Notre Dame Football Fall Camp: What Are the Areas of Concern?

What position groups are still a concern as Notre Dame fall football camp rolls on?

Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman during Notre Dame football fall camp Thursday, July 27, 2023, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend. / Greg Swiercz / USA TODAY NETWORK

As Notre Dame camp rolls along and the countdown to kickoff continues, some of Notre Dame's strengths and weaknesses are becoming crystal clear.

For instance, it feels like everyone from fans to media feels extremely confident that Notre Dame's defense will be very tough to score on in 2024.

Everyone also agrees that a player like Jeremiyah Love can be a truly dynamic weapon for the Irish on offense. But what areas are less certain as Notre Dame's date with Texas A&M creeps up?

Offensive Line Was A Concern Even Before The Major Injury

Even before Charles Jagusah's season-ending injury, this position group was a concern. Now that the Irish are down a starter, that concern will be amplified. There's simply no way around it. This is the biggest elephant in the room heading into Game One.

What's making this worry so intense is the fact that there is no leeway here - no such thing as easing into the season. Texas A&M's strength is their defensive front and Notre Dame must be prepared to handle it from the opening kickoff.

You Can Never Have Too Many Great Cornerbacks

It's terrific news that Notre Dame standout cornerback Benjamin Morrison appears to be on track to play against Texas A&M after rehabbing from surgery back in spring. He is truly dominant and is a game-changer in every sense of the word. Jaden Mickey is a rising player with some experience that is expected to be a reliable counterpart to Morrison.

Christian Gray is a young, ultra-long, and athletic player that I expect to become a fan favorite this year for Notre Dame as he breaks out in a big way. But what about after that? I realize great cornerbacks are hard to find and even harder to stack on your roster, but is three enough?

Who can be trusted behind these players? It feels like an inexperienced player like Karson Hobbs or Leonard Moore will be called upon this year to perform and at least one of them must do so strongly to bolster this group. Should there be an injury to this unit, things could get uncomfortable.

I'll Believe It When I See It With Wide Receivers

The Wide Receivers have been the talk of fall camp so far. There is no doubt this group is much deeper and has more players in it than a year ago when the cupboard was very bare.

But that's what causes me pause. Are the early reports that this group is much improved only by default in comparison to the low bar set by last year's unit? Or can this group truly be a competitive, well-rounded difference-making unit this fall?

For me, I'll believe it when I see it with this group. Not in fall practice, but when it matters against Texas A&M on August 31st. If this group can hold their own and play winning football against the Aggies, everyone in Irish nation will be thrilled but until I see it happen, this group is a question mark due to past scar tissue.

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