Notre Dame football: 3 true freshmen on offense to thrive in backup role

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May 1, 2021; Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Rocco Spindler (50) tight end Mitchell Evans (88) offensive lineman Michael Carmody (68) offensive lineman Tosh Baker (79) and quarterback Tyler Buchner (12) run onto the field in the second half of the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Notre Dame football: 3 true freshmen on offense to thrive in a backup role

Rocco Spindler, OG

We start along the offensive line, where the Notre Dame football team is replacing eighty percent of their starting lineup from a year ago. The Irish have the talent to replace some elite players, including some All-Americans, and they even have some depth guys who could likely start at most other programs in the country.

One of those players is true freshman Rocco Spindler, who was rated as one of the top-50 offensive guards in the country recently. In Year 1, he may be relegated to being the third offensive guard on the depth chart, this after the team added Cain Madden as a graduate transfer from Marshall.

Last year, Jarrett Patterson was the team’s center, but all signs point to him being the other starting guard alongside Madden in 2021. That means Spindler will have to learn behind two possible All-Americans, which is not a bad way to start your collegiate career.

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