Notre Dame's Offensive Line Operation: Upon Further Review

The Irish offensive line held its own in brutal SEC conditions

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Joshua Burnham (4) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Notre Dame faced a steep challenge against the Aggies, and succeeded

Notre Dame's offensive line was considered by many, including myself, entering the year, to be the most unstable position group in the program given the need to replenish multiple starters due to Joe Alt and Blake Fisher heading to the NFL and the unfortunate season-ending injury to Charles Jagusah.

While this group certainly didn't play perfectly against the Aggies, they did exactly what they needed to do. Be good enough to win.

Offensive line coach Joe Rudolph deserves a ton of credit. The easy move for him would have been to default starting roles to upperclassmen who have played in big-game atmospheres before. Rudolph didn't do that.

He trusted and believed in the physical gifts of young players like Sam Pendelton and Anthonie Knapp and gave them the start. Both players battled all night and performed as well as could be expected. Credit due to all involved.

For the second media viewing session in a row, the projected Notre Dame starting offensive line was...

Left tackle: Anthonie Knapp
Left guard: Sam Pendleton
Center: Ashton Craig
Right guard: Billy Schrauth
Right tackle: Aamil Wagner

A freshman, a sophomore and three juniors. pic.twitter.com/Kc9ndVirlM

— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) August 15, 2024

The Notre Dame offensive line will get better each week

Notre Dame ran the ball for 198 yards Saturday night and allowed 0 sacks. It was not a gorgeous masterpiece nor did it have to be. They got the job done and can now focus on growth individually and as a unit together.

This group now has 11 more weeks to improve their craft knowing that the most vaunted defense they will face all season is already in the rear view mirror. This is an ideal scenario for the Irish program and the sky is the limit for this group moving forward.

Notre Dame vs Northern Illinois: South Bend Weather Report

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