Offensive position battles that will shape just how good Notre Dame can be heading into the 2025 college football season
Notre Dame is going to head into the 2025 college football season with a lot of high expectations. They will be replacing some key players, but the Fighting Irish also have a ton of talent returning next fall. Optimism is at an all time high under head coach Marcus Freeman coming off of a program […]
Notre Dame is going to head into the 2025 college football season with a lot of high expectations. They will be replacing some key players, but the Fighting Irish also have a ton of talent returning next fall. Optimism is at an all time high under head coach Marcus Freeman coming off of a program record 14 wins and a national title appearance in 2024.
Outside of defensive coordinator Chris Ash coming in and hopefully making a seamless transition, the roster is littered with talent. On the offensive side of the football, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock is hoping for a big year two jump. That will depend on several position battles, and this offseason will be predicated on competition.
QUARTERBACK
There will be no position that will have more attention for the Irish than at quarterback. Steve Angeli is the oldest, and most experienced signal caller on the roster. He has been the main backup for Notre Dame each of the last two seasons, but younger quarterbacks like CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey are both viewed to have higher upside. Does the staff opt for the floor or the ceiling? That’s the big question that nobody has the answer to right now.
LEFT TACKLE
There are going to be a couple of position battles on the offensive line in general, but how things shake out at left tackle could decide a lot of things. On the blindside, there are three players to know. One is Charles Jagusah, who was the starting left tackle before an injury to his pectoral knocked him out for the majority of the season. Jagusah returned at left tackle against Ohio State in the final game, and looked good doing so.
In Jagusah’s place, true freshman Anthonie Knapp started 15 games. While it wasn’t always perfect in pass protection, Knapp got better and better throughout the season. He showed a lot of talent, and enters the 2025 season as the most experienced left tackle option. His classmate Guerby Lambert was actually the more heralded prospect in his class, but spent the season as the backup at right tackle. It’ll be interesting to see if he’s a part of the left tackle battle.
Depending on who wins the battle, we could see the “loser” end up at a different position. It wouldn’t be totally shocking to see either Jagusah or Knapp starting at right guard. This battle could cause a bit of a domino effect.
TIGHT END
This is a position that might have the most worry right now. By default it appears that Eli Raridon has the inside track as the starter. It’s uncertain if and when Cooper Flanagan could return, but he could challenge to be the top guy when healthy. The depth is even more of a question. How does Kevin Bauman and Ty Washington fit? Can Jack Larsen or freshman James Flanigan find a role? There are a lot more questions than answers right now.
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