Notre Dame football enters the 2026 college football season with one of the most talented offenses head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock have assembled.

Quarterback CJ Carr returns as a redshirt sophomore, Ohio State transfers Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter bolster a revamped wide receiver room, and the offensive line boasts tremendous depth. That depth along the front is where things get particularly compelling, because redshirt freshman Matty Augustine is making a strong push to crack the starting lineup at right guard for the Fighting Irish.

The expected starting five up front features Will Black at left tackle, Anthonie Knapp at left guard, Ashton Craig at center, Charles Jagusah at right guard, and Guerby Lambert at right tackle after shifting from guard. That group represents the highest-ceiling combination offensive line coach Joe Rudolph can put on the field.

The problem is health.

Injuries have opened the door

If Craig and Jagusah are not healthy enough to start the season, Notre Dame will need contingency plans at two interior spots. Most observers would correctly assume Joe Otting steps in at center for Craig, and redshirt junior Sullivan Absher, who started multiple games a season ago, fills in at right guard until Jagusah returns. Those are logical conclusions, and both players have earned that level of trust.

There is a wild card in the mix, though. Augustine, a member of the 2025 recruiting class alongside Black, has been turning heads since he arrived in South Bend. At 6-8 and 310 pounds, his frame alone commands attention. The bulk of his practice reps have come at right tackle, but he has increasingly been cross-training at guard, working inside more and more as the offseason progresses.

Why Augustine could start sooner than expected

From everything I have gathered, there is real optimism around the program that Augustine could contribute earlier than initially projected.

That right guard spot is the one to watch closely. I would be fully content with Absher starting there if Jagusah is unavailable for an extended stretch. Absher is a proven commodity. But there is enough love on the Notre Dame side of things for Augustine that he could potentially win the starting right guard job, perhaps even to open the season if he has a strong rest of the offseason and fall camp.

Augustine came out of Connecticut as something of an upside play when he initially committed to Notre Dame. During his final high school season, however, he experienced a rapid ascension. He added good weight to his frame, played with more consistent technique, and truly flourished. By the end of the cycle, he had become one of the biggest risers in the 2025 class, earning four-star status and a top-250 overall ranking from multiple platforms.

If that trajectory is any indication, Augustine is the type of player who could shake things up this fall.

Depth is the real story

Notre Dame has built this kind of offensive line depth partly out of necessity. You never want injuries to force Plan Bs and Plan Cs, but having those options on the table is never a bad thing. There could be a point this offseason where the Irish have six interior offensive linemen good enough to start: Knapp, Craig, Otting, Jagusah, Absher, and Augustine. That is a remarkable position for any program to be in.

Deciding who the starters will be is no easy task for Freeman and Rudolph. The competition should be fierce throughout fall camp, and the cream will rise. I have my eyes firmly on Augustine, who continues to showcase his talents this offseason and is proving to the coaching staff that he is ready to compete if the opportunity presents itself.