Bulked Up Defensive Lineman Rylie Mills Is Focused On The Present

Senior defensive tackle Ryle Mills is ready for a senior season where he will focus solely on one position

Notre Dame senior defensive lineman Rylie Mills is living in the now. Sure, he has two seasons of eligibility remaining (thanks to the extra Covid season) heading into the 2023 season, but he is only thinking about his immediate future.

"My mindset now is just to play the best football I can and just take it day by day,” Mills said during the first week of Notre Dame’s fall training camp.

Mills is locked in on being a full-time defensive tackle this season after splitting time between tackle and defensive end last season. Mills’ weight fluctuated between 275 and around 290 pounds last season while he was doing double duty at the two positions, but he spent the offseason packing on pounds and he looks the part of an imposing defensive tackle and a hulking 6-5, 306 pounds. He feels like a tackle, too.

"I do fully feel like a tackle,” Mills began. "It's funny though, today I tried to get an end rep in one-on-one and (defensive line) Coach (Al Washington) was like 'What are you doing, why would you do that?' I was like, 'I don't know,' but yeah, it feels good. I feel like I'm playing at a good weight D-tackle. I feel like now I'm at a great weight where I can take on the double teams, I can rush the passer. I feel like I'm really feeling well in my work I put in the offseason.”

Lifting big weights is the obvious prescription for any football player to pack on more muscle and strength, but Mills went to work with team nutritionist Alexa Appleman on his food intake as well. He tracked every calorie and every morsel he put into his body to help him go from the 275-pound defensive end body he had heading into last season. His body is ready to take on the extra impact that the move to the interior of the line commands.

"The double teams are pretty much the biggest thing,” Mills said of the difference between playing end and tackle. "That's the difference. At end, you're able to get more one-on-one with the tight ends. So, you get more one-on-one and you can kind of edge rush the tackle. It's a lot more thinking and you're reading the quarterback, whereas D-tackle it's like alright, you got 600 pounds coming at you right now, you gotta get off the ball and get off the block.”

Mills had 24 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks at the lighter playing weight. He says he doesn’t feel like he’s lost any quickness in bulking up to 306 pounds. Mills started his career playing for now Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea as defensive coordinator in 2020, then current Irish head coach Marcus Freeman in 2021 and now he will have the same coordinator for a second year with Al Golden heading into his second season running the Irish defense.

"I think everyone really appreciates that it's just a lot more stable,” Mills said of having Golden back for a second year. "I think each defensive coordinator I've had has really brought in their own unique mindset and unique defense. So, I've been really lucky to play for some really great coaches. But in terms of having the same guy two years in a row, it does feel good to come back and kind of pick up where I left off instead of having to come back and kind of redo everything a little bit.”

Mills has played in 35 of a possible 38 games in his first three seasons. Only nose guard Howard Cross III (39) has more experience on Notre Dame’s defensive line.

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