'14 MD OG/DT Sam Mustipher (Notre Dame Signee)

[BeauBenken]

Already on the UND signee list.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Excellent

 

[Domina Nostra]

Now that we are not desperate to sign DTs in this class, I would reiterate that I still think this kid should start at DT.

1) He is good at it
2) He is a freshman, so Kelly can afford the experiment
3) He is the shortest OLman, and we have no immediate need for centers (and no real future need) barring an injury to Hoge
4) OG is stacked. There are probably 8 guys ahead of him for the current 3 inside spots, not countiing guys like Nelson wo would slide in. But you don't actually have 5 back-ups, you really only use 2-3. Long story short, he is not playing any time soon.

Lombard-------Hegarty------Martin

1) Connor Hanratty, Sr. '15
2) Mark Harrell, Jr. '16
3) Colin McGovern, So. '17
4) Hunter Biven
5) John Montelus, So. '17
6) [Quetin Nelson]

5) At DT, he might actually get in the rotation. Theire are only two guys, both of whom he is bigger than, and neither of whom played, in front of him. He'd be competing with Cage and Mokwuah, and my guess he'd be better at holding his position at this stage in the game.

Rochelle-------Jones--------Day
Hounselll----Springman----Hayes

1) Justin Utopo, GS '14
2) Jacob Matuska, So. '17

I think we need the DT depth.

 

[Emcee77]

It all makes sense to me.

I was surprised when someone asked BK during today's presser whether Mustipher might play defensive line and Kelly simply said "offensive," as if no explanation was necessary. Apparently it's something the staff didn't even discuss.

 

[Domina Nostra]

It all makes sense to me.

I was surprised when someone asked BK whether Mustipher might play defensive line during today's presser and Kelly simply said "offensive," as if no explanation was necessary. Apparently it's something the staff didn't even discuss.

Kelly is a tinkerer, he'll come around during the fall when they notice that they are realying on two guys coming off surgery (Springmann and Hounshell) and 2 other guys recruited at DE (Day and Jones)!

 

[Whiskeyjack]

It all makes sense to me.

I was surprised when someone asked BK whether Mustipher might play defensive line during today's presser and Kelly simply said "offensive," as if no explanation was necessary. Apparently it's something the staff didn't even discuss.

He found the suggestion so absurd as to be offensive?

 

[Domina Nostra]

Cage and Mokwuah were specifically recruited for DT depth. Mustipher was specifically recruited to be a monster, road grader Guard.

Yeah, but he's only 6'3" tops--I love his attitude, which is why I think he coult work at DT, but how big can he really get compared to our other guys?

I wonder what he'll think once they realize how many quality O-Linemen we have and how fragile our depth at DT is.

 

[Emcee77]

He found the suggestion so absurd as to be offensive?

Haha nsis but if so, Kelly was dismissively telling the reporter that Mustipher was recruited to play "offensive" line, not defensive line. I probably paraphrased the exchange awkwardly.

 

[Ironman8]

Yeah, but he's only 6'3" tops. I wonder once they realize how many quality O-Linemen we have and how fragile our depth at DT is.

How is our depth at Guard less 'fragile' then the depth at DT? If you are looking at a 3 man front, which you had before, first off all it's filling for 1 position over 2. If your not, and it's a 4 man front, then you add in guys like Rochell, Hayes, Hounshell, etc.

At Guard, we have a 5th year starter, a new starter (guessing Hanratty), then a bunch of unknowns, most coming off injury. McGovern and Montelus are specifically coming off significant injuries, and have not shown anything suggesting they can step in next year as of yet. Harell hasn't been able to crack the 2 deep. Bivin is promising, but an unknown.

DT you have Jones, Springman, possibly Matuska depending on how he grows, Cage and Mokwuah for one position. That's a ton of depth for one position IMO. As stated above, if it's a 4 man, then you have Jones, Day, Rochell, Hounshell, Springman, Utupo, Matuska, Cage, Hayes and Mokwuah for 2 spots. Again, a ton of depth.

I don't think you move a kid like Mustipher unless you have a dire need or he is going to be a significant improvement to what you could have there. I don't think either are true.

 

[ResLife Hero]

4) OG is stacked. There are probably 8 guys ahead of him for the current 3 inside spots, not countiing guys like Nelson wo would slide in. But you don't actually have 5 back-ups, you really only use 2-3. Long story short, he is not playing any time soon.

Lombard-------Hegarty------Martin

1) Connor Hanratty, Sr. '15
2) Mark Harrell, Jr. '16
3) Colin McGovern, So. '17
4) Hunter Biven
5) John Montelus, So. '17
6) [Quetin Nelson]

Not saying Mustipher to D won't happen, but why do you think QNelson will play guard? He's bigger than ZMartin, has a massive wingspan (over 6'10"), was complimented for being light on his feet and handling edge rushers in both pre-season camps and all-star practices, and he started at LT in the all-star game. I think he could play guard if that's where he was needed, but I think he'd be best used on the edge.

I also just think Mustipher could be an excellent guard and would rather see him opening holes for our RBs to consistently run through.

 

[Domina Nostra]

How is our depth at Guard less 'fragile' then the depth at DT? . . . If your not, and it's a 4 man front, then you add in guys like Rochell, Hayes, Hounshell, etc.

I don't think you move a kid like Mustipher unless you have a dire need or he is going to be a significant improvement to what you could have there. I don't think either are true.

I am thinking 4-3, and I agree his move is no longer necessary by any stretch.

IBut if 2 big d-linemen got hurt we would be in a whole lot more trouble than if 2 OLinemen got hurt. That is the long and the short of it for me. And two of the guys in our rotation were out the entire year with injuries!

At OG... Depending on how good McGlinchey is, we could see these 6 guys battling it out for the 3 interior spots. Unlike DL, there is so little rotating that you move your 3rd best OT inside rather than leave him as depth, if it gets your best 5 on the field:

These are the guys I'd be confident to play right now:
1) Steve Elmer, '16
2) Christian Lombard, GS '14
3) Matt Hegarty, Sr. '15
4) Connor Hanratty, Sr. '15
5) Nick Martin, Sr. '15
6) Mark Harrell, Jr. '16

I personally think Nelson will also be a factor
7) Quentin Nelson

And I would not count out Biven
8) Hunter Biven

That leaves Mustipher in this group
Colin McGovern, So. '17
John Montelus, So. '17
Sam Mustipher
Jimmy Byrne

So I see 5 guys ahead of "the other guys" before any of them would be the back-up OG: Hanratty, Martin, Harell, Nelson, and Biven.


At 4-3 DT.... You need to rotate a lot more. I think a 6 man rotation is ideal.

Here are the guys that could play SDE or 1 of the 2 DTs spots:
1) Tony Springmann, Sr. '15
2) Jarron Jones, Jr. '16 (???)
3) Sheldon Day, Jr. '15
4) Chase Hounshell, Sr. '15
5) Isaac Rochell, Fr. '16

After that its:
6) Justin Utopo, GS '14
7) Jay Hayes

That leaves Mustipher in this group
Jacob Matuska, So. '17
Peter Mokwuah
Daniel Cage
Sam Mustipher
Grant Blankenship

Whereas only 1 guy separates the other guys from the DT rotation: Utopo or Hayes

And it would not suprise me to see Chase of Springman go down, leaving us much thinner, IMHO. Personally, I would be more confident with a Sam having gone through the fall knowing he might have to see the field.

 

[Domina Nostra]

How is our depth at Guard less 'fragile' then the depth at DT? . . . If your not, and it's a 4 man front, then you add in guys like Rochell, Hayes, Hounshell, etc.

I don't think you move a kid like Mustipher unless you have a dire need or he is going to be a significant improvement to what you could have there. I don't think either are true.

I am thinking 4-3. And I agree that the move is no longer necessary now that we got Cage and the big man.

But if 2 DTs got hurt we would be in a whole lot more trouble than if 2 OGs got hurt, is the long and the short of it for me. And two of the guys in our rotation were out the entire year with injuries!

At OG... Depending on how good McGlinchey is, we could see these 6-8 guys battling it out for the 3 interior spots. Unlike DL, there is so little rotating that you move your 3rd best OT inside rather than leave him as depth, if it gets your best 5 on the field:

These are the guys I'd be confident to play right now:
1) Steve Elmer, '16
2) Christian Lombard, GS '14
3) Matt Hegarty, Sr. '15
4) Connor Hanratty, Sr. '15
5) Nick Martin, Sr. '15
6) Mark Harrell, Jr. '16

I personally think Nelson will also be a factor
7) Quentin Nelson

And I would not count out Biven
8) Hunter Biven

That leaves Mustipher in this group
Colin McGovern, So. '17
John Montelus, So. '17
Sam Mustipher
Jimmy Byrne

So I see 5 guys ahead of one of the "other guys" for the next OG spot: Hanratty, Martin, Harell, Nelson, and Biven.


At 4-3 DT.... You need to rotate a lot more. I think a 6 man rotation is ideal.

Here are the guys that could play SDE or 1 of the 2 DTs spots:
1) Tony Springmann, Sr. '15
2) Jarron Jones, Jr. '16 (???)
3) Sheldon Day, Jr. '15
4) Chase Hounshell, Sr. '15
5) Isaac Rochell, Fr. '16

After that its:
6) Justin Utopo, GS '14
7) Jay Hayes

That leaves Mustipher in this group
Jacob Matuska, So. '17
Peter Mokwuah
Daniel Cage
Sam Mustipher
Grant Blankenship

So I see only 1 guy ahead of the "other guys" to get into the DT rotation: either Utopo or Hayes

And it would not suprise me to see Chase of Springman go down, leaving us much thinner, IMHO.

 

[Ironman8]

1) I'll bet you all my vBucks right now that Elmer plays Tackle.
2) One of your Guards has to play Center, so take away another #
3) Don't know how you are 'confident' Harell could slide in right now at a Guard spot in the lineup, since he has shown literally nothing to this point to back that up.
4) 6 guy rotation at DT is fine, and you named 7. So even if one or two go down, only one or two from the bottom list is needed. One of the actual DTs, like Cage, Mokwuah or even possibly Matuska, could be the final piece in that emergency scenario. It is what they were recruited for.

All of this is probably moot anyway, as BK specifically addressed this question already. He would know better than you or I their plans, projections of prospects and assessments of depth.

 

[KPENN]

1) I'll bet you all my vBucks right now that Elmer plays Tackle.
2) One of your Guards has to play Center, so take away another #
3) Don't know how you are 'confident' Harell could slide in right now at a Guard spot in the lineup, since he has shown literally nothing to this point to back that up.
4) 6 guy rotation at DT is fine, and you named 7. So even if one or two go down, only one or two from the bottom list is needed. One of the actual DTs, like Cage, Mokwuah or even possibly Matuska, could be the final piece in that emergency scenario. It is what they were recruited for.

All of this is probably moot anyway, as BK specifically addressed this question already. He would know better than you or I their plans, projections of prospects and assessments of depth.

Isn't Biven a center or am I imagining things?

 

[Ironman8]

Isn't Biven a center or am I imagining things?

I expect the starting center to be whoever wins a battle between Martin and Hegarty, so obviously that guy can't also play Guard. The loser is probably the backup, with Bivin possibly third Center on the depth chart (although I know Harrell has snapped in the past, and they could ask Mustipher to learn).

 

[KPENN]

I expect the starting center to be whoever wins a battle between Martin and Hegarty, so obviously that guy can't also play Guard. The loser is probably the backup, with Bivin possibly third Center on the depth chart (although I know Harrell has snapped in the past, and they could ask Mustipher to learn).

Gotcha. Just thought I remember him practicing there, or it coulda been at the All-American game.

 

[Ironman8]

Gotcha. Just thought I remember him practicing there, or it coulda been at the All-American game.

Good memory - he did at the UA game. Earned high praise too.

 

[Domina Nostra]

1) I'll bet you all my vBucks right now that Elmer plays Tackle

But he is capable of playing OG. If an OG goes down, there is a good chance Elmer slides in and McGlinchy goes to RT if that combo works better. I think you are much more likely to see that than seeing Elmer with Mustipher at OG while McGlinchy rides the pine.

2) One of your Guards has to play Center, so take away another #

Why? I said they were competing for 3 interior spots... RG, C, and LG.

3) Don't know how you are 'confident' Harell could slide in right now at a Guard spot in the lineup, since he has shown literally nothing to this point to back that up.

I think he'd play before Mustipher.

4) 6 guy rotation at DT is fine, and you named 7. So even if one or two go down, only one or two from the bottom list is needed. One of the actual DTs, like Cage, Mokwuah or even possibly Matuska, could be the final piece in that emergency scenario. It is what they were recruited for.

I never said differently. The point is that the other guys are a lot closer to actually playing. If we are going to get to emeregency depth that fast, I'd like to see what Mustipher brings to the table. That's the whole point.

All of this is probably moot anyway, as BK specifically addressed this question already. He would know better than you or I their plans, projections of prospects and assessments of depth.

You think? Thanks!

 

[Ironman8]

Lol. Let's move on. He is not going to see the field in '14 anyway, so barring us not signing a couple DT-able types in '15, I don't think this discussion matters (if it did in the first place considering BK already specifically shot it down).

 

[Domina Nostra]

Lol. Let's move on. He is not going to see the field in '14 anyway, so barring us not signing a couple DT-able types in '15, I don't think this discussion matters (if it did in the first place considering BK already specifically shot it down).

Will do. But while I am a big Kelly supporter, I don't listen to anything he says to reporters. He'll change his mind on a dime (in these kind of things).

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Hanratty has to be a favorite for starting at guard this year.

It is interesting Kelly loves moving big skill and skill guys around, but he has never moved a just plain big guy around, except for Brad Curico and that other guy he inherited that he kept moving back and forth on the practice squad.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Hanratty has to be a favorite for starting at guard this year.



It is interesting Kelly loves moving big skill and skill guys around, but he has never moved a just plain big guy around, except for Brad Curico and that other guy he inherited that he kept moving back and forth on the practice squad.

Heggie? He was a Kelly recruit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dublinirish]

Hanratty has to be a favorite for starting at guard this year.

It is interesting Kelly loves moving big skill and skill guys around, but he has never moved a just plain big guy around, except for Brad Curico and that other guy he inherited that he kept moving back and forth on the practice squad.

If you are talking about Bruce Almighty i will neg rep you!!

 

[Domina Nostra]

If you are talking about Bruce Almighty i will neg rep you!!

Bogs speaks of the mighty Lane Clelland of Baltimore.

 

[Irish#1]

Hanratty has to be a favorite for starting at guard this year.

It is interesting Kelly loves moving big skill and skill guys around, but he has never moved a just plain big guy around, except for Brad Curico and that other guy he inherited that he kept moving back and forth on the practice squad.

I'm glad they don't play a lot of musical chairs with the O line. While Howard Mudd was the O line coach for the Colts, he would move guys around all the time. If a guy got hurt, instead of slotting in another guy that played that position, he would slide someone over, then insert the next guy. I understood his logic of wanting the best five guys, but he moved guys from one side of the ball to the other. Now a guys plant foot is the opposite of what he's used to, he has to remember to backpedal to the other side and he may have a guy playing nose to nose or 2 yards away so his blocking was a little different. Now the guy is thinking more than just playing. It's like trying to brush your teeth with the other hand. You can do it, but it's awkward.

 

[Old Man Mike]

As to Coach's ways: Kelly honors vets. He gives them the number one spots and then sees if they can defend them. If the number twos shine, they move up.

As to the OLine: the vets are Lombard, NMart, Stanley, Elmer, and Hanratty or Hegarty in that order. That looks like Stanley and Elmer at tackle to begin, and Lombard and ? at guard. Hiestand will decide whether he wants to begin NMart at Center [his "veteran" position] or guard. Depending on that, the "other guy" is Hegarty or Hanratty.

As to Bivin: Bivin will be a player who can play any position you want him to, and if he was on almost any other team other than the top 20 or so, they'd seriously consider him a tackle. Our own bigs are SO big that he almost surely will be a guard or a center. And in my guess, he will probably be the best of that species on the team except for Lombard even this coming year --- still he'll have to beat out NMart, Hegarty, Hanratty [two at least] to get in.

A comment has been made about one of your guards not being your back-up center --- while I agree with almost every other thing that poster said, this just isn't true. MANY OLines have their back-up center as one of their guards, as we ourselves have had in the not too distant past. OLine coaches have no qualms at all in creating Iron Fives with Best-next-man coming in almost anywhere --- though it's usually Best-next-tackle AND best-next-interior for a functional group of seven. Eight, Nine, Ten, "ready-to-play" is better, but real game function means Iron Five with two with their "helmets on".

Given that, my wild guess is that Hiestand sends Elmer// Hanratty// NMart// Lombard// Stanley out there [if everyone's healthy], secretly believing that it's REALLY going to be Elmer// NMart// Hegarty// Lombard// Stanley by fall practice, and maybe Elmer// NMart// Bivin// Lombard// Stanley sometime in game time. {or spin NMart out [I REALLY doubt it] and Hegarty in, shifting Bivin.}

Anything along those lines leaves you with the luxury of a REALLY good interior OLine sub [plus Hanratty] and looking for your tackle sub --- which everyone thinks is McGlinchey, but that's to be proved. --- that's 5+3 "ready". Who are the other two? We still have two of last year's mountains [McGovern and Montelus] unaccounted for. Both look like maybe interior, but cross-trainable.

The "rooks" don't yet figure, though if any of them are as good as their press clippings, I'd be tempted to let one "run with the big boys" as the back-up tackle who doesn't play, again assuming that he wows. Kelly and Hiestand will probably NOT do this.

Anyway, we will not see anything very clearly at all until after a couple of weeks of spring ball [or more] because of that stick-with-the-vets policy. Our great rookies, including Sam-the-Road-Grader will be watching the old guys and wishing they could hit somebody.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

The "rooks" don't yet figure, though if any of them are as good as their press clippings, I'd be tempted to let one "run with the big boys" as the back-up tackle who doesn't play, again assuming that he wows. Kelly and Hiestand will probably NOT do this.

I approve of calling OL newbies "rooks". Elicits appropriate chess-based imagery of a fortress or siege tower.

 

[Domina Nostra]

Great post, Bogs!

I think Nelson could give the coaches something to think about, like Elmer did this year, but the reality is that Elmer's enrolling early really opened that door.

 

[NDBoiler]

Great post, Bogs!

I think Nelson could give the coaches something to think about, like Elmer did this year, but the reality is that Elmer's enrolling early really opened that door.

I think you are mixing up our IE senior citizens

 

[ACamp1900]

I was like, "Bogs finally posted something meaningful, that made sense and was actually liked by someone... I have to see this." Searched the whole thread, couldn't find it... guess it make more sense now...