James Aldridge: Notre Dame's Starting Fullback?

After looking at the depth chart for the upcoming season, I noticed on thing that caught my eye: James Aldridge listed as No. 1 at fullback. I didn't know that Charlie Weis was thinking of moving him there. Thinking about this brings me mixed feelings of excitement and apprehension.

I see many advantages to this move. The first being that there is no longer the three-headed monster; Armando Allen and Robert Hughes are coming into their own. Having two solid runners is great, but three can become a crowd. I also understand that Weis wants to work Jonas Gray in a little more too. This move would enable him to.

The next advantage is that it is good to have a fullback who can catch the ball out of the backfield. In many offenses, the tight end is a safety valve for the quarterback to check down to. Having a fullback who can serve that purpose enables you to send your tight end down field more. The more guys the defenders have to cover deep, the more things open up.

The third advantage is that Aldridge can still be the hammer in short-yardage situations. Picking up the tough yards really was his strength last year. By moving him to fullback, he can line up at either position to serve this purpose.

I really can only think of one disadvantage of this move, but it is a big one. The bottom line at fullback is that he has to be a good lead blocker. I am not saying Aldridge can't block, but I don't know if he can. That uncertainty is really the only caution I have on this move.

Aldridge certainly has the size to play fullback. He certainly can catch out of the backfield and be a hammer with the ball. I just hope he can block, because if he can, this can be a big key for the Irish.