SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Tommy Tremble’s surname doesn’t recommend what occurs to him on the sphere a lot as the sensation that overtakes an overmatched opponent as Tremble barrels his method.
As Notre Dame ran for 353 yards and 4 touchdowns in final week’s 42-26 victory over Florida State, Tremble’s blocking performed an important function. Specifically, the counter play that the fourth-ranked Combating Irish used to nice impact was powered by Tremble’s relentless seek-and-destroy blowups of Seminoles linebackers.
“That’s a play the place I do know I belief my pullers,” redshirt freshman working again Kyren Williams stated after going for a career-high 185 yards and two scores. “I belief the tight ends coming throughout and kicking out whoever that’s. When Tommy was pulling, he was in a position to hit a block for me, and I used to be in a position to hit the opening and explode by means of for a landing.”
Tremble leads Notre Dame with 9 receptions for 110 yards, however his blocking should concern unranked Louisville simply as a lot as his pass-catching abilities heading into Saturday afternoon’s journey to Notre Dame Stadium.
The product of Atlanta’s northeast suburbs made his faculty debut in opposition to the Cardinals 13-plus months in the past on Labor Day 2019. Tremble made essentially the most of his long-awaited alternative, hauling in three of Ian E-book’s passes for 49 yards and a landing to earn the sport ball.
The redshirt sophomore stays a tempting goal as he roams the seam and flashes enough velocity to get behind enemy safeties. Even when the ball doesn’t come his method, Tremble is content material to explode the blokes within the wrong-colored jerseys.
E-book has referred to as him “the very best blocker I’ve ever seen,” and no positional qualifier was utilized in that latest rave.
The son of former Cowboys security Greg Tremble, an All-SEC selection at Georgia in 1992, Tremble has by no means shied away from contact. Tremble, who has lengthy worn his dad’s outdated No. 24, made his fame as a defensive finish and linebacker earlier than transferring to tight finish as a junior at Johns Creek (Ga.) Excessive Faculty.
“Again in highschool, I cherished enjoying protection,” Tremble stated. “[The coaches] wouldn’t let me play protection. They made me play offense.”
Transferring to the non-public Wesleyan Faculty earlier than his remaining season gave him an opportunity to play each methods once more, however he suffered a ugly ankle dislocation making a deal with in opposition to Enterprise Engineering Science Tech Excessive in Week 2.
Surgical procedure and 6 months of rehab adopted earlier than Tremble was in a position to run once more on a soccer discipline, however he had reclaimed a lot of his explosiveness and physicality by the point he arrived in South Bend.
“Truthfully, I simply cherished contact,” he stated. “I cherished enjoying the sport of soccer. It’s simply pure ardour for me. I don’t know. -Each time I’m on the sphere, I wish to simply be dominant — and I strive my greatest to [be].”
Requested how a superbly delivered block compares to a catch, Tremble grinned.
“I promise you it feels simply nearly as good,” he stated. “I really like doing it.”
He’s simply as imposing with the ball underneath his arm briefly yardage and was given a perform of the H-back spot in Week 2 in opposition to South Florida. As first-year offensive coordinator Tommy Rees appears for extra methods to maximise Tremble’s diverse abilities, energy dashing may very well be amongst them.
“I really like being a fullback,” Tremble stated. “It’s not an issue with me.”
Bears rookie Cole Kmet, Tremble’s -predecessor at Notre Dame, was an equally devoted blocker who climbed into the -second spherical of the NFL Draft.
By the point he’s completed with the Irish, Tremble would possibly discover his professional inventory in the same neighborhood.
After enjoying final season at 225 kilos, the 6-3 Tremble used the prolonged shutdown to bulk as much as 252 by summer season’s finish. Together with senior Brock Wright and precocious freshman Michael Mayer, Tremble is the entrance man for the two- and three-tight finish units Notre Dame has been utilizing frequently.
“All of us can simply block downhill — onerous blocking,” Tremble stated. “After which subsequent factor , we’ll beat you excessive with velocity. I feel having that versatility is simply superb.”
