Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman continues to be noncommittal about a decision that feels like a no-brainer for the Irish
The right guard position battle feels like a no-brainer. Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman, however, continues to be noncommittal.
It was truly a tale of two halves for Notre Dame football during their 41-13 victory against the Wisconsin Badgers this past Sunday.
The Fighting Irish offense struggled through a disjointed first half, managing just 29 yards on 16 carries for a 1.8 yards-per-carry average. Quarterback CJ Carr also had difficulty finding an early rhythm without that semblance of a run game, completing just 10 of 17 passes for about 100 yards and a touchdown before halftime.
That led to head coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame holding a narrow 13-10 lead over the Badgers heading into the break.
Things quickly changed during the second half when Notre Dame proceeded to outscore Wisconsin 28-3. The run game became far more efficient, and so did the passing game from Carr to his top targets, wide receiver Jordan Faison and running back Nolan James Jr.
One of the big changes at halftime was at right guard, where Styles Prescod, who started the game, was replaced by redshirt junior Sullivan Absher. Absher started double-digit games at that position a year ago and provided an immediate jolt to the offensive line.
Freeman remains non-committal on the right guard starter
During media availability, Freeman was asked about the right guard position, with many speculating that an easy fix sits on the table: insert Absher as the unquestioned starter. A depth chart provided by Notre Dame PR for the upcoming game against Rice, however, suggests this is not a cut-and-dry situation. Absher is listed at the top, but there is an “or” between him and Prescod.
In his explanation, Freeman talked about intentions to get both players about 30 reps each during the Wisconsin game.
He was also noncommittal to one player being the perceived starter going forward. There could be some gamesmanship to this, with Absher seeming like the no-brainer choice based on both players’ performances during that contest.
What to watch against Rice
This will be something to keep a close eye on, especially against an inferior opponent like Rice, to see what the split ends up being between Absher and Prescod.
While I believe Absher will start that football game, it sounds like offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, and the Irish offensive staff are not ready to make a definitive decision.
That should potentially have some people worried. While we have seen rotations work at times in the past, the difference in offensive execution between the two was stark against Wisconsin.
Clearly there is something about Absher that has made this coaching staff a bit non-committal for him to be the guy. Perhaps eventually, when Matty Augustine returns, he will be given an opportunity to potentially beat out both players for the starting right guard job.
For now, a no-brainer decision feels like it is not quite as absolute as the Notre Dame fan base might see it. Will we see an increased opportunity for the 6-8, 320-pound Absher to assert his placement at the top of the right guard depth chart, or does Prescod continue to get similar reps, maybe in just reverse fashion this week?
Only time will tell. This feels like an easy decision that the Notre Dame coaching staff chose not to make for whatever reason.
