Sam Young

Great things were expected from the Parade All-American from Florida when he came to South Bend, but being the first true freshman ever to start on Notre Dame's offensive line opening weekend was truly a fine accomplishment (first-year players were eligible to play immediately starting in 1972). All Young has done since is start every game for the Irish. He lined up at right tackle for the first 16 games, then moved to left tackle for 10 contests in 2007 before moving back to the right side for the last two seasons. In 2009, Young helped the Irish become one of the most prolific offenses in the country, rolling up more than 450 yards per game. Though not considered one of the more athletic tackles in the 2010 draft, Young's size, strength and pedigree are likely to land him a spot in the middle rounds and give him the potential to have a long NFL career.

pass blocking

Height, arm length and strong punch make it easy for him to engulf smaller ends. Keeps his feet moving after kick slide, taking a sharp angle back to protect the pocket. Stays with his man after initial contact to prevent secondary rush. Fair anchor, keeping his weight forward and hands working to maintain distance with defender. Cut blocks more quickly and efficiently than you would expect at his height, both on quick throws and when trying to protect the quarterback. A bit slow in his lateral movement, and may struggle to mirror against NFL speed on the edge. Must improve his awareness of late blitzers instead of focusing on inside double when it is unnecessary.

pulling/trapping

Lacks the footwork to pull or trap effectively. Inconsistent at sustaining on the second level, but usually gets a hand on a linebacker and safety when on the move. Has a tough time adjusting to fast-closing defenders.

intangibles

Experienced, durable, intelligent lineman. Plays with great effort and a nasty attitude, and is a vocal leader on and off the field.

run blocking

Good drive blocker despite his height, getting low and pushing back the line. Strong enough to turn his man inside or outside. Leans forward too far on the move, which causes him to lose his balance and struggle to do more than get a hand on his target - but most times that's all he needs to do at his size against linebackers and safeties.

nfl comparison

Jeremy Trueblood, Buccaneers

downfield

Height and average footwork make him lumber in space, but gives good effort to hit multiple targets. Will join a play 10-15 yards downfield to push the pile forward. Should dominate smaller players in space, but his lack of body control allows them to avoid or get off blocks too consistently.

initial quickness

Average quickness into kick slide and set in pass protection for a big right tackle. Drives off the ball well but is a bit slow and can be out-quicked by ends and tackles off the snap.

Graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

first-team offensive lineman on USA Today prep All-America squad

rated top lineman and one of 16 candidates for Parade All-America High School Player of the Year award

one of 18 linemen on Parade prep all-star team

rated 10th on list of top 100 prep players nationally by USA Today and Chicago Sun-Times

rated ninth on list of top 150 players nationally by CollegeFootballNews.com

rated 23rd on list of top 100 players in the nation by Dallas Morning News

Gatorade Player of the Year for 2005 in Florida

first-team All-America offensive lineman by CSTV

rated fourth overall as one of six offensive linemen on Atlanta Journal-Constitution National Top 25 team

rated fourth player overall (of 20) on 2005 Best of the South team by Tampa Tribune

selected for U.S. Army All-American Bowl prep all-star game

selected for CaliFlorida Bowl all-star game

a first-team offensive lineman on Florida Class 5A all-state team as junior in 2004 and again as senior in 2005. Named South Florida Sun-Sentinel Class 6A-5A-4A player of the year

helped St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., gain 4,606 total offense yards as well as 3,040 regular-season rushing yards during '05 season, as squad finished 10th on USA Today Super 25 list of top prep teams nationally

didn't permit a sack either of his junior or senior seasons while helping team to Florida Class 5A state semifinal each of those years

rated 14th on preseason list of top players in the country (and second among offensive linemen) by The Sporting News

one of 50 players and eight offensive linemen on preseason prep All-America team by Street & Smith's

one of 19 offensive linemen on '05 national preseason top 100 by CBS SportsLine.com

high school teammate of fellow '06 Irish freshman Dan Wenger

high school coach was George Smith

enrolled in First Year of Studies.

Born June 24, 1987.