The left side of Notre Dame's offensive line appeared to be in the midst of a power struggle. Irish eyes were not smiling, they were watching intently on how it all unfolded. The aftershock of Charles Jagusah's injury remains felt. As the pieces continue to get picked up from the ground, an answer has finally arrived after the publication of Notre Dame's depth chart.
Photo by The Irish Tribune
For starters, I owe Anthonie Knapp an apology.
"If we were to take the depth chart at face value, next in line would be Anthonie Knapp. That's not happening. The true freshman is simply not physically ready to step in and play at the level needed at that position. As such, Rudolph will have to look elsewhere." - Me, a few weeks ago.
Knapp rightfully doesn't take any stock in what I have to say. Because the early-enrollee who stepped onto campus just a mere handful of months prior, has answered to the call phoned in by Joe Rudolph and the staff.
In the beginning, Tosh Baker was given the first at-bat to win the position. It had seemed as though Rudolph intended to yet again defer to experience over youth. It appeared that this was a battle, sure, but not really. And if it was a legitimate competition, Sullivan Absher would be the one doing the battling. That all changed after only a couple practices, because the next open practice to the media featured Anthonie Knapp taking snaps with the first team offense.
At first, it came across as a one-off. But as time began to pass, it appeared the staff were contemplating their options heavily, and Notre Dame must have liked what they saw in the talented Freshman. Knapp has officially been named the week 1 starter in College Station.
There's been a lot of debate amongst the Notre Dame beat on if this is a matter of "Is Anthonie Knapp performing that good, or is Tosh Baker performing that bad?" As with a lot of things, both can be true.
The same can be said about the Left Guard battle. What at first appeared to be a battle that was nearing it's end, featuring Spindler as the starter, has been completely flipped around. Sam Pendleton, the former 4-star recruit, has earned his way onto the field.
After his Spring struggles at Center, Pendleton was moved to guard, and the staff liked what they had seen after the change of pace. He seems to be finding his place on the Irish line, and the difference is showing itself. He is moving much more naturally at Left Guard, and firing off the ball with more mal-intent physicality, as evidenced by the clips coming out of fall camp. In what many (myself included) assumed would be a battle between Rocco Spindler and Pat Coogan, Pendleton inserted himself into the conversation with more force than an overprotective third wheel. The conversation might end here if he gets off to a hot start.
With the dust settled, the starting lineup is locked in:
LT: Anthonie Knapp
LG: Sam Pendleton
C: Ashton Craig
RG: Billy Schrauth
RT: Aamil Wagner
The issues deserve acknowledgement. It will be an inexperienced group. Not just in the snaps they've taken in actual games, but more importantly, the snaps they've played together as a unit. It can't be understated how important continuity is. Even more so, how important it will be in week 1 with north of 100,000 fans rooting for you to fail. But those are not luxuries the Irish will be lucky enough to have. They will bring in a grand total of 0 in-game reps while playing together. The D-line for the Aggies is expected to not be just a strength, but the strength of their entire team. The risk is massive. But it appears to be a risk Rudolph is willing to take.
For all the concerns - undersized, inexperienced, and young. The starting line-up listed above is also talented, athletic, and possess a high ceiling. The athleticism offers us a clue as to what Notre Dame plans to do on offense as well.
In order to combat what is expected to be an aggressive front-seven, Notre Dame may very well plan to move the pocket sideline to sideline to neutralize said aggression. It could also utilize pin and pull concepts as a means of trapping one D-lineman while leading another D-lineman away from the play. The size and athleticism indicate that the Notre Dame staff wants to match A&M's speed along the front-seven. It also speaks to the fact that they're confident in them being able to hold off physically.
For all the talk of "ceiling vs floor", this isn't a line up configured solely based on that concept alone. It can't be. Potential won't get it done in week 1. 2025 doesn't matter in 2024. No one will care if this unit shows glimpses of promise if Riley Leonard gets strip sacked in a critical moment in what will be Marcus Freeman's most important game of the season.
That's why this is a move that won't be made based on ceiling, or potential. It's a move that will be made because it gives Notre Dame the best chance at victory in one of the most hostile environments in all of college football.
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