Many believe the 2026 college football season will be Notre Dame’s best chance to win a national title under head coach Marcus Freeman.

A huge reason for that is the recruiting, development, and retention the Fighting Irish have seen on the offensive line heading into the season. After some up-and-down performances each of the last couple of years, offensive line coach Joe Rudolph appears to have his room poised for a huge breakout.

On paper, this is the most talented unit Notre Dame has had in some time across the entirety of the offensive line.

But like any position group, there are questions this team needs to answer. Fall camp starts this week on Aug. 6, and over the next couple of weeks, there will be huge indicators of whether this Notre Dame offensive line has the answers to those underlying concerns.

The projected starting 5

Going into the season, Notre Dame’s starting offensive line should look like this: at left tackle, redshirt freshman Will Black; at left guard, Anthonie Knapp; at center, Ashton Craig when healthy, with redshirt junior Joe Otting filling in until then; at right guard, either Sullivan Absher or Matty Augustine, at least until Charles Jagusah hopefully gets back at some point; and at right tackle, Guerby Lambert, shifting over from his right guard spot a year ago.

That is the offensive line I expect to see when Notre Dame kicks off against Wisconsin, barring any injuries or potential setbacks.

Can 2 first-time starters handle the tackle spots?

The first major question centers on a reality that should give any Notre Dame fan some pause.

Both offensive tackles, while extremely talented, have never started a single game at the position they will be playing in 2026. Lambert started a ton last year at right guard but now moves back to his perceived more natural position at right tackle, while Black mans the blind side.

Can these offensive tackles live up to the five-star billing and potential that most people had on them coming out of high school? Offensive tackle is a position group where you usually want experience. They are obviously very talented, so if they can grow within this system and be the best version of themselves, getting better incrementally throughout the season, you feel good about it.

But you have to wonder if they are ready for the spotlight of being a starting offensive tackle at the University of Notre Dame.

Health and depth are a genuine concern

Perhaps the biggest question on this offensive line is going to be overall health. Ashton Craig, when healthy, has been a good starting center for Notre Dame, but the injury bug has really derailed his career in South Bend. Charles Jagusah also carries a huge question mark about when and if he will ever see the field in the blue and gold again.

Even if Notre Dame doesn’t get either of those players back in the foreseeable future, this is still an extremely talented offensive line. But without them, the Irish are an injury or two away from really eating into their depth. Can this group sustain availability and health at a higher rate than it has in the past?

That’s a fair question, and with some depth concerns now on the table, staying as healthy as possible to begin the 2026 season takes on added importance.

Pass protection has to improve for CJ Carr

The last question is another big one.

On paper, it seems like this Notre Dame team should be a lot better in pass protection with Black and Lambert flexing out to their more natural offensive tackle positions. Over the last couple of years under Rudolph, we’ve seen a lot of great moments as run blockers, but pass protection has been an issue. It was also an issue for Rudolph during his tenure at Wisconsin.

Can this group figure out pass protection at a higher level? This team is going to be built around quarterback CJ Carr and the impact he can have in the passing game. Carr is not an overly mobile quarterback. He has okay movement skills, but for the most part he is going to function inside the pocket.

Notre Dame’s offensive line needs to lessen the level of breakdowns we saw in pass protection at times last year, especially against the better teams.

If this group can stay healthy, develop at the tackle spots, and take a significant step in pass protection, the Fighting Irish will have an offensive line capable of supporting a legitimate national title run. Those answers start taking shape this week when fall camp opens.