The 2026 season officially started for Notre Dame football on Friday morning, as the first practice of spring took place.
Every year in college football is different, and for the Irish, that is the case as well. They will return one of the most veteran groups in the country, but a new year brings new faces to the forefront of the program. One of those is the offensive line, and a position change could pave the way for a redshirt freshman to take over a starting job from another former freshman stater.
On3’s Jack Soble attended practice and reported back that the starting offensive line consisted of left tackle Will Black, left guard Anthonie Knapp, center Joe Otting, right guard Sullivan Absher and right tackle Guerby Lambert. The left side is where the change happened, with Knapp sliding inside opening up the spot for Black.
Coming out of high school, the new projected left tackle was a 5-star, and is looking like he’ll be living up to that billing. When looking at who could breakout this spring, Black wasn’t talked about because offensive line isn’t as sexy as running back or wide receiver.
However, it’s the guy upfront paving the way for the offense, and this unit has the potential to be an elite group. While Black might lack experience, he makes up for it in talent and potential.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Could Notre Dame football have another freshman starting left tackle?
Reporting by Michael Chen , Fighting Irish Wire / Fighting Irish Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
