The Notre Dame football team has made it through spring practices and the Blue-Gold Game, but battles remain for starting jobs on offense.
Incredibly, we are less than four months away from the Notre Dame football team traveling to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 1 of the 2022 college football season. That game is going to be must-see TV, but before we get there, the coaching staff still has a ton of work to do in terms of the starting lineup.
On offense, there are some big question marks, and some big battles remain, so we take a look at some of them here.
Notre Dame football: Positions battles still loom for 2022 offense
Offensive Guard
Last year, it took weeks for the Irish to figure out the right combination up front along the offensive line, but once they got rolling, they were one of the best units in the country. In 2022, all five starters from a year ago remain, and with the addition of offensive line coach Harry Hiestand, you have to think a Joe Moore Award is a real possibility.
However, that does not mean those five guys will get to cruise through the summer months, as there are elite players behind them fighting for a starting job. One player that comes to mind is Rocco Spindler, who I believe will get a long look to start as a sophomore this season.
In the end, it could be status quo, and the Irish keep the same offensive line that closed out the 2021 season, but players are looking to change that narrative this summer.
Notre Dame football: Positions battles still loom for 2022 offense
WR depth chart
The wide receiver position is loaded with talent in 2022, it is just not loaded with bodies, as the depth is very thin this upcoming season. That should all change in 2023, as the Irish have zeroed in on several big-time wideout recruits, but for now, they will have to make do with what they have.
One name that stands above them all is Lorenzo Styles Jr., who emerged as a superstar late in the 2021 season and in the bowl game. Braden Lenzy proved he can be a playmaker when healthy, and Avery Davis should be counted on in a big way as a veteran, along with Joe Wilkins Jr.
Then, there are a ton of question marks, but talented guys who could play their way into significant playing time. Jayden Thomas has turned a lot of heads this spring, and once Tobias Merriweather gets to campus, he has the size and speed to be someone who has a Styles-like impact as a true freshman.
This is going to be fun to watch this summer.
Notre Dame football: Positions battles still loom for 2022 offense
Who starts at RB?
The Notre Dame football team got a little thinner in the running back room this week, as C’Bo Flemister announced that he would enter the transfer portal. That was not a big shock, as he has no legitimate role in this offense, but who will emerge as the feature back now that Kyren Williams is a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
We saw in 2021 that Logan Diggs can be a special player on the ground and through the air, and we already know what Chris Tyree brings to the table. Jadarian Price looked good during the Blue-Gold Game, and when it comes to Audric Estime, he looks like someone who could carry the entire defense on his back and into the end zone.
The truth is, we should see a combination of several running backs throughout the season, as they all bring something different to the table. Diggs should be the RB1 going into the Ohio State game, but the team will need Tyree’s big-play ability, and Estime’s tough running style if the Irish want to beat the Buckeyes.
Notre Dame football: Positions battles still loom for 2022 offense
The QB
When it comes to the game of football, no matter what level, having a solid quarterback can make all the difference on a weekly basis. In 2022, the Notre Dame football team will trot out their third starting quarterback in three years in Week 1, and going into June, we still do not know who that will be.
The Blue-Gold Game was supposed to be a QB battle between Tyler Buchner and Drew Pyne, but that did not go as scheduled. Pyne struggled, Buchner did not play, and it was true freshman Steve Angeli that had the Notre Dame faithful on their feet time and time again.
Notre Dame football: Can Kyren Williams start over Cam Akers in LA?
The Notre Dame football program saw Kyren Williams drafted No. 164 overall by the Los Angeles Rams, but does he have a shot to start in 2022?
In the end, the battle will rage on between Buchner and Pyne, but I believe Buchner did enough in 2021 to warrant being the starter going into the Ohio State game. The wild card here is Angeli, as he showed accuracy, and the ability to make plays with his feet, which is what Buchner did as a true freshman last year.
Stay tuned.