Notre Dame Signs Offensive Lineman Joey Tanona
Notre Dame has signed 2022 Indiana offensive lineman Joey Tanona.
JOEY TANONA PROFILE
Hometown: Zionsville, Ind.
High School: Zionsville
Height: 6-5
Weight: 290
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5
Offers: Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, LSU, Penn State, Cincinnati, Tennessee, Nebraska, Purdue, Michigan State, Iowa, Kansas State, Indiana, Arizona State
Recruited By: Jeff Quinn
Player Comp: Josh Myers, Ohio State
RECRUITING RANKINGS
On3: 4-star - No. 63 overall - No. 3 interior lineman
ESPN: 4-star - No. 151 overall - No. 1 center
247Sports: 4-star - No. 168 overall - No. 16 offensive tackle
Rivals: 4-star - No. 178 overall - No. 9 guard
Consensus: 4-star - No. 135 overall - No. 10 interior lineman
FILM ANALYSIS
Tanona played left tackle for Zionsville as a sophomore, moved to center as a junior and then bumped back out to tackle as a junior. He looked comfortable as a young tackle and his transition to center was seamless, as was his move back outside. This flexibility and versatility are just one component of what makes Tanona such a big pickup for Notre Dame.
Tanona seems to have slimmed down a little bit as a senior, getting rid of some of the bad weight he had on as a young player. The new look Tanona showed very good straight ahead quickness, which was always there, but it was the lateral quickness that was an improvement from what we've seen in the past. Tanona shows a good burst in the run game and he looked more comfortable in the pass game this season.
The 290-pound lineman is a bit tight in the hips, but he shows good foot quickness, balance and easy change of direction ability. Athletically he has all the traits needed to thrive in pass pro on the edge, possessing quick feet out of his stance and easy change of direction skills. As a center his athleticism really took off, and his ability to win with quickness and leverage was impressive.
Tanona is strong for his age, and that didn't change when he slimmed down a bit. His body looks better now because he still has the frame that will allow him to get over 300 pounds and remain quick, but quick with even more power. Tanona must continue to work on pad level, footwork, using his hands more forcefully and playing with better angles as a tackle, but those are all traits that are coachable, and he’s at a good place for his age.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Notre Dame can play Tanona anywhere it wants, so the key is finding what position he is most comfortable with and the position that gets him on the field the fastest. I like him inside at guard or center. Yes, he can play tackle, and he grades out as a Top 200-250 caliber player at tackle. As an interior player he projects to be closer to a Top 100 recruit.
Tanona fits quite well in the zone schemes Notre Dame employs thanks to his physicality and ability to finish. His pass pro skills project extremely well inside, but he's also athletic and has enough pop to be highly effective in the movement blocks you'll see on counters and kickouts.
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