Quick-hitters: Notre Dame OL coach Joe Rudolph on guard competition, Joe Alt
Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph met with reporters Friday after the Irish’s tenth spring practice. Here are some topics he discussed.
On how Notre Dame’s guard competition is playing out
“It has been really good. You want to identify who could be ready. Ready can mean different things. There’s a physicality. There’s the ability to execute with technique. There’s the ability to be consistent with technique and physicality. There’s a mental side. Do you know what to do and how to do it?
“When you find that group of guys who can be consistent, who can consistently be the best them when everything is moving, when guys are shifting, there’s yelling, who won’t flinch in that moment. Just because a guy isn’t there yet doesn’t mean he won’t get there in time. That’s why you have to keep working to develop.”
On the main candidates at guard
“There has been a good battle. Left guard, Billy Schrauth has been working along with Pat Coogan. They have got the majority of the reps there. It really freed Pat up going to guard. I see his footwork getting better. I think it’s more natural for him. It has been a good battle. I know I could take Tosh (Baker) if need be and give him an opportunity at guard.
“On the right side, it has been a really good battle between Andrew (Kristofic) and Rocco (Spindler). Andrew has been really steady. He has been out there before. He knows it. Rocco continues to get better from where he started to where he is now. He and Ashton Craig have probably made the most growth. That has been cool to see, the guys who are earning their own confidence and getting there.
“At the same time, (tackle) Aamil (Wagner) is someone who could be one of the best five. There’s a lot of competition going forward. This Saturday will be big. Next week will be big. Those are your tests and what you’re evaluating off of to see who can do it in the moment.”
On keeping Tosh Baker engaged when he’s behind two star tackles
“You have to concentrate on always having a plan. What are the things you need to address? I’m not worried about who’s in front of me. I’m worried about, ‘How do I get better at the things I need to get better at?’ You have to have trust that there’s a vision that sees you and always has a vision of trying to put the best five guys on the field together. Those things need to go hand in hand.
“The thing I shared with him along the way was I told him he would get most of his reps at tackle. But he’s someone who could absolutely go inside. That’s kind of what we’re working through in this last week and a half.”
On facing a lot of blitzes in practice from Notre Dame’s defense
“There’s a good and a bad. The good to that is you have to be on your cues, your communication, your execution. You have to play well to help this guy not only play well, but to survive practice. If you don’t play well enough, you’re going to get the guy next to you beat up and worn out. There’s a lot of responsibility that falls on your shoulders in being able to execute through that. That’s a positive. You have to be ready to go and detailed up, because you’re not going to get one thing that isn’t extremely challenging from a mental and physical perspective.
“On the negative side, you can’t let a lot of things moving around, guys dancing in and out, three-man twist games, you can’t get lost in the gray. You have to find a way to physically execute your assignment through some of the most difficult movement patterns you might see. You might see harder things in one day than you see in that whole year.
“Can you execute? Can you stay true to it? Can you work with pad level? Can you get your feet down? Can you do the little things that matter and not let it get gray? That’s where you learn about whether someone can do the right thing at the right time in the heat of the moment. Sometimes, it can stunt some guys’ growth. You tend to teach the exception to the exception to the rule before you get to teach the rule. That’s a hard way to teach sometimes, but it’s what’s presented.”
On tackle Joe Alt
“There’s a skill set – some guys just have amazing talent, amazing athleticism, amazing size. Some guys have a quality of a leadership and a grit and a way they’re going to get it done in the moment. They’re going to be a great leader and make guys around them better. But you don’t always find that all in one guy. He’s as close as I’ve got to seeing it all in one guy. He brings it in all facets, and it’s much appreciated.”
On getting to coach Billy Schrauth after he recruited him at Wisconsin
“Billy is a phenomenal young man. He went through the recruiting process probably as good as you can. He struggled with some things, probably leaning one way at times and leaned other ways at times. As hard as we work on stuff, sometimes God gets you where you’re supposed to be. Working with him has been great. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. We’re together here and I’m grateful for that opportunity.”
