The next offensive line prodigy at Notre Dame has an academic profile and scholarly ambition to match.
June-arriving freshman offensive tackle Guerby Lambert seriously considered Harvard during the recruiting process, has chosen civil engineering as his Notre Dame major, and elected to tackle chemistry in his first round of college classes.
And when he sought advice from 2023 unanimous All-American and 2024 first-round draft choice Joe Alt during the recruiting process, the 6-foot-7, 320-pound Lambert’s biggest curiosity was about how the three-year Irish starting left tackle navigated curating an NFL future while major in mechanical engineering.
Not about how Alt was able to become the only freshman, since the 1972 move by the NCAA to permanently reinstate freshman eligibility, to start multiple games at the left tackle position for Notre Dame and just the second to start any games at that position.
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“I didn’t know about that until after I committed,” Lambert said during a recent interview with reporters, a little more than a week after taking his first ND chemistry class on June 10.
It would surprise even Lambert — at least a little — if he were able to do the same, despite his recruiting pedigree. But it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see him nudge his way into the two-deeps at one of the tackle spots during the 2024 season.
At No. 37 in the final Rivals individual player rankings, Lambert ranks behind only Blake Fisher (No. 26 in the 2021 recruiting cycle), Quenton Nelson (No. 29 in 2014) and Sam Young (No. 11 in 2006) among O-linemen to sign with the Irish in the Rivals Era (2002-present).
All of them played early at ND. All played in the NFL — or will play in Fisher’s case, being a second-round pick by the Houston Texans in April.
“I think it motivates me more,” Lambert said of the buzz he could move up the depth chart quickly. “[But] I’m in no rush because of how much I trust these coaches. I trust that they’re going to put me in when I’m ready and when I can perform the best for the team.”
With both 2024 starters off to the NFL as early draft entries, the tackle competition was wide open in the spring. Sophomore-to-be and Sun Bowl starter Charles Jagusah was able to lock down the left tackle spot, and grad senior Tosh Baker and junior Aamil Wagner are carrying over their spring battle at the top of the depth chart at right tackle to this summer’s informal workouts and training camp’s formal setting with the coaches present and engaged.
Sophomore Sullivan Absher so far has been the most advanced of the younger tackles. But Lambert, one of only eight freshmen total and two on offense who weren’t on campus for spring ball, is getting his chance to impress at least his teammates now.
“It’s been a pretty smooth transition,” he said. “Everything’s been going good. Right now I’m doing a pretty good job with the playbook. I want to get that down so that’s not a problem during camp.
“I want to do everything the coaches [ask] and become the best I can by the time camp starts. I just want to do everything to make sure I’m the most prepared for what they need from me when camp comes.”
And likely well-rounded beyond football and school. At Catholic Memorial School in West Roxbury, Mass., Lambert was a member of the school’s peer ministry, and through it was involved in breast cancer awareness walks, advocating for men’s mental health and helping the homeless.
Notre Dame sophomore defensive end Boubacar Traore was a teammate of Lambert’s there and a year ahead of him in school. But they never squared off in practice, even once,
“Our coach back home, he didn’t let us,” Lambert said. “He didn’t put the 1s against the 1s, because we had a lot of injuries. [Traore] definitely is chatty. He talks a lot. Going against him would be a little extra fun.”
Notre Dame’s training camp kicks off July 31, with the season opener at Texas A&M set for exactly one month later in prime time.
Until camp starts Lambert is living in Loren Landow’s world and savoring the tutelage from Notre Dame’s first-year director of football performance.
“When I came in for the spring game [April 20], I had a chance to sit down and talk with him,” Lambert said. “I could tell he knows what he’s doing. You could just see with the people he’s worked with.
“He’s worked with a couple of UFC fighters, a couple people in the NFL. And just being here the few weeks I have been, you can tell he’s very serious about what he does and he’s very good at what he does.”
A line Lambert may be hearing about himself sooner than later.
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