Notre Dame Football 2012: Post-Spring Overview of Irish Offensive Line

Paving the way for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish's surprisingly lethal rushing attack last season was a formidable offensive line coached by Ed Warinner, who has moved on to the coaching staff at Ohio State.

Fortunately for the Irish, the group is poised to have another solid season, this time under the command of first-year offensive line coach Harry Hiestand.

And with three of five starters returning, Hiestand figures to push the group into the nation's elite.

For a further look at the Fighting Irish offensive line, take a look through the following slides.

Center

Two-Deep

1. Braxston Cave
2. Mike Golic, Jr.

Listed at No. 95 on Bleacher Report's 100 Best College Football Players of 2012, Braxston Cave will continue to anchor the offensive line from the center position.

Cave will be a fifth-year senior during the 2012 campaign, and he hopes to be injury-free after having his 2011 season prematurely ended with a broken bone in his foot.

Having Cave under center will also be a significant aid to a new starting quarterback, should Everett Golson or Andrew Hendrix win the job. With two seasons of starting experience at center in Brian Kelly's spread offense, Cave likely becomes the unquestioned leader of the offense.

His backup isn't too shabby, either.

Mike Golic, Jr., a fellow fifth-year senior, filled in admirably in Cave's absence during the latter part of 2012. Golic, Jr. went up against stout defensive lines at Stanford and against Florida State's vaunted front four in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Clearly, center is not a position to be worried about this season.

Left Guard

Two-Deep

1. Chris Watt
2. Bruce Heggie

Another physically imposing presence on the offensive line, Chris Watt brings a unique blend of raw, physical power and starting experience to the table.

The 6'3", 310-pound Glen Ellyn, Ill., native will be in his second full season as a starter at left guard, after serving as Chris Stewart's backup for the duration of his sophomore season in 2010.

As a second-year starter, Watt should be well-versed in both the run-blocking scheme and pass-blocking scheme. The addition of Harry Hiestand as offensive line coach will also benefit Watt.

Junior-to-be Bruce Heggie will serve as Watt's backup. Heggie has yet to see significant action in an Irish uniform.

Right Guard

Two-Deep

1. Nick Martin
2. Conor Hanratty

With Trevor Robinson signing a rookie free-agent deal with the Cincinnati Bengals late Saturday night, Nick Martin officially became Notre Dame's new starting right guard.

The brother of starting left tackle Zack Martin, Nick has some rather large shoes to fill this season. Robinson, who was originally recruited by former head coach Charlie Weis, was a four-year starter at the position.

But if bloodlines mean anything, the younger Martin should have no trouble filling the void left behind by Robinson.

Left Tackle

Two-Deep

1. Zack Martin
2. Jordan Prestwood

From one Martin to the other, Zack is now the center of discussion. The elder Martin has been a stalwart on the offensive line for the past two seasons, with 2012 being his third.

The 6'4", 304-pound matchup nightmare has been the blindside protector for Irish quarterbacks Dayne Crist and Tommy Rees during his time as a starter. He will continue to do so for the remainder of his career in South Bend, as each of the quarterbacks on the depth chart is right-handed.

Thankfully for those quarterbacks, Martin has avoided injury during his time in an Irish uniform. But should he go down, Jordan Prestwood is more than capable of filling in for a stretch. The former Florida State commit stands a legitimate 6'5" and is continuing to add weight to his frame.

Right Tackle

Two-Deep

1. Christian Lombard
2. Tate Nichols

The Fighting Irish have two of the most physically intimidating players on the roster at right tackle.

Christian Lombard, a 6'5", 309-pound freak out of Inverness, Ill., will handle starting duties, the first of his Notre Dame career. Originally a member of former head coach Charlie Weis' final recruiting class, Lombard has the physical tools to be an effective starter right off the bat.

However, the mental side of the equation is where Lombard will be tested the most.

His backup, Tate Nichols, will be on the same level on the mental side.

Nichols may have enough of a physical presence to offset his grasp on the X's and O's. Nichols is an absolute monster at 6'8" and 320 pounds. The scariest part of that is the fact that he's not done growing or adding weight, yet.