Notre Dame football lineman is working towards size to succeed
- Aamil Wagner knows that he needs to hit a certain size in order to really succeed for Notre Dame football.
- He's not there yet, but he's getting closer.
Now that Notre Dame football’s spring practice is here, there are all kinds of players trying to show that they can make an impact for the Fighting Irish in 2024. Among those is an offensive lineman that was once one of the most touted commits.
These days, Aamil Wagner is just trying to get a little bit better every day. Part of that getting better just happens to be getting bigger. The offensive lineman has been working hard to get to the size he needs to be in order to really be a dominating force on the line for Notre Dame football.
He’s not there yet. But he’s getting closer.
Wagner’s official tally when he reported to spring practice was 281. However, he is working toward more bulk by the time fall training camp rolls around.
"I would love to be 300 pounds plus by fall and the season,” Wagner told the gathered media after Notre Dame’s second spring practice. I don’t want to put a cap on what I can be. So, just being able to add weight and mass as I go along—if it’s 305, if it’s 315, that’ll be fantastic, but 300 pounds plus is the goal.”
Notre Dame football lineman looking to get up to size and speed
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Wagner knows he needs to add size. He is currently the lightest of any of Notre Dame football’s offensive linemen and it’s really not close. While he’s listed as the backup offensive tackle behind 6-foot-8, 321-pound Tosh Baker he’s also quite a bit lighter than left tackle Charles Jagusah. Jagusah stands 6-foot-7 and weighs in at 329 pounds.
While Wagner believes he needs to beef up, his position coach thinks he offers plenty now. Joe Ruolph talked about what the lineman is trying to do this spring and he issued more than one superlative.
"I like the way he plays,” Rudolph said. "He’s shown he doesn't need to be a 350-pound guy to play really, really well. He's got great power, great strength, great length. I don't think he would be a guy that ever plays it that way — it might be 28 when he is that way.”