Position Analysis: Offensive Line
by: Brian Burke
August 16, 1999

The offensive line: the one thing that likely will determine whether Notre
Dame goes 11-1, 7-5, or somewhere in between.  Offensively the Irish have
enough at the skill positions to put up points, it only remains to be seen if
the line can give them the opportunities to make plays.  While backs and
receivers are often evaluated in terms of statistics, what is important for
the lineman is how well they play together.  The individuals in this group
certainly have talent (some more than others), but they lack the game
experience that is so crucial for five players to work as a cohesive unit.  To
what degree the offensive line comes together and avoids injuries will decide
the success of both the offense and ultimately, the entire team.  Here's a
look at the probable starters and other possible contributors.
Next to Jarious Jackson, the most important leader of the Notre Dame offense
is senior center John Merandi.  Merandi is one of the last good players Notre
Dame has managed to snag out of California in recent years, and going into his
second season as a starter has by far the most experience along the line. 
Last year Notre Dame had three NFL draft picks in the trenches on offense, but
offensive line coach Dave Borbely graded then junior Merandi out as the best
of the group.  Weighing just about 300 pounds, Merandi is not in the massive
mold of many former Irish linemen, but has very good strength and technique. 
As with the rest of the line, it will be less about swallowing up defensive
tackles with sheer size and more about being quick and getting leverage.
The only other player on this line with some kind of game experience is
senior right guard Mike Gandy.  Last year when Jerry Wisne was hurt Gandy
filled in and played well, prompting Davie to consider him a sort of sixth
starter.  Even though he is the lightest of the five starters, Gandy possesses
good footwork and athleticism that could work to his advantage in pulling
situations.  Gandy at times may go up against players on defense that are as
big or bigger than him, so it will be important for him to use his quickness
and beat his man off the line.  Just the same, despite any deficiencies in
size, Gandy showed last year that he is more than adequate.
On the other side of John Merandi is one of the strongest players on Notre
Dame's team, senior left guard Jim Jones.  Jones is in only his second year on
offense after spending his first two as a backup nose tackle.  Again, Jones is
one of the shorter, squatty types that needs to get under his opponent and
gain leverage.  He really has not seen any significant playing time, making it
difficult to understand any strengths or weaknesses.  Jones has made a name
for himself as a tremendous worker, especially in the weight room, and has
patiently waited for his chance to get on the field.  Ideally this is an
experienced senior who has been in the system long enough that lack of game
experience is not a huge factor early in the season.
Protecting Jackson's blind side in the left tackle spot is sophomore Jordan
Black.  During the spring Black displayed too much talent to be kept out of
the lineup.  He is the biggest of the five at 6'5" 313 pounds and besides pass
blocking will be a huge factor in making the running game work, particularly
when ND runs the option where he will be on the outside.  Black is thought to
have good quickness for his size and has made strides during the spring, but
must grow up very quickly when he plays college ball for the first time this
season.
The right tackle spot seems to be the most questionable of the question
marks.  Junior John Teasdale came out of spring drills as the starter by
default, while the coaching staff acknowledged that he needed improvement. 
Already he has been hurt during two-a-days and although he returned he must
earn his back his place on the first team, which is currently occupied by
junior Kurt Vollers.  Teasdale is more of the tall Mike Rosenthal type
lineman.  He has seen little fanfare since being at Notre Dame, probably due
to being stuck behind obvious starters.  If Teasdale is the starter, and he
plays well, that would be a big step toward Notre Dame having a good offensive
line.  He is considered the biggest concern among these lineman because he
does not appear to have the obvious talent of Jordan Black, nor has he proven
himself in games as John Merandi and Mike Gandy have.  As for Vollers, he was
a big recruit for Notre Dame and since an initial move from defense to offense
has been a contender to break into the lineup, but for now does not appear to
be the clear answer at right tackle.
Inevitably some lineman will get hurt this season and be unable to play for
at least a short period of time.  Notre Dame is looking for five solid
linemen, but they'll need more than that.  As for backups, these roles could
be filled by several of the five freshmen that arrived two weeks ago.  It
usually is hard for freshmen linemen to play right away because they rarely
have the required strength right out of high school.  This year some may have
to anyway, and Jeff Faine appears to be the most ready to play early.  He was
recruited as a center, but has the size, strength, toughness, and agility to
fit in at other positions.  He arrived on campus with an injury, so along with
learning the offense, being 100% will be his biggest concern.  Other than
that, Ryan Gillis and Brennan Curtin have looked good early.  Sean Milligan
has been hurt, while Neal Ambron probably will be red shirted to gain some
weight.  All in all, if more than one (two at the very most) freshman linemen
play this year, it probably means ND is in trouble.
As for other backups, sophomore guard Ryan Scarola is probably thought of as
a slight disappointment so far in his young career.  He was moved from center
to guard and was expected to contend somewhere for playing time but has not
yet.  Technically senior B.J. Scott is the backup center, but has only been on
offense since the spring and it would not be a huge surprise to see him moved.
 Another sophomore guard, Sean Mahan is still in a transition from defense to
offense and will take time to develop.  Among those players thrown into the
"disappointment" category is junior tackle Casey Robin.  Robin came to Notre
Dame with high expectations but has since disappeared.  Senior Matt Brennan is
another name that could pop up if injuries take a heavy toll, but it appears
he is pretty much an emergency player.  If Robin, Brennan, Mahan, or any other
not mentioned names show up on the line, it probably is another one of those
trouble signs that the coaches are making a mad scramble to find able bodies.
Some thoughts on the offensive line.there are two ways of looking at this
year's group.  In 1988 Notre Dame won the national championship with four new
starters on the offensive line (yes, more numerology), so it is possible for a
group to come together quickly.  The offense was not dazzling in the opener
against Michigan, but eventually paved the way for Tony Rice's marvelous
season.  On the other hand, this year's line has also seen its share of
injuries even before contact started.  To site another parallel situation, the
Irish had an inexperienced line in 1994 that was also plagued with injuries. 
Players like Dusty Ziegler, Ryan Leahy, and Mark Zateveski were shuffled all
over the line to fill holes left by wounded linemen.  As a result, everyone
was learning new positions all the time, the line did not work as a unit, and
the wheels fell off, 6-5-1 style. Also, who will be the backup center?  B.J.
Scott made some plays at defensive tackle last year, especially in the opener
against Michigan.  He was moved to center out of necessity for a #2 on the
depth chart, but with Rob Mowl possibly returning and Jeff Faine coming on,
Scott could be moved back to defense. This would make sense also because the
defensive line rotation could use Scott now that Lance Legree will be out for
a while.
The importance of Notre Dame's offensive line playing well cannot be
under-estimated.  In 1993 the Irish had an excellent offensive line and Lee
Becton (hardly a superstar back) had a great year.  In 1994 the line was a
mess and Becton was shut down.  If the line does not use the Kansas game to
come together quickly, the two Tony's are going nowhere.  Notre Dame faces
some pretty good defensive fronts this season, especially against Michigan and
Tennessee.  Besides being on the road, both those games are considered good
possibilities for ND losses in part because they feature very good defensive
lines going up against Notre Dame's untested offensive unit.  How well that
offensive line does in those games will go a long way to determining the fate
of the Irish.  Also, in the two prior losses to Michigan State, the offense
has had no answer to the Spartan defensive front, especially All America
candidate Robaire Smith.  If the Irish plan on returning to form against MSU,
they desperately need to regain control of the line of scrimmage.  Of course
provided the offensive line manages to do that on a consistent basis
throughout the entire season, the backs and receivers will get the opportunity
to show off their talent.