The latest I have heard is that the leak of private information was way premature.
I think someone actually talked to Mike Frank about it. As in 'talked to.'
I don't believe anything was carved in stone, and what we all have been obsessing about was just the kind of thing that is kind of a what if, that we all at least occasionally entertain.
Remember like with us, entertaining does not necessarily mean even having a sleepover.
And from what I have heard, it wasn't for a position in 'politics.'
Also to put a period at the end of the sentence, with all the speculation on how Elmer's performance actually graded out :
The rest of Keith's article can be found at NBC, Inside the Irish; Last Look : Offensive Line
Last Look: Offensive Line – Inside the Irish
I really have looked at a lot of footage of the offensive line. I do not in any way believe Steve Elmer is slow, let alone too slow. Also, I believe he is a much better athlete than most believe.
But look at his build verses say Sam Mustipher, or even commit, Parker Boudreaux. Steve is a lot longer, with less weight (proportionally) in the legs. All the other successful guards at Notre Dame in recent years, have been (relatively) thicker. Hell, even Zack Martin is thicker! (That was ZMartin's biggest knock by experts at tackle!)
So that makes it doubly important for Steve Elmer to keep his weight low. Mike McGlinchey had the same problem at tackle, among other things when we first saw him play. I think that was why he didn't break into the lineup earlier, and when he made the correction, turned out to be an opponent destroyer, and our highest rated lineman this past season! Also, if you watch 'Q,' he looks to have been born keeping his weight low.
Maybe it is good coaching from a young age, maybe martial arts contributed, efficient form is everything, but Q from day one had his center low and could deliver a blow at any time, even while pulling. And I believe that is why Steve faces his biggest problem : he gets downfield rather quickly; he just whiffs a lot. He is out of control, off balance and cannot correct, or deliver a blow as needed.
To sharpen this point, after watching some Bama game film, and not just this year, (They won the inaugural Joe Moore Award over ND), every lineman plays with incredible technique. They are not a 'fast' offensive line as much as they keep things low, and can deliver a blow at any time. That helps with a blitz, where you are outmanned at a gap. Adjustments to pick it up are much easier to make, regardless of scheme. And it is true, Alabama does not block area exclusively like ND.
Here is what else Keith had to say about Steve :
Needs Improvement: Steve Elmer needs to rally in his senior season. One look at PFF’s grades makes it apparent that Elmer had a down season. No starter had a grade even close to the negative number the junior put up. After seeing the field as a true freshman starter and then yo-yo’ing between tackle and guard as a sophomore, most expected consistency from Elmer in 2015. That wasn’t the case.
There’s still plenty to like about Elmer’s future and every reason to think he can not just rebound in 2016 but find a way to play on Sundays. He’s got exceptional size for an interior player. He’s a good enough athlete. But Elmer needs to correct his “big miss,” and we’ve seen it all too often in the run game as he’s badly whiffed on a block when his technique and body get out of position.
Last week rumors swirled after Irish Sports Daily’s Power Hour mentioned that Elmer might be considering an academics-only senior year, leaving behind his final season of eligibility. (I haven’t heard that rumor.) That move would force the Irish staff to replace a 30-game starter. Elmer’s far too talented to take off the field, but his backups also are too good to concede a starting job to someone underperforming. So Elmer will need to rebound in 2016 for the line—and Elmer—to reach their potential.
