In New Orleans, a little something extra is called lagniappe. As you’ve no doubt heard by now, the Fighting Irish got quite a good deal of lagniappe (about 630 pounds of it) on Monday when Coach Kelly announced that Zack Martin (OL) and Louis Nix III (NG) would be staying with the program next season. That these two young men would decide to forego NFL millions speaks volumes to the program’s trajectory and to their personal goals. And while it’s too easy to harken back to Tyler Eifert’s or Mati Te’o’s decisions to return last year, there’s no doubt that Martin and Nix have every opportunity to deliver the same kind of lift in 2013.
Having Zack Martin at left tackle is a little like having Cal Ripken, Jr. at shortstop, given his 36 consecutive starts. That consistency is a big reason why the 2012 Fighting Irish kept the quarterback pretty clean, giving up 16 sacks all season. That consistency is a big reason, too, why the Irish were able to run the ball rather effectively, putting up 2,430 rushing yards. Simply put, having a bookend with so much experience is going to put the Irish in a very good place in 2013. As I wrote, some would say prophetically, back in August, a top flight O-line is the sina qua non of a top flight program. With Martin coming back, ND’s chances of getting back to the ‘ship just got a whole bunch better.
In LNIII, the Irish return an athlete who could be the telegenic face of the “new” Fighting Irish. Where Zack Martin, along with Tyler Eiffert and Manti Te’o, represent the best of what Charlie Weis was able to achieve, Louis Nix, a Weis-recruit, has literally taken shape under Brian Kelly as one of the game’s best point men. A behemoth from Florida, Nix had offers from LSU and the Gators when he chose Notre Dame, largely on the efforts of Coach Tony Alford. See what I did there? I gratuitously took a shot at ESSEESEE fan, who thinks ND can only recruit the cornfields. In Nix, the Irish have a beast who draws the double-team, consumes space and loves him some cereal.
RiverParkSeer must be very, very happy.
Hating Hurricanes Since 1990.
Bayou Irish is a Jersey boy and Double Domer who fell under New Orleans' spell in 1995. He's been through Katrina and fourteen years in the Coast Guard, so we cut him some slack, mostly in the form of HLS-subsidized sazeracs. But, when he's not face down on the bar and communing with the ghosts of Faulkner and Capote at the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone, he's our man in SEC-land, doing his best to convince everyone around him that Graduation Success Rate is a better indicator of success than the number of MNC's won in the last five years.
- Finding Flaws in a Diamond: Clemson’s Rushing Offense - December 17, 2018
- Why Nobody Will Cotton to Notre Dame - December 3, 2018
- Irish Finish Regular Season Perfect 12-0 - November 26, 2018
So happy about this news. Martin gives great stability to the O-line and, like I said waaaaay back in my 3-4 primer, any good 3-4 is anchored by the nose tackle. Nix may not get much of the glory, but he is a HUGE reason why the defense is as good as it is.
The fact that he is just hilarious and awesome person is just a bonus.
Who was it that loved Honey Buns? Wasnt that Irish Chocolate as well?
Felix Homogratus, Dimitri Chavkerov Rules! You pay us we post good about us!!