All-American Joe Alt Headlines an Elite Notre Dame O-Line

Joe Alt is regarded as one of the top tackles in the country and will look to get the Irish Offensive Line back in the conversation for best unit in the country. It has been six years since Notre Dame took home the Joe Moore Award for the best offensive line in the country and this Fall, they have an opportunity to take back the trophy. With a talented Offensive Line, Heisman Caliber Quarterback, and loads of skill players, the Irish Offense will be exhilarating to watch.

Player Profile

• Position: Offensive Tackle
• Grade: Junior
• Hometown: North Oaks, Minnesota
• High School: Totino-Grace
• Height/ Weight: 6’ 8” 315 lbs
• Recruiting Ranking: #32 Offensive Tackle & #400 Player Overall in the 2021 Class (247 Sports)

Accolades

• 2022 AP First Team All-American
• 2022 Pro Football Focus First Team All-American
• 2022 ESPN.com First Team All-American
• Played in all 13 games in 2021, Started all 13 games in 2022

Future 1st Round Draft Pick

Joe Alt was born to play in the National Football League. His father, John, was a first-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1984. John Alt went on to become a two-time Pro Bowl selection and is currently in the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame. Even Joe Alt’s brother, Mark Alt, is a professional hockey player.

The Notre Dame Offensive Tackle has already been projected to be the 5th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by analyst Ryan Wilson. On 247 Sports, Joe Alt is ranked as the 8th overall college football player for the upcoming 2023 season. The NFL Draft may be a year away, but it appears Alt is destined to be a first-round selection.

Joe Moore Award Potential

Notre Dame will be in serious consideration for the Joe Moore Award this year. Ideally, under Gerad Parker and new quarterback Sam Hartman the Irish Offense can get off to a fast start, something that typically did not take place until halfway through the season with Tommy Rees.

The 2023 Offensive Line is loaded with talent, featuring Joe Alt, Billy Schrauth, Zeke Correll, Andrew Kristofic or Rocco Spindler, and Blake Fisher. All these linemen were highly-ranked recruits out of high school and could play at the next level.

New Offensive Line Joe Rudolph has loads of experience as a player and coach. He played for the Wisconsin Badgers, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. Rudolph coached at Ohio State, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, and most recently Virginia Tech as Run Game Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach.

While at Wisconsin, he was the Tight Ends Coach from 2008 to 2011, Associate Head Coach/ Offensive Coordinator/ Offensive Line Coach from 2015 to 2020, and the Associate Head Coach/ Run Game Coordinator / Offensive Line Coach in 2021. For anyone who has followed college football the past decade, the Wisconsin Badgers have been the standard for offensive line play alongside Notre Dame and Alabama.

Final Thoughts

The Notre Dame Offensive Line has always been one of the top strengths of the program during the 21st century, and the unit has played well the past several seasons, but not at a Joe Moore Award level. Slow starts and sporadic quarterback play certainly have not helped the cause.

Fans should expect the Notre Dame Offensive Line to contend for the Joe Moore Award this fall under Heisman quarterback Sam Hartman and a talented group of players on offense.

The Fighting Irish must be dominant on the ground this season. For Notre Dame to make the College Football Playoffs while knocking off Ohio State and USC, physicality will be their competitive advantage. If Michigan can have an elite offensive line the past two seasons and beat the Buckeyes behind a substantial front, there is no reason the Irish cannot do the same this fall.