The Irish are referred to as O-Line U for a reason. Year after year, Notre Dames has sent out big, athletic, and talented Offensive Lineman to maul the opposition, which recently resulted in a First Round Draft Pick in star Left Tackle, Joe Alt. This year, however, there are some more questions as to whether or not the offensive line will be a liability, especially at Left Tackle, after losing both Alt to the draft and projected starter Charles Jagusah to injury.
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As we get closer to kickoff in Aggie-Land, which is now mere hours away, the excitement is palpable. With the excitement also comes some anxiety, as Irish fans are wondering how this new offensive line is going to hold up against a very talented Texas A&M front which added star transfer and pre-season All American, Nic Scourton, from Purdue during the offseason. Losing Joe Alt and Blake Fisher to the draft this off-season was obviously a big blow, and they will not be easily replaced. The main question in most people's mind was would the Irish defer to older players with experience, like Pat Coogan and Tosh Baker, to bring some experience into such a tough opener? Or would they opt for younger talent and higher ceiling players, such as Anthonie Knapp and Sam Pendleton?
After what felt like an entire year of speculation and anticipation for the questions above, the Irish finally released the depth chart on Monday, waiting until the final week to give us what we were waiting for. The starting line is as follows:
LT- Anthonie Knapp
LG - Sam Pendleton
C - Ashton Craig
RG - Billy Schrauth
RT- Aamil Wagner
Holy youth! There is only six starts between these five Offensive Linemen, with Schrauth and Craig getting some starting reps last season. This means a group of players with very little experience at the collegiate level, let alone with one another, will be lining up in one of the toughest road environments in the country come this Saturday. The 12th man will be roaring, and these young Irish athletes will need to weather the storm. Some for their first time under the bright lights. A 6'4" Freshman Left Tackle? A Redshirt Freshman Guard? A Redshirt Sophomore Right Tackle? None with any starts between them? If you are reading this, it may be time to pour a drink...
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HOWEVER, a lot of folks are overlooking some key details. Last year, we saw Coach Rudolph choose the veteran players over the underclassmen. Players like Pat Coogan and Rocco Spindler won the initial starting jobs going into the season. Young, but talented players like Billy Schrauth, had to wait their turn to crack the starting lineup. The fact that Rudolph is choosing the younger guys this year over the returning players he rode with last season speaks volumes to the staff's willingness to prioritize talent over experience. To me, these players must have been clearly surpassed by the underclassman, especially for Rudolph to start them in a game of this magnitude with their limited to absent experience. I highly doubt the reason was due to a regression from Coogan or Spindler, who are now in year two of this system, and have been solid players. Instead, I believe the younger linemen with higher ceilings are starting to blossom, and put themselves clearly ahead of the others. This was the bill of goods that fans were sold when Marcus Freeman was hired - a coach who can recruit the talent, and as such, not rely solely on development. If true, this can be a huge development for Notre Dame's football team as a whole, as they attempt to continue to dominate at the line of scrimmage.
Another positive in this scenario would be that Pat Coogan, Rocco Spindler, and Tosh Baker have not disappeared. They will be ready to provide their experience and give valuable reps when needed. They can also serve as a safety blanket in case the moment does become too big for any of the young guys ahead of them. If any of these young players struggle, there is a veteran behind them with experience ready to answer the call.
Had things been different, and Baker, Coogan, and Spindler were named the starters, it would tell me one of two things. Either the young players simply weren't ready to earn any meaningful reps, or Coach Rudolph does not have the nerve to go with the best player and simply defaults to experience. No offense to the veterans, but odds are at this stage of the game they have met or have come close to their ceilings, and although experience is an important factor, you MUST put the best talent on the field if you are going to win in a meaningful way. Teams who play conservative and are afraid to give youth a chance do not win when it matters most, and we've seen that in years past from Notre Dame. They don't win titles, they don't win big games consistently, and they certainly will not win recruiting battles/keep talented players on the roster in todays recruiting and transfer portal climate. To me, this is a sign that Coach Marcus Freeman and his staff are getting with the times. In the past, we have seen Irish teams play the vets and wait for the underclassmen to come up through the ranks. But this is not looking like the same Notre Dame. At least at first glance, it looks like the best players are going to play, period. Because of this, I believe Notre Dame is putting itself in a much better place to be more than just a good team. They are working toward greatness.
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