Notre Dame Commit Anthonie Knapp Has Made Big Strides This Offseason

Roswell strength and conditioning coach Ronnie Jankovich recaps the off-season for Anthonie Knapp
Notre Dame Commit Anthonie Knapp Has Made Big Strides This Offseason
Notre Dame Commit Anthonie Knapp Has Made Big Strides This Offseason /

The minute that Joe Rudolph took the offensive line coach position at Notre Dame, he began to prioritize 2024 Roswell (Ga.) High School offensive lineman Anthonie Knapp. That recruitment happened quickly, ending with Knapp committing to the Irish on March 29th.

For Notre Dame fans and supporters, it was an interesting process. Knapp was a player who was not previously on the Irish radar, but clearly Rudolph had a high affinity for Knapp.

One of the main concerns with Knapp for fans early on was his frame. Listed at just 6-4 and 265 pounds, the Georgia standout does appear light on film. Just how much weight could he comfortably carry? That was a question thrown out a lot.

According to Roswell’s strength and conditioning coach Ronnie Jankovich, that won’t be an issue. Knapp has had a tremendous off-season, including putting up some impressive bench numbers for the world to see recently.

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Getting stronger and faster was a priority for Knapp this off-season. As it turns out, he has added some very good weight weight as well, which should ease some concerns.

"Knapp has fully bought into our program and the process,” Jankovich told Irish Breakdown. "The kid has had tremendous growth this off-season, and since I’ve been here in general. He’s gained about 40 pounds this off-season. He’s done that while improving his testing numbers. Not only has he gotten bigger but he’s gotten faster. That’s been the most impressive part.”

Anytime there is a massive weight gain in a short time, skepticism will arise about maintaining athleticism. From a foot quickness and flexibility perspective, it appears that Knapp has even improved while adding that mass.

"Knapp has gotten a lot bigger and he can still run,” Jankovich said. "He can play tight end right now and dominant. He’s that good of a mover. It’s really awesome to watch. His 5-10-5 drill has gotten faster. We do testing for hip mobility and he’s the only lineman we have that passes the screener. He’s a freaky athlete.”

Some people forget that when we’re talking about high schoolers, teenagers, physical development can be so hard to predict. No one person is the same and they develop at completely different rates. 

"I wasn’t here when Anthonie was a freshman but the coaches have filled me in,” Jankovich explained. "He was about 6-2 and maybe 185 pounds. Early on, Knapp thought he was going to be a defensive end and tight end type player. The coaching staff told him that he would eventually be a big time offensive tackle, and clearly they were right. Knapp bought in and it has paid off.”

Although some recruiting analysts are beginning to give Knapp more attention, his senior season is one that people should be very interested to watch. There are so many things to love on film, but playing at a higher weight would be a great thing to see. Jankovich has high expectations for what he can accomplish.

"We think he’s going to turn some heads,” he stated. "For whatever reason, he doesn’t get the credit or the hype that he deserves. That should change this year. He’s been putting in the work and I’m excited to see what he can do this year.”

If this developmental track is legitimate, Notre Dame may have ultimately gotten a steal with Knapp. As mentioned, the film is quite good and if the physical development follows, Rudolph deserves a lot of credit. Notre Dame may have gotten a good one ahead of the curve.

"Knapp is the meanest dude on the field and the nicest guy off of it,” Jankovich said. "Notre Dame got a great one.”

Knapp is especially high on the On3 ranking. He is currently rated as a four-star recruit, sitting as the No. 184 overall player and No. 9 interior offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class. They also rank Knapp as the No. 23 player in the state of Georgia, a territory that Notre Dame has prioritized as a staff under Marcus Freeman.

For a stellar 12-2 Roswell squad, Knapp was a big reason for the offense’s success. The team averaged 40.9 points per game, averaging 220.8 passing yards and 219.7 rushing yards per game. That includes a healthy 7.7 yards per carry average as a team. 

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Ryan Roberts
RYAN ROBERTS

Ryan Roberts is the Director of Recruiting at Irish Breakdown, where he covers all aspects of the Notre Dame recruiting efforts. A former college football player and high school football coach, Roberts is also the owner of Rise N Draft, which covers the NFL Draft. Ryan was a key contributor to Irish Breakdown before taking over Fighting Irish recruiting and NFL Draft coverage. You can email Ryan at risendraft@gmail.com Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more. BECOME A MEMBER Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time! Follow Ryan on Twitter: @RiseNDraftLike and follow Irish Breakdown on FacebookSubscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channelSubscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter