Notre Dame has another star at left tackle, with Mike McGlinchey following in the footsteps of first rounders Zack Martin and Ronnie Stanley. With the nasty disposition of Martin and the athletic traits of Stanley, McGlinchey has the promise to be the best one yet for Harry Hiestand—and that’s saying something.
Of course, doing it is the next step.
For all the accolades that’ll be heaped on McGlinchey this preseason, he’s just a 14-game starter who’ll be playing his first football at left tackle. But paired with Quenton Nelson on the left side of center, the physically dominant duo has the ability to impact the game like few other blocking combos, two giants that match up physically with the best duos playing on Sundays.
MIKE MCGLINCHEY
6'7.5", 310 lbs.
Senior, No. 68, OT
RECRUITING PROFILE
A four-star prospect, McGlinchey played in the Semper Fidelis All-Star game. A Top 150 prospect on 247 and Scout, McGlinchey had offers from Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin and a handful of others before picking Notre Dame. He was first-team All-State, All-City and All Southeastern PA.
PLAYING CAREER
Freshman Season (2013): Did not see action.
Sophomore Season (2014): Played in all 13 games before replacing Christian Lombard at right tackle against USC. Started against LSU in the Music City Bowl.
Junior Season (2015): Started all 13 games at right tackle, grading out as Notre Dame’s No. 1 offensive player on PFF College with a +23.2 rating. That ranking was the highest of any right tackle in the country.
WHAT WE SAID LAST YEAR
Nailed it.I’m all in on McGlinchey, who I think has a ceiling equal to Ronnie Stanley’s, who some are predicting (way too early, I might add) could be a candidate for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. That’s high praise for a guy with exactly one start, but deserving when you consider all the tremendous attributes that come along with McGlinchey’s game.
But here’s what we don’t know: How quickly will McGlinchey get comfortable in the starting lineup? Because he’ll be protecting the blindside of a young quarterback, one who has a propensity to run. That could make McGlinchey susceptible to speed rushers—already tough enough when you’re long and inexperienced—and could keep him from locking in his mechanics, something that forced Elmer to slide inside.
There’s no room for a 6-foot-8 guard, and McGlinchey’s future (both in college and at the next level) is at tackle. So while it’s a bit of a reach, there’s elite potential in McGlinchey, and I’m expecting him to show it off this season, creating another stay-or-go scenario for an offensive lineman in 2016.
FUTURE POTENTIAL
I already compared McGlinchey’s ceiling to Ronnie Stanley’s last year after one career start, and I wasn’t surprised when Stanley was a Top 10 pick. That’s the scenario for McGlinchey this season—play well and you’ll be viewed as another franchise cornerstone at offensive tackle in the upcoming draft, or return to South Bend for a fifth year.
McGlinchey has a mauler’s disposition and size and skills that could be more freakish than Stanley’s. It’s hard to find more superlatives for the Philadelphia native. So future potential? As close to unlimited as possible.
CRYSTAL BALL
I expect All-American honors for McGlinchey, who took about two practices to convince Brian Kelly and Hiestand that he’s talented enough athletically to make the transition to left tackle seamlessly. As one of the nation’s premier run blockers already, all that’s needed is a smooth transition against speed rushers, something McGlinchey should handle just fine with his length and athleticism.
McGlinchey will earn his degree this spring, meaning a fifth year likely isn’t in the cards if he’s weighing a first-round grade. And while we can look back on a season spent on the bench in 2014 behind Steve Elmer and Christian Lombard, two frontline seasons in South Bend could be enough to cement McGlinchey’s legacy as the next great tackle coming out of Notre Dame—and if he stays around for 2017 it’d be gravy.
2016’s Irish A-to-Z
Josh Adams
Josh Barajas
Alex Bars
Asmar Bilal
Hunter Bivin
Grant Blankenship
Jonathan Bonner
Ian Book
Parker Boudreaux
Miles Boykin
Justin Brent
Devin Butler
Jimmy Byrne
Daniel Cage
Chase Claypool
Nick Coleman
Te’von Coney
Shaun Crawford
Scott Daly
Micah Dew-Treadway
Liam Eichenberg
Jalen Elliott
Nicco Feritta
Tarean Folston
Mark Harrell
Daelin Hayes
Jay Hayes
Tristen Hoge
Corey Holmes
Torii Hunter Jr.
Alizé Jones
Jamir Jones
Jarron Jones
Jonathan Jones
Tony Jones Jr.
Khalid Kareem
DeShone Kizer
Julian Love
Tyler Luatua
Cole Luke
Greer Martini
Jacob Matuska