SOUTH BEND, Ind. — As Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph directed drills in the early portion of Wednesday’s spring practice, he oversaw a unit of 10 active players. Among them was a combined two career starts, and those both belonged to junior-to-be Charles Jagusah.
Jagusah, who missed most of last season with a torn pectoral, could very well be the only one of those 10 linemen who ends up starting ND’s 2025 season opener at Miami on Aug. 31. Four potential starters are sidelined to various degrees this spring. Senior-to-be Aamil Wagner is being given extra rest following 16 starts at right tackle last season. Senior-to-be guard Billy Schrauth is working his way back from a left ankle surgery. Sophomore-to-be Anthonie Knapp, who started 15 games at left tackle, is working his way back from a right ankle surgery. And center Ashton Craig is progressing in his recovery from a torn ACL in the third game of last season.
That leaves Rudolph with a different priority this spring than trying to identify his starting five for the fall.
“I think it’s just getting better right now,” Rudolph said following the team’s fourth spring practice. “The nice thing about this is we have all summer long to keep working, all of fall camp. And by the end of this we’ll have guys that get back at the end of spring that can be out there together, too.”
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The spring focus will be more individualized than a unit developing as one. Jagusah, for example, might not take many reps alongside anyone he could start with later this year. That would seemingly make it impossible for Rudolph to know by the end of spring what will be best in the fall.
“Yeah, but in some ways, you have a lot of confidence in a lot of guys, and they got a lot of reps at certain positions, so you feel pretty good there,” Rudolph said. “And then there’s going to be some battles. There’s going to be guys that can complete with them to be able to raise the bar or, in some cases, maybe win the job. Which is what you want to foster.”
After seniors Pat Coogan and Rocco Spindler departed following the season via the transfer portal to Indiana and Nebraska, respectively, the Irish were left with a bit of a leadership void. The best remaining candidates are among those sidelined. But the likes of Wagner, Schrauth, Craig and Knapp are still impacting their teammates.
“No,” Rudolph said when asked if it’s easier to lead with extra time when sidelined. “But they’re at practice and they’re coaching the heck out of guys. When you’re coaching it, there’s a different level. They’re not just watching. They’re studying. They’re giving feedback. They’re going through it. So you’re leading, just not in the mix of it where you affect other positions as well.”
As some of the sidelined players are itching to get back into practice, Rudolph has urged them to keep up with the various workouts available to them during practice to maintain strength and conditioning.
“I’ve been on their tails about that,” Rudolph said. “So, they’ll start phasing in. They’ll get a little bit more work and at separate times, I’ll take that group on the field and I’ll walk through and talk through all the details. We’ll just make time.
“We’ll have like office hours, and we’ll go through all that stuff and help them do the same footwork, the same steps. They’re getting the reps, just not at the same time.”
Another look at guard for Charles Jagusah
Jagusah’s two career starts came at left tackle in the final games of the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He made his starting debut in the 40-8 victory over Oregon State in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 29, 2023. Then he made his second start at left tackle in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game against Ohio State, a 34-23 loss, on Jan. 20.
Jagusah also played a key role in ND’s 27-24 win over Penn State in the CFP semifinal hosted by the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9. He replaced an injured Spindler at right guard in the second quarter and finished the game.
"If you put the film on when he was in the Penn State game and you watched him, you were like ‘Oh, who’s that dude?’” Rudolph said. “You don’t do that a lot with offensive line. There’s a lot going on for a guy to stand out that way. So, when you see someone who maybe could be as good as anyone in the country or better, you kind of keep developing in that spot as well."
As Rudolph tries to imagine his starting lineup for next season, having pieces who can play multiple spots will be beneficial.
“Do your best to get the best five guys on the field,” Rudolph said. “I think Charles has great flexibility with what he can do, so that’s the biggest reason.”
Other tackle options
Guerby Lambert, the 6-foot-7, 334-pound sophomore-to-be, spent the start of Wednesday’s practice at right tackle working next to Jagusah. But Lambert isn’t limited to playing on the right side.
“There were times last year we threw him in at guard, and he jumped right in,” Rudolph said. “He’s got that to him where he brings a maturity. Definitely working both left and right.”
Rudolph hasn’t decided yet if he’d rather move Wagner to left tackle or give Lambert more opportunities on the left. Regardless, Lambert will receive plenty of reps this spring.
So will classmate Styles Prescod, who was taking the first-team left tackle reps in Wednesday’s practice. Prescod’s freshman season ended in preseason camp with a right shoulder injury that required surgery.
“Last year, you saw a few things but most of the time he was recovering,” Rudolph said. “So that’s a journey. You get somewhere, you get on campus, you’re excited to go, and then you can’t go. It’s a journey you take just making it to the point to get to practice here and you’re going.
“But he flashes, man. You see him do some really good things. He brings great energy. He’s excited. He’s not timid in his approach. I really like what he’s done so far so I’m excited to see him.”
Where does Anthonie Knapp fit in?
Knapp gained a lot of respect for starting the first 15 games of his career last season. He held his own on the outside despite not being as tall (6-4) as the typical offensive tackle at Notre Dame.
Knapp’s future position remains up for debate.
“He was pretty unique,” Rudolph said. “Coming in I thought he would factor in more at internal positions like center or guard. He just was so natural playing out there, and he’s got really good length.
“The average tackle height is 6-5 in the NFL. It’s not 6-8. That’s the outlier. He just really does some things that helped us and gave us some strength and power and consistency out there. We thought he played really well, so we’ll see. But he does have flexibility as well.”
Can Sullivan Absher find an opening?
Sullivan Absher spent his first two seasons at Notre Dame as a reserve. His limited opportunities last season came both at guard and tackle. Absher’s adding center reps to the mix this spring. He’s splitting time with junior-to-be Joe Otting and freshman Cam Herron at the position.
“Those guys are learning, and it expands their roles. I’ve been excited from what I’ve seen. They’ve done good — Sully’s done a really good job. It’s hard to know two spots and to learn them like that. He’s embraced it.”
Absher expressed a determination to make it hard for Rudolph to keep him on the bench next season.
“I see it in him,” Rudolph said. “I see him continue to get better. Not worry about anything else but focus on what he needs to do to get better. And it shows up.
“His battle right now is just consistency. We’re trying to give him every opportunity to compete and get out there. He will. There’s no question he’s going to play a lot of ball here.”
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