Notre Dame Football: 5 impactful newcomers for the Irish
By Dante Pryor
2. Cain Madden (transfer), guard:
Much like the aforementioned Jack Coan, Cain Madden might not be a name that jumps off of the page after transferring from Marshall. However, signing Madden, a graduate transfer, is all about fit. Madden is an All-American guard with a lot of starts under his belt.
Marshall likes physicality in the trenches, and Madden brings that. The Minford High School product anchored a Marshall offense that loves to run the football. More than anything that is what makes Madden such a great fit for Notre Dame.
The Irish have committed to power football, and Madden is the right type of offensive lineman for Rees, and the offensive staff like to run offensively. Madden is projected to play left guard next to Blake Fisher. The two of them make a formidable left side.
A former walk-on, Fisher, nicknamed “dump truck,” also visited Florida State before signing with the Fighting Irish. Madden’s 2020 season was spectacular. Pro Football Focus gave “dump truck” a 93.0 run-blocking grade, five points higher than any other FBS guard in the country.
Madden gave up zero sacks in 2020 on his way to being named an Associated Press second-team All-American and a Pro Football Focus first-team All-American.