Notre Dame loses two starting offensive linemen to the transfer portal, but this could end up being a huge positive
It wasn’t a shock that there weren’t any Notre Dame players entering the transfer portal during their deep playoff run. With the portal window being pushed back while the team participated, the focus was solely on trying to win a championship. Now that the playoffs are over, we will continue to see some Fighting Irish […]
It wasn’t a shock that there weren’t any Notre Dame players entering the transfer portal during their deep playoff run. With the portal window being pushed back while the team participated, the focus was solely on trying to win a championship. Now that the playoffs are over, we will continue to see some Fighting Irish players begin to enter.
We saw a couple of former offensive linemen enter the portal on Thursday, including Pat Coogan and Rocco Spindler. Both players carry one year of eligibility remaining after being a part of the 2021 recruiting class. Each brings a good amount of size and experience to the table, and the markets should be solid for both.
Spindler started all 10 games he was healthy for during the 2023 season at right guard. The 6-5, 325-pound mauler is known for his nasty temperament and physicality. Spindler was relegated to a backup role entering the 2024 season after rehabbing from his injury. When Billy Schrauth was injured during the season, Spindler took over and started for the remainder of the campaign.
It’s a similar, but somewhat different story, for Coogan. He started every game at left guard during the 2023 season, but was involved in a position battle this past offseason. In the end, Coogan was tasked with being a swing player inside. Once Ashton Craig was injured, Coogan was pressed into duty and started for the remainder of the season.
It’s never a good thing to lose quality offensive linemen, but this is also a testament to the health of the offensive line room. With players like Charles Jagusah, Schrauth, Craig, Anthonie Knapp, Aamil Wagner, Guerby Lambert, and Sullivan Absher returning, Notre Dame has a chance to field one of the best offensive lines in all of college football.
The fact that the Irish program can lose starters like Coogan and Spindler, and still be in a great spot, is where you want your program's health to be. All Notre Dame fans should appreciate what both of those players brought to the program. They gave everything they had.
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Projected 2025 Notre Dame offensive depth chart
