Film Study: Notre Dame OL commit Michael Carmody
OL Michael Carmody, 6-6, 295; Mars (Pa.) Area.
The numbers: Carmody helped pave the way for a Mars Area offense that totaled 2,810 rushing yards and 1,206 passing yards in 11 games in his junior season. The Fightin’ Planets (9-2) averaged 27 points per game. Mars Area lost in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs.
The rankings: 247Sports — Four stars, No. 12 OT, No. 95 overall. Rivals — Four stars, No. 36 OT.
FILM BREAKDOWN
First impression: Notre Dame recruited a pair of basketball players at offensive tackle in the 2020 class. But Tosh Baker and Michael Carmody are very different players. Carmody plays with a more rugged style and and may end up playing guard.
Strengths: Carmody may be new to playing offensive line, but he plays with a mean streak. He’s not timid, fires off the ball and enjoys taking defenders to the ground. At the line of scrimmage, Carmody is at his best working on down blocks (at an angle). He has great quickness at the snap. His athleticism shows up when he’s working to the next level and taking on linebackers or safeties. Carmody does a good job of keeping his feet moving when faced with resistance as a run blocker. He’s shown that he can play with good pad level, but there remains room to be more consistent there. It’s fun watching Carmody track down ball carriers in open space on defense. That’s not easy at that size.
Proof of prowess: (1:15) Carmody shows that he’s learning the nuances of offensive line play here. When he first makes contact with the defensive lineman, Carmody gets stuck with his hands on the outside of the defender, which can lead to a holding penalty. When he starts to drive the defender, Carmody smartly repositions his hands onto the defender's chest and continues to control him for more than 10 yards.
(2:12) Carmody could have used this play to catch a bit of a break. He’s on the backside of a sweep to the left. But Carmody books it downfield at the snap of the ball and puts himself in position to make a key block. His first contact with a defensive back comes 12 yards downfield.
(2:19) Carmody’s film doesn’t include much pass blocking, but this play shows his strength. When the defensive end tries to dip around him, Carmody delivers a strong shove to knock him to the ground. There’s not a lot of great technique here, but it shows what Carmody can do when developed.
(:18) This is a bonus play that has nothing to do with Carmody playing on the offensive line. But if you haven’t seen it, make sure you watch Carmody drop into coverage and take down a slot receiver on a swing pass.
Competition level: Situated north of Pittsburgh, Mars is located on the edge of traditionally fertile recruiting territory in Western Pennsylvania. But in 2018, the Mars Area schedule didn’t feature many high-profile recruits. No opponents had at least a three-star recruit on it last season, according to the Rivals database. Mars, which plays in the second-highest classification in the state, faced only two teams ranked among the top 100 in Pennsylvania, according to MaxPreps. The Planets lost to both teams: No. 5 Penn Hills and No. 69 Woodland Hills.
Left to prove: Carmody remains technically raw as an offensive lineman. He’s nowhere near his ceiling yet, which is a reason to be excited about what kind of college player he could end up being. There’s not a lot of pass protection on his film, so it’s hard to critique him there.
If he wants to stay at tackle, he’ll need to make sure his footwork is clean and he does a good job of using his arms to keep the defender back. Even as a run blocker, Carmody has a tendency to lean too much on the defender. He drives well, but by leaning it also opens up the opportunity for the defender to use his momentum against him and slide off his block.
I’d like to see what Carmody looks like as a pull blocker. Because he moves well, it might be an asset in his game. There’s no reason to rule out what Carmody can become because he’s still learning offensive line play, but he needs to make significant strides to remain as an offensive tackle at the college level.
