'It’s an opportunity of a lifetime': Avon and Notre Dame grad Blake Fisher preps for NFL
INDIANAPOLIS -- When Blake Fisher suffered a meniscus tear in his first game in a Notre Dame uniform, the entire trajectory of his college career changed. Fisher — an Avon High School grad who was a top-100 recruit in the country — missed the rest of the 2021 regular season after being named the Fighting Irish’s starting left tackle as a true freshman.
Fisher recovered in time to appear in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day in 2022. By the time he came back, fellow true freshman Joe Alt had seized the left tackle spot that was initially Fisher’s. So Fisher shifted to the right tackle position, where he’d start the next 26 games for Notre Dame.
After playing left tackle at Avon, Fisher had to adjust. Despite swapping positions and missing nearly a full season of reps, Fisher declared for the NFL draft early.
“It presents my hard work and my dedication (and) my will to want to be one of the best,” Fisher said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday. “I feel like the coaching staff that I had around me believing and my abilities helped me to be able to do that.”
As Alt developed into an All-American and projected top-10 pick, Fisher held down the other end of Notre Dame’s reliable offensive line. Fisher was an important piece to a program that went 18-7 when he started in his sophomore and junior seasons.
In conversations with NFL teams, Fisher wants to prove he can play both tackle positions. Some teams he’s spoken with are looking for a right tackle while others want help on the left side. Fisher has spent most of 2024 training in Dallas, where he’s worked on playing both positions.
“I feel 100% confident in both,” Fisher said. “There’s teams that have asked me the same question, so I’m ready and prepared to do whatever I need to do.”
Notre Dame employed a pro-style offense in Fisher’s time in South Bend. The Fighting Irish utilize tight ends and put quarterbacks under center more than most college programs. Fisher feels Notre Dame’s style, along with the tweaks its offense made each year, will help him quickly adjust to whatever NFL team he joins.
Just last spring, Notre Dame switched offensive playbooks when offensive coordinator Tommy Rees left for Alabama and Troy head coach Gerad Parker became the playcaller for the 2023 season.
“Playing in multiple schemes at Notre Dame has kind of prepared me for some of the questions that I have specifics-wise when it comes to a scheme that I’d be comfortable playing in,” Fisher said. “Having two different (offensive coordinators), two different o-line coaches at Notre Dame has afforded me the opportunity to be versatile in a lot of different schemes.”
Fisher — who measured at 6-6, 310 pounds — looks to join the lineage of quality NFL offensive linemen from Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have become known for producing in the trenches, with the likes of Colts guard Quenton Nelson, Cowboys guard Zack Martin and Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley becoming All-Pro players up front.
Fisher competed in the Combine 15 miles east of where he played high school football. He projects as a mid-round selection with tons of upside.
“It’s an opportunity of a lifetime,” Fisher said. “It's a blessing to be here. I wouldn’t have been here without a lot of hard work and dedication. For the most part, I've had a lot of great guys within my room at Notre Dame to learn from and hear from to be able to excel at this next level.”
Teams are always looking to add offensive line depth, so Fisher has done interviews with more front offices than he hasn’t. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens are among the teams Fisher has met with.
Fisher persevered through a couple of early setbacks to still enter the draft after only three college seasons. Just like at Notre Dame, there’s a strong chance Fisher will be counted on to make an immediate impact as he heads to the NFL.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Avon and Notre Dame grad shows versatility to NFL scouts
