When the Notre Dame football team saw several offensive linemen leave through the transfer portal this offseason, some wondered if Marcus Freeman wasn't experiencing a crisis. However, even when the team lost players like Rocco Spindler and Pat Coogan, those in South Bend knew it wasn't time to panic.
As it turns out, the biggest reason so many offensive linemen decided it was time to go elsewhere was that they knew they might not be able to start in 2025. Guys like Spindler and Coogan were solid players, but they were filling in for others who expected to take their jobs back when healthy.
Athlon Magazine underlined just how good the Notre Dame football offensive line is expected to be in 2025. The publication's ranking of position groups for the upcoming season has the Irish as the country's top returning offensive line.
Notre Dame’s offensive line just sent a message to everyone who left
Position coach Joe Rudolph and his unit have high expectations. One reason for those high expectations is that his group has experienced some ups and downs, such as several crushing injuries, including starting left tackle Charles Jagusah missing the first 14 games of the season and starting center Ashton Craig missing the final 13 games. Four different starting players missed games in 2024 with injuries.
Yet, when the smoke cleared on the season, the unit was considered very talented. Despite all the fill-ins, it was considered a good, if not great, group.
There were obvious flaws in the Notre Dame football team's offensive line in 2024, and there will also be ways to exploit them in 2025. But it's clear that Joe Rudolph has a very good unit on his hands. A quarterback who might not be as mobile as Riley Leonard could be extra important, especially if the Irish don't have a quarterback as mobile this season.