Talented tackle Sullivan Absher officially signs with Notre Dame football
Notre Dame has two of the best offensive tackles in the country in rising juniors Joe Alt and Blake Fisher. Wednesday, the Fighting Irish officially added a prospect hoping to follow in their footsteps. Four-star recruit Sullivan Absher signed with the blue and gold.
The 6-6, 295-pound tackle from Belmont (N.C.) South Point had been committed to Notre Dame since May 13. He never wavered with his pledge despite scholarship offers from several other schools including Clemson, Tennessee, Penn State and Michigan State.
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Absher is the No. 178 player in the country per the On3 Consensus recruiting rankings. He’s the No. 13 offensive tackle and the No. 6 overall player from the state of North Carolina. On3’s own rankings are higher on Absher than the consensus; he’s the No. 56 overall recruit in the country, No. 7 offensive tackle and No. 3 player from North Carolina.
Absher committed to Notre Dame during the weekend of the Blue-Gold Game in April. He told head Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and offensive line coach Harry Hiestand he could not see himself playing college football anywhere else. Hiestand told Absher he could see him playing guard or tackle in the future. His versatility is a weapon.
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“Absher is one of the more dominant run blockers in what we think is a very strong offensive line cycle nationally,” On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power said in May. “He pairs a big frame at 6-foot-6, 295 pounds with movement skills, coordination and physicality. Absher fires off the ball and explodes into defenders. He is flexible enough to get underneath the pads of much shorter defensive linemen.
“What separates Absher from some other top run blockers is his ability at the second level — he’s a natural, effortless mover in space and serves as a weapon in the run game. He has the size and length to play offensive tackle but remains a bit of a projection in pass protection at the next level, coming from a run-heavy option offense.”
If anyone can rise to the occasion and become a better pass protector, it’s Absher. He picked the right place for that. Ask Alt. Ask Fisher. They both improved tremendously in the last 12 months working with Hiestand since he was hired by Notre Dame just under a year ago. Absher is going to have that luxury from the very start of his career.
