[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]by LOU SOMOGYI Associate Editor [/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]http://www.blueandgold.com/content/?aid=2085
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On Tuesday, the University of Notre Dame released the measurements of the football players when they reported back for preseason camp.
There are two updates done per year. One is after winter conditioning, prior to kicking off spring practice. The other occurs about five months later, after the summer workouts in which the biggest gains or losses are made. Unlike in the spring, the heights were rounded off. For example, instead of 6-foot-4 ½ for a player, it was 6-5. Also, keep in mind that weight loss is commonplace during the August practices.
Here are some top notes:
• It had been circulated through cyberspace this summer that quarterback Brady Quinn weighed in at 250 pounds. The figure on the Notre Dame chart, however, has him at 233. Notre Dame’s biggest starting quarterback had been 235-pound Jarious Jackson in 1999, although tight end Gary Godsey (245 pounds) did start two games at the position in 2000.
• At 6-5, 226, freshman Zach Frazer (Quinn was 210 as a freshman) was larger than we anticipated. When he made his official visit to Notre Dame as a high school senior, he was 6-4, 215.
• Freshman fullback Luke Schmidt, who could see action at tailback as well, checked in at 6-4, 252 pounds, or 22 pounds more than when he originally visited Notre Dame.
• The inside linebacker combination of Maurice Crum Jr. (6-0, 225) and Travis Thomas (6-0, 207) is as small and light as it’s been at Notre Dame in 35 years, a far cry from people such as 6-6, 251-pound Wes Pritchett or 6-2, 232-pound Ned Bolcar in the late 1980s. However, the Irish played a 3-4 defensive set back then, where large linebackers were needed. Charlie Weis reminded folks that in Notre Dame’s current 4-3 base, size is not as relevant at inside linebacker because the defensive tackles cover the gaps in the middle, shielding the inside backers. Still, larger players such as Joe Brockington at Will (6-2, 232) and freshman Toryan Smith (6-1, 244) could be in the rotation as well, maybe even in goal-line situations.
• It’s ironic how Thomas was viewed as the power back at 207 while the more elusive Darius Walker is 5-10, 210.
• It was surprising to see freshman receiver Robby Parris listed at 6-3. To the naked eye, he sometimes looks like the tallest wideout on the field, but that distinction still belongs to 6-5 Jeff Samardzija.
• Man-child Sam Young checked in at 6-8, 305. As a high school senior he was 6-7, 292. No wonder Maura Weis told her husband that Young already looked like an NFL lineman.
• Getting big for the sake of getting big is not the emphasis in the current strength program. For example, two of the other top offensive tackles on the Irish roster, senior Ryan Harris (6-5, 285) and fifth-year senior Brian Mattes (6-6, 284) are relatively light by today’s standards. Just think back to tackles in the early 2000s who weighed 330 (Mark LeVoir, before he slimmed down under Weis), 312 (Kurt Vollers) or 305 (Jordan Black).
• Freshman guard Chris Stewart, who was “two Big Macs away from 400,” according to strength and conditioning coach Ruben Mendoza, weighed in at a much more svelte 340. He was 367 at the end of winter conditioning, and then shed another 27 pounds during summer work.
• Last year safety Chinedum Ndukwe was in the 220-230 range because there was a chance he could move to linebacker. With that not being the case this year, Weis told Ndukwe to slim down – just as he did with Maurice Stovall last year – and Ndukwe weighed in at 209. [/FONT]