT * * * * *
.8701 79 Pat Coogan 6-5/290 Chicago, IL OG * * * * *

OT Blake Fisher

18S Average: 96.7

Brendan: 98

It might sound a little odd to call a borderline top 50 prospect underrated, but man, how are there seven tackles better than this kid in this class? On the 2019 camp circuit Fisher dominated older kids without even breaking a sweat, and honestly, it doesn’t look like anything has changed. He has an absolutely freakish mix of size and agility, he’s mean as hell, and he’s a really smart football player. How well he can maintain weight could decide whether he ends up on the edge or inside, but super high ceiling either way. He showed up to early enrollment looking somewhat more svelte, so good start there already. Future first rounder.

Eric: 96

Sensational agility and ability to move for someone with such massive size at his age. His technique already looks refined, too. Scary combo. He obviously brings a lot of power against high school competition and does a good job keeping his pad-level low. Fisher is clearly one of the best offensive linemen prospects of the Kelly era and with his size and skill will be tough to keep off the field in a major role past his freshman season.

Tyler: 96

Watch Blake Fisher’s film and you’ll just end up feeling bad for whoever he has lined up against him. He possesses rare a blend of hulking size, power, and mobility that you only see in maybe a few guys each cycle. And if he’s this impressive now — as a 330-pound high schooler — I can only imagine what his potential is once Balis is able to start working with him. Some people look at his body type and have him pegged for guard, but I think his length and mobility will offer some positional flexibility.

OG Rocco Spindler

18S Average: 89.7

Brendan: 92

I love everything about Rocco but I think he’s a little farther away than Fisher. He’s extremely powerful and extraordinarily mean, which has drawn some comparisons to quasi-mentor Quenton Nelson. That’s overdoing it because he’s much less polished than Nelson was, probably at least in part because he also played a lot of defense and he wrestled at a high level. Those are both good things though; he’s an offensive lineman who plays with the edge of a defensive lineman, and has a superb grasp of how to use leverage and power. He also moves really well, so I expect he’ll be an effective puller. His father Mark had a solid NFL career on the defensive line and was recruited by Lou Holtz before deciding to stay home (at Pitt, in his case). Thankfully the son didn’t follow suit.

Eric: 88

Fires off the ball with vengeance. Moves around really well for a guard and looks quite athletic. I’m curious to see his size as a freshman. He doesn’t look real tall but is filled out nicely at his age, plus his dad is enormous and there still could be significant growth remaining in the coming months. I always find interior offensive linemen the most difficult to project. Spindler seems to have the mental makeup and skills to flourish in college. I’m probably not as high on his ceiling as others, though.

Tyler: 89

I really like Rocco’s ability to pull or get out in space on screens and immediately determine the right guy to block. That skill requires a level of intuition that a lot of high school players lack. He moves really well, although I don’t think I’d call him elite athletically. He plays smart and with the type of nasty attitude that is absolutely necessary to play on the interior for Notre Dame. 

OT Caleb Johnson

18S Average: 86.7

Brendan: 86

Way more comfortable as a run blocker right now, so he’ll need some work before he can crack the rotation. He’s definitely a mauler though, and he moves really well. You know how sometimes people describe OTs as dancing bears? Johnson is better described as an angry bear. I would guess he’ll take a couple of years to hone his technique and rein in his, uh, enthusiasm a bit, and then he’ll contribute. Good upside.

Eric: 87

Tremendous fire off the ball and quickness out of his stance. He doesn’t look near 300 pounds to me in high school which is completely fine given his physicality and strength. There’s not much film on him as a tackle. Even though he’s bigger I see a very high ceiling at guard. He reminds me a lot of Alex Bars, someone who will come in and try tackle but move to guard and be a really good player for the Irish.

Tyler: 87

Has ideal size and athleticism for a right tackle, but his skill set right now could allow him to see the field quicker at guard. Moves really well, really quick off the snap. He an intuitive player who understands his blocking assignments and he does a tremendous job as a drive blocker just absolutely burying dudes.

OT Joe Alt

18S Average: 82.7

Brendan: 88

Fun and perhaps relevant facts: Joe’s dad John was a two-time Pro Bowl OL for the Chiefs, and his brother Mark has had a few cups of coffee as a defenseman in the NHL. Joe played TE early in his high school career but focused more on OL as senior as he filled out. He’s reportedly already up around 290 while maintaining his movement. I think his upside is tremendous; after a couple of years in a college weight program and with full focus on the offensive line, I think he could start on the edge and possibly develop into a Day 2 draft pick or better. He’s that promising.

Eric: 80

Alt is really tough to evaluate because he’s so skinny. He actually moves really well in the open field as a tight end. It seems like he’s destined to become an offensive tackle but there still could be a future as a jumbo tight end, too. It’s tough to get on the field at Notre Dame when you’re not a blue-chip lineman (especially at tackle), so I feel like I’m dropping his grade a little since he’s a project. But, he’s a worthy project! Add in a bonus from his bloodline and he’s someone who could be a starter late in his career.

Tyler: 80

I just have this feeling that Joe Alt’s Notre Dame career is going to go one of two ways: either he never sees the field in any meaningful way, or he develops into a day 1 or 2 draft pick at left tackle. No in-between. He’s a project, but exactly the kind of project you want to take. Just so many physical tools to work with between the height and the length and the athleticism. I’m high on his skill set, but the uncertainty with him never really playing offensive line until this year is keeping me from giving him a higher grade.

OG Pat Coogan

18S Average: 79.0

Brendan: 81

Woo, is Coogan mean. He clearly studied etiquette at the Quenton Nelson Finishing School, given that he never fails to offer a pancaked opponent some hot herbal refreshment. There’s not a whole lot on film other than running plays where he just flattens people over and over. But hey, that’s good stuff! He’s strong and extremely physical. Definitely an interior guy, and definitely needs work on pass blocking and probably a little conditioning, but he could be a player in time.

Eric: 78

This kid loves to play offensive line, that’s for sure. Relishes a good pancake and leisurely staying on top of the opponent. Coogan moves pretty well and can pull with decent athleticism. He’s a big kid already with strong, thick legs. He shows off some long-snapping and coverage skills which should make him versatile in college. I think his power for someone nearly 300 pounds is just okay coming out of high school. He’s a bit of a flier in this class for me.

Tyler: 78

Coogan’s a good player, but it will be tough for him to make his way into the rotation any time soon considering how stacked the OL room is with more naturally gifted athletes. He’s been recruited to play center, which I think is a good fit for him. He’s the type of kid who would end up starting at most schools in the country but will have a tougher time getting into the rotation in South Bend.