Notre Dame Football Debuts Reworked Offensive Line

Notre Dame's first public practice of fall camp was held since the injury news to Charles Jagusah. See how Notre Dame's first team offensive tackles lined up on Tuesday.

Tosh Baker OL of the Fighting Irish at practice at the Fighting Irish Athletic Center at Notre Dame on Thursday July 27, 2023. / MATTIE NERETIN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Notre Dame football had its first open practice following the season-ending injury news to anticipated starting left tackle Charles Jagusah was announced on Monday.

In it, Notre Dame debuted its latest first team offensive tackles.

Veteran Tosh Baker stepped in to fill the hole at left tackle due to Jagusah's injury while on the right tackle position was manned by Aamil Wagner. Baker was who Wagner had edged out to start camp as the top right tackle.

Tell me about Tosh Baker

Height: 6-8
Weight: 320 pounds
Class: Graduate Senior (Senior)
High School: Pinnacle (Scottsdale, AZ)

Tosh Baker is a graduate senior on Notre Dame's roster who came to the team with as a four-star recruit but rated by many outlets as a top 50-100 player nationally.

Baker hasn't reached those recruiting heights at Notre Dame but does have the most experience of anyone vying for the suddenly open spot. Baker only has two career regular starts at Notre Dame, both against Big Ten foes back in 2021 oddly enough (Purdue and Wisconsin). He did also start at right tackle in last season's Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl win over Oregon State.

Baker brings more experience to the position, sure, but let's be honest for a second here and realize that amount of experience is only three career starts - although he has seen game action in a reserve role over the years.

Who else could challenge Tosh Baker?

The way it is set up right now, the biggest name I would see competing with Baker is already in a spot at the right tackle position in Aamil Wagner. Wagner did enough in the spring to earn first team status at right tackle entering camp, something Marcus Freeman spoke about last week.

Beyond that there are really only two other names to keep an eye on.

True freshman Guerby Lambert from Boston was rated by many as Notre Dame's top recruit in the 2024 class. Lambert already has the college size at a woping 6-7, 318-pounds but even by freshman measures, Lambert is playing from behind. Lambert didn't enroll early at Notre Dame so has only been around the team for the summer. Considering how few offensive linemen step in and are game ready in year-one, this is a tough ask of Lambert.

Sophomore Sullivan Absher is another name to at least mention here, although he has been practicing on the inside in the competition for the left guard position. Absher has a history of working at left tackle although his history of playing there in college games is a nothing burger.

Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, second from right, talks to offensive lineman Aamil Wagner (59) during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

The somewhat silver lining for Notre Dame

Listen, it's not a good thing when your starting left tackle goes down at the start of fall camp, even if that left tackle has very few game reps all-time. Notre Dame's offensive line doesn't have a lot of experience playing together and if you ask anyone who has played on an offensive line at a high level of football, it takes time for a unit to gel and figure one another out a bit.

The good news in that regard for Notre Dame is that this happened during the first week of fall camp workouts. That gives Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph time to try different pieces at not only the left tackle position but across the entire offensive line.

It's still a tough spot however as the game at Texas A&M on Aug. 31 will probably be played against the best defensive front Notre Dame will see all season long.

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