Notre Dame Football: Best Case, Worst Case for Position Groups

Offensive Line

Best: There’s no way you lose two All-American caliber first round picks on the same side of the offensive line and not miss them at least a little bit. The impact will be felt by both losses — as limited as it can be — with veteran leaders Sam Mustipher and Alex Bars proving to be the anchors of the line. Both play to their All-American potential, leading the line to provide great protection for the quarterback and open the same huge holes as last year for the running backs —  although maybe on the opposite side. Liam Eichenberg steps in at left tackle and shows why he was a four-star recruit. New starters Tommy Kraemer and Robert Hainsey — who split time last season — play to the unlimited potential they showed last season. And although not at the level of Nelson or McGlinchey, the duo displays moments that show they can eventually get to that level. Trevor Ruhland helps lead the depth of the line to solid play when they’re needed.

Worst: The loss of Nelson and McGlinchey are too much, and the relative inexperience of the line (aside from Bars and Mustipher) causes a few problems for the first month of the season. With Heinsey and Kraemer splitting time last season, the offensive line has only 65 career starts between them. The first few weeks are rough, especially against a dominant Michigan defensive line, but tests like that help the line as whole improve as the season goes on. The depth of the line isn’t great, as there are 8 reserves on the line that are freshmen or sophomores, and they also struggle as a result. In either scenario, the offensive line will be considered a top 25 unit in the country by season’s end. Don’t forget, three starters are back from the same unit that helped set the single season yards per carry record at Notre Dame.