Hmmm... have not heard that subtlety about Lugg (I'll continue my response here because it is really related to all this "where go Patterson and Correll?" discussion.) Lugg seems better than his performance last season (although my viewing of his last half performance was pretty good analyzed play-by-play.) I've assumed that a healthier player would play even better especially as games wore on into the second halves. Given those not unreasonable assumptions, and the veteran experience of the player, and the very normal trajectory of an OLineman getting more and more "MAN" in his last years, including Lugg in the starting five seemed a given, at least as an initial coach's eye position. And that seemed absolutely correct in the Spring. With Alt and Fisher as the untouchable bookends, Lugg should go inside. He seems on the surface to be nearly a Kraemer clone --- monstrously powerful and made for the meathouse. (For objectors to Kraemer, if there still are such misguided souls, check the Lions roster last season and note that he got playing time a lot once they got to see him operate --- even started once.)
So Lugg should "naturally" go to guard, and be Kraemer. Leaving us to sort out Patterson, Correll, and Kristovic and whoever else might rise up. But why can't Lugg "be comfortable" at Guard? This almost sounds made up. But if it isn't, then we're stuck with "uncomfortableness" with the two-sided chaos which a great guard has to negotiate. The "Space Control" of a Tackle is large but relatively simple. The Space Control for a Guard is condensed and dynamically in flux on both sides of him. Could Lugg be poor-sighted in one direction? One of my brothers was (made up for it by being a Q Nelson style blaster who knocked the opponent on his ass a good bit of the time.) Is Lugg too one-sided in his agility? Can he not suddenly turn one of the ways to shift to a blitz? I guess that's possible, just haven't heard anything specific enough to rise above dataless speculation.
It's VERY difficult for me to envision a 2022 ND OLine starting line-up without Josh Lugg at guard. AND if that is true, then the discussion in this thread is exactly on point for the other two spots. If All-American Center Patterson is at Center, then Correll might not be in the line-up. And Kristovic might instead ... or Coach finds another guy --- he certainly has a lot to choose from. And, I also find it hard to believe that we won't have a DAMM good Five Fingers of Doom, regardless of who Coach puts out there (assuming Alt, Fisher, and Patterson are three of them --- that's THREE All-American quality linemen folks.)
One further thing about Tackle vs Guard: If you get beat at Tackle, you usually know immediately why. That gives some strange comfort if you believe in yourself. If you get beat at Guard, the complexity of what just happened may remain confusing. And leave you "discomforted" to put it in civilized terms. If any of that is the case with Lugg, then he's overthinking things and needs to just buckle-up for the next play, trust his teammates and bury at least one opponent on that play. The opponents can't trick you multiple times in a row even with a great DC, and your team will navigate its share.
The only other thing that I can think of is similar: If you overthink things you don't spontaneously react as quickly. Maybe Josh is too cerebral and hesitates in the midst of chaos just a blink. Hope that's not true. Picture the common well-disguised DT/DE arc game which drags the guard toward the OT and suddenly the DE loops around into the gap. Need not to stop to blink on things like that. But snaps often cure most of that via anticipation of things already seen. All of that reasoning gives me hope that Lugg is OK.
