The offensive line Notre Dame sends on the field when the Irish open the 2024 season will look drastically different than the line that played together for the majority of 2023. Left tackle Joe Alt and right tackle Blake Fisher, who will both hear their names called in this weekend’s NFL Draft, are the two most significant losses.
Charles Jagusah stepped in for Alt at left tackle after Alt opted out of last December’s Sun Bowl. Then a true freshman, the 6-7, 329-pound lineman attacked his bowl prep with an advanced mindset that set the tone for him throughout the spring season that just concluded.
"He came out those first two days and practiced exceptionally well,” second-year Irish offensive line coach Joe Rudolph recently said of Jagusah. “Whichprobably ledto what Coach (Marcus) Freeman said (in December) about him being one of the guys, because he did, he came off and worked that way and then in the game, sometimes you get into a game and your growth experience—guys will practice better than they play. Most guys, you should practice better, becauseit'smore controlled. But I thought he really did carry over a lot of his practice traits to the game. I think when you see him not confident is when you seem him not play strong. Becausehe’sgot the ability to bevery powerful.”
Jagusah is the heavy favorite to be Notre Dame’s starting left tackle this season but the right tackle spot is less definite. Tosh Baker, who is now heading into his fifth season on the Irish line, started on the right side after Blake Fisher also opted out of the Sun Bowl.
Baker has more experience than any of Notre Dame’s current offensive lineman. The 6-8, 321-pound grad student has played in 37 career games, but the majority of them have been as a reserve and/or as a member of the team’s field goal and extra point units. He started twice last season (one as an extra tight end against Ohio State). Those were his first two starts since his only other two career starts against Purdue and Wisconsin back in 2021.
“Tosh has all the tools and all the ability to kind of be that ‘best him’ in the moment,” Rudolph said of Baker. “When there are moments when he feels a little bit cautious is whenhe'llshow up the same way. To give up a littletoomuch ground and not play as powerful as he can.So,it'sbeen ‘I got that best guy across from me,it’sloud as heck. Am I going to be that best me right then, or am I going to let anything set in to not allow me tokind of executethat way?So,that'llbe the finishing part. But I thought the bowl game was huge, because he did all that prep, all that ability to get there and go out and play together. I thought he did a lot of good things.
“I think the athleticism partis what stands out to me in that conversation, notthe lack of anything else,” Rudolph continued. “But much like Pat (Coogan),weightroom is a huge area for him.He’smade a lot of gains over where we finished the (2023) season, to the work he put in there up until the bowl game, and then the work from then until now, I think that'sgottareally show up and I think it has been showing up, but Ithinkhas tocontinue. Thatdoesn’tand thatwon'tstop now.”
Baker kept himself ahead of his closest competition, Aamil Wagner, throughout the spring. Wagner is listed at 6-6, 292 pounds on the spring roster. He has gained around 30 pounds since arriving as a freshman nearly two years ago.
"Everyone'sdifferent,” Rudolph remarked of Wagner’s weight. "Everyone has a different playing weight wherethey'reat their best.I think we both like him to be a little bit more solid, buthe’sgetting there.He’smade the most strides sincehe'sgot here.He’smade dramatic strides, buthe'sclose andhe'sstillkind of closingthe gap on it. But I like the way he plays.He’s shown he doesn't need to be a 350-pound guy to play really, really well.He'sgot great power, great strength, great length and Idon'tthink he would be a guy that ever plays it that way—it might be 28 when he is that way.But, you know, while he's here like he's getting really close to that weight where we need him to be at and be able to be consistent stay healthy out there.”
Rising sophom*ore Sullivan Absher, who made his college debut in the Sun Bowl, could also find himself in the mix at right tackle when fall training camp opens later this summer. Notre Dame will also welcome talented freshman Guerby Lambert in June, and the rookie tackle could make an early impact.
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