First Glance Look At The 2024 Notre Dame Offense
Notre Dame did a lot of really good things on offense in 2023, setting program records in scoring and putting on the field one of the most productive offenses that Irish fans have seen in a very long time. At the end of the day, the offense still suffered from other offenses have the last 30 years, it just wasn't good enough when it mattered most.
But while many fans seem intent on focusing on the moments where the offense wasn't good enough, a look at what the offense did well, what it returns in 2024, and what is coming into the program in 2024 should get fans very excited about what the unit could be in 2024.
Every Notre Dame offense is in prove it mode, but the 2024 unit has a chance to be special. There are questions that must be asked, but the combination of talent and coaching projected to be on the team in 2024 is really, really good.
With the players arriving to campus this week it's the perfect time to take a first glance look at the Notre Dame 2024 offense.
WHAT WAS LOST
Evaluating starters lost and starters returning isn't an easy task, as the Irish had a lot of different players start multiple games this season, especially at wide receiver. For this article, starters will be players that started at least four games this season (1/3 of the regular season). There are more than 11 players on the roster that fit that description.
STARTERS (9)
QB Sam Hartman - 12 starts - 2,689 pass yards, 123 rush yards, 27 total TD
RB Audric Estime - 12 starts - 1,341 rush yards, 6.4 YPC, 18 TD - 17 catches, 142 yards
WR Chris Tyree - 6 starts - 26 catches, 484 yards, 18.6 YPC, 3 TD
WR Rico Flores Jr. - 6 starts - 27 catches, 392 yards, 14.5 YPC, 1 TD
WR Tobias Merriweather - 6 starts - 14. catches, 284 yards, 20.3 YPC, 2 TD
TE Holden Staes - 8 starts - 15 catches, 176 yards, 11.7 YPC, 4 TD
LT Joe Alt - 12 starts - Unanimous All-American - Made 33 straight starts
RT Blake Fisher - 12 starts - Made 26 straight starts
C Zeke Correll - 10 starts - Made 23 straight starts
Notre Dame loses quite a bit from last season's roster, with nine players that started at least six games this season, including three offensive linemen that combined for 82 career starts. Losing elite left tackle Joe Alt is without question the biggest loss, but the loss of second-team All-American running back Audric Estime and his 1,341 rush yards and 18 touchdown also leaves big shoes to fill.
Notre Dame will also have to replace 99 catches, 1,478 yards and 10 touchdowns in the pass game.
Hartman didn't live up to expectations, but he was still a solid quarterback for most of the season and he had some big games.
RETURNING TALENT
Notre Dame had 20 offensive players start at least two games last season and three other players started at least one game. That means despite losing nine starters with at least six starts the offense returns plenty of experience and production from the 2023 offense that set a program record in scoring.
RETURNING STARTERS
WR Jayden Thomas - 5 starts - 21 catches, 310 yards, 14.8 YPC, 2 TD
WR Jaden Greathouse - 5 starts - 18 catches, 265 yards, 14.7 YPC, 5 TD
TE Mitchell Evans - 7 starts - 29 catches, 422 yards, 14.6 YPC, 1 TD
LG Pat Coogan - 13 starts
RG Rocco Spindler - 10 starts
KEY RESERVES/STARTER
QB Steve Angeli - 1 start - 504 pass yards, 27 rush yards, 7 TD
RB Jeremiyah Love - 1 start - 385 rush yards, 5.4 YPC, 1 TD - 8 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD
RB Jadarian Price - 272 rush yards, 5.8 YPC, 3 TD - 5 catches, 65 yards, 1 TD
RB Gi'Bran Payne - 168 rush yards, 3.7 YPC, 2 TD - 9 catches, 58 yards, 2 TD
WR Jordan Faison - 2 starts - 19 catches, 322 yards, 16.9 YPC, 4 TD - 22 rush yards
WR Deion Colzie - 3 catches, 45 yards, 15.0 YPC
TE Eli Raridon - 3 starts - 5 catches, 51 yards, 10.2 YPC, 1 TD
TE Cooper Flanagan - 2 starts - 1 catch, 19 yards, 1 TD
LT Charles Jagusah - 1 start
C Ashton Craig - 3 starts
RG Billy Schrauth - 3 starts
RT Tosh Baker - 2 starts (4 career starts)
C/G Andrew Kristofic - 8 career starts
Returning Rushing Production: 184 carries, 933 yards, 5.1 YPC, 6 TD
Returning Passing Production: 516 yards, 783% completions, 7 TD, 1 INT
Returning Receiving Production: 124 catches, 1,686 receiving yards, 13.6 YPC, 20 TD
Returning Career Starts - OL: 34
The production provided above is only production in a Notre Dame uniform in the 2023 season.
Losing Estime stings, there is no doubt about that, but the returning trio of Love, Price and Payne combined for 825 rushing yards, 200 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns on offense. Price also had a kick return for a touchdown last season. Not many teams can lose a running back that produced as much as Estime and still return over 1,000 yards of offense and double digit touchdowns.
Of course the returners have a lot to prove, but the exciting part for the Notre Dame offense is the talented is tremendous. Love and Price have a ton of talent, and Payne could have started on several past Notre Dame teams. The Irish won't be hurting for talent at running back in 2024.
The pass game also returns plenty of talent and production. Greathouse led the offense in receiving touchdowns as a rookie, and he also caught 18 passes for 265 yards. The rest of the returning wideouts combined for 43 catches, 677 yards (15.7 YPC) and six touchdowns. A key for Notre Dame in 2024 will be the veterans - Thomas and Colzie - getting healthy, staying healthy and
Evans returns next season, but he's coming off a torn ACL. If Evans can return to the form we saw in 2023 it means the Irish will have one of the nation's best players at that position. With Raridon and Flanagan also coming back the Irish will have plenty of talent and depth at tight end next season.
Like the running back position, Notre Dame has a lot to prove at wide receiver and tight end (until Evans returns), but there is plenty of talent returning at the position even before we get into the newcomers.
Losing 82 career starts up front will be tough to replace, especially when you consider how good Alt was on the blindside. No one will be able to replace his dominance, but there is a chance the line could be better next season. It won't be as experienced, but there is an opportunity to see talent upgrades at several positions. A case could be made that two of the best OL performances all season came with Craig and Schrauth in the starting lineup, and both Jagusah and Baker handled themselves well in the bowl game.
Of course, having just 34 career starts returning to the projected starting offensive line (and 42 total starts counting Kristofic as a possible key reserve) at least gives one a little bit of nervousness about the line. But if Joe Rudolph is as good as many Irish fans hope he is he'll be able to get the line moving forward in a very positive direction in his second season.
IMPACT NEWCOMERS
While the return of a talented depth chart gives Notre Dame strong foundation to build around next season, but there is no doubt that the Irish needed to add impact and depth to the skill positions through the transfer portal and incoming freshman class. Notre Dame certainly accomplished that mission.
2023 Rushing Production: 360 yards, 6.1 YPC, 4 TD
2023 Passing Production: 1,102 yards, 57.6% comp., 3 TD (2,967 yards, 20 TD in 2022)
2023 Receiving Production: 130 catches, 2,038 yards, 15.7 YPC, 10 TD
Former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard is the prize of the portal class for Notre Dame. Leonard got off to a strong start in 2023 before an ankle injury late in the loss to the Fighting Irish derailed his season. There was talk about Leonard being a possible first round draft pick prior to that injury. Leonard will need a lot of work to get to the first round, but the raw tools are impressive.
What makes Leonard such an important pickup is his playmaking ability. He's a true dual threat player that rushed for 699 yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2022. Leonard adds an element to the offense it has lacked in recent seasons, and one that should give the offense a huge boost.
If you add the production the portal receivers had last season with the returning production from the 2023 Irish pass catchers the number is 254 catches, 3,724 yards and 30 touchdowns. That's outstanding returning production, and it will give Leonard plenty of weapons to throw the ball too.
Former Florida International star Kris Mitchell had an outstanding 2023 campaign, hauling in 64 passes for 1,118 yards and six touchdowns. He scored half of FIU's passing touchdowns last season and had a 6-catch, 157-yard performance in a road loss to Arkansas. Adding him and Clemson veteran Beaux Collins gives the Irish a pair of talented outside receivers, which is something the Irish desperately needed to add in the portal.
The least productive pass catcher of the portal class is Marshall's Jayden Harrison, but he was a first-team All-American kick returner last season. His 28 catches would have led all Notre Dame receivers last season, and his 410 yards would have only trailed Tyree's 484 yards. Harrison is a big play weapon that adds speed to the slot, and he could also play outside a bit on top of being a potential impact return man.
Notre Dame also adds a trio of high school wide receivers that could provide an immediate impact as well. Cam Williams is a five-star talent that adds big time speed and playmaking ability to the roster, and he has the talent to make an immediate impact. Classmate Micah Gilbert adds size and top-notch ball skills, and Logan Saldate gives the Irish playmaking ability.
He's not a newcomer, but after missing almost all of the 2023 season with an injury, current freshman KK Smith will essentially be new to the depth chart in 2024. Smith is a young prospect I was very high on coming out of high school and I'm intrigued to see if he can make an impact this season.
The same is true for freshman running backs Kedren Young and Aneyas Williams, a pair of backs that in most years would be no brainers to play right away, but the current depth chart is loaded.
COACHING MOVES
Of course, the biggest change on offense this offseason was the departure of Gerad Parker - who is the new head coach at Troy - and the arrival of Mike Denbrock.
Parker did some really good things for the offense in 2023, but he suffered through the same problem that coordinators have dealt with since Lou Holtz was running the program. That is the inability to produce in big games and big moments.
Denbrock had some flashes of being able to do that in 2014 and 2015 when he was Notre Dame's offensive coordinator, but he's a far more established coordinator upon his return. Over the last four seasons - two at Cincinnati and two at LSU - Denbrock's offenses have averaged 38.6 points per game, 464.4 yards per game and 7.0 yards per play. That includes averaging 33.8 points per game against ranked opponents over the last two seasons with the Tigers.
Cincinnati went from 37.1 points per game, 429.3 yards per game and 6.7 yards per play in the final two seasons under Denbrock to 26.8 points per game, 398.6 yards per game and 5.8 yards per play in the two years since he departed.
Conversely, LSU averaged 28.9 points per game, 396.9 yards per game and 5.5 yards per play in the two years prior to Denbrock's arrival in 2022. In two seasons under Denbrock's leadership, the LSU offense averaged 40.0 points per game, 496.7 yards per game and 7.3 yards per play.
Denbrock is an established coach who combines good scheme with the proper understanding of the importance of building that scheme around the unique talent of his current roster.
The supporting cast is strong, especially after Mike Brown was added to the staff as the new wide receivers coach. If Rudolph can make the kind of year two jump with the offensive line in 2024 that Al Washington made with the defensive line in 2023 the Irish offense will be very, very dangerous.
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2024 Commit Rankings - Defense
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