I know it’s not ideal with the amount of time he’s missed and recovering from an injury, but they were talking about him like he was a future first round pick prior to the start of the season.
Knapp has been solid and has improved a lot, but I was watching these two Georgia guys on YouTube break down our game vs IU and they mentioned Knapps struggles in pass pro. I wasn’t thrilled with the offensive line versus IU. Leonard is so good back there that we haven’t really paid the price for the offensive lines play.
I get the offensive line is a well oiled machine that needs communication and comfortability with one another. I just think about Georgia’s front seven and how big, fast and physical they are. With Spindler out, I wonder if the offensive line has more potential with Jagusah at tackle and maybe moving Knapp inside?
I played defensive back so for any of the o line guys, is the talk about the offensive lines ability to play as a unit overstated? Or is it that important?
Not an offensive line guy; but no, this importance isn’t overstated. In Basketball, it’s easy to see teams that defend best by how they communicate and know to switch or don’t switch to manage around or under screens and the pick and roll, etc…. In football, this level of communication and coordination among offensive linemen happens on every play, but is most obvious on pass protection. Our OL was anything but a well oiled machine when we played Texas A&M, and it’s a testament to Leonard’s mobility that their DL didn’t dominate that game.
Knapp is not your prototypical OT, and certainly not by ND standards. He was our third string true freshman LT going into Fall. Rudolph recruited him as a tackle and sang his praises even while rating agencies proclaimed Knapp to be an interior guy at the college level. Jagusah goes down, Baker’s limitations are on full display at practice, and Rudolph rolled the dice with Knapp. During the first half of the season, there were numerous plays where Knapp either failed to handle his man in pass protection, or literally failed to pick up stunts, etc… and Leonard was forced to scramble. By seasons end, Knapp still struggles against inside rush moves, but is much more assignment correct in coordination with Schrauth in picking up blitzes and stunts, etc…. I think Knapp is an interior guy, not a tackle, but that’s for next year to sort out, not the playoffs. So no, you don’t mess with this position at this time of year.
If Rocco is a no go at RG, you strictly focus on who to insert without disrupting the other four OL. I said previously that Pendleton is talented and aggressive, but not at all position correct and plays without much thought or discipline. Time and experience might resolve this, but doubt we can expect much improvement over his play which lost him his starting position early in the season. Jagusah is most likely a guard going forward, and that’s where he has been practicing, and I sure as hell would be giving him a long look over Pendleton if I were Rudolph, if Pendleton was our only alternative. But we have others to consider, and I think someone like Absher gets really strong consideration. A huge decision for Rudolph. One thing for sure, there will be miscommUnication and missed assignments on the right side if Coogan and Wagner have an unfamiliar guard playing alongside. Need to minimize the impact by moving the pocket, etc…
