ESPN names Notre Dame OL Joe Alt a ‘second-year star’
Offensive tackle Joe Alt arrived at Notre Dame in 2021 as lower-ranked four-star player, per the On3 Consensus rankings. The majority of his high school career at Minneapolis Totino-Grace was spent playing tight end. He wasn’t expected to make a huge impact as a rookie.
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He ended his freshman season as one of the most recognizable first-year players in the country, as his name peppered freshman All-America teams. He enters his second year of college football as a surefire starter on Notre Dame’s offensive line at left tackle, and on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg named Alt a “second-year star” to watch.
“Few positions are tougher for true freshmen to make an impact than left tackle, especially at a program known for elite line play such as Notre Dame,” Rittenberg said. “But Alt became a pleasant surprise for the Irish last season.
“Alt actually replaced another freshman, Blake Fisher, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opening game. Alt’s emergence as a starter coincided with Notre Dame’s improvement on offense, as the team averaged 38 points in its final eight games and eclipsed 400 total yards in seven of those contests.”
In total, the 6-8, 317-pound rising sophomore played 596 snaps on the offensive line in 2021. Outside of projected high-level NFL Draft pick Jarrett Patterson and now-sixth-year lineman Josh Lugg, Alt had the best offensive grade on the offensive line, per Pro Football Focus. He allowed three sacks and seven quarterback hurries.
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Alt’s On3 Consensus ranking out of high school was No. 31 at his position and No. 371 overall in the 2021. His On3 College Rating, which is a measure of a player’s performance upon arrival at the collegiate level, is No. 3 at his position and No. 24 nationally.
Presumably, Alt will improve even more in his second season both because of the 2021 experience and because he is now working under the tutelage of offensive line guru Harry Hiestand.
“Both (Alt and Fisher) are super interested in being good,” Hiestand said in April. “They love football, and they’re a joy to be around. They want to get better every day. We are pleased with their progression.”
Alt isn’t the only second-year player to watch heading into the fall. Notre Dame faces four of the other names on Rittenberg’s list: USC quarterback Caleb Williams, Clemson safety Andrew Mukuba, Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson, Syracuse CB Darian “Duce” Chestnut.
