Notre Dame 2024 Depth Chart - First Glance Look - Offense Edition

The Riley Leonard era hasn't officially begun since the semester has yet to start, but we are heading in that direction. Notre Dame has the potential to be a very dangerous football team in 2024, and landing Leonard enhances that quite a bit. He's a dynamic player that if healthy gives the Irish a chance to have one of the best quarterbacks in the country next season.

Biggest Question: We'll hear plenty of talk about a position battle at quarterback, but I'm not going to play that game with you this offseason. Leonard was brought in to be the team's quarterback, and that's that. The battle for No. 2 will be the more intriguing storyline. Rising junior Steve Angeli did some good things in the Sun Bowl victory and enters the offseason as the clear No. 2, but he'll need to battle hard to hold off talented rising sophomore Kenny Minchey and big time rookie CJ Carr.

Angeli made a jump in year two, and Minchey will get his chance to do that as well. Carr will also get plenty of opportunities to make his presence felt this spring, but as of now I am intrigued to see if Minchey gets a legitimate chance to beat out Angeli for the backup role, and if so whether he has the chops to make it happen, or will the now veteran Angeli be able to hold off the more talented younger players?

It's going to be fun to watch this battle in the spring!

RUNNING BACK

I would not be surprised to see a departure from this group at some point, but if it stays in tact it's one of the most talented - and deepest - running back rooms in the country. Even if one player departures that remains true.

Rising sophomore Jeremiyah Love got the start in the bowl game victory over Oregon State, but it was rising junior Jadarian Price that had the biggest game. We are going to see a lot of that next season, as this is more of a 1A/1B situation that will look very much like what we saw in 2022. Both Love and Price are going to get a lot of touches, and this dynamic duo has a chance to be special if new offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock uses them effectively.

Rising junior Gi'Bran Payne is a talented player in his own right, and he'll be hard to keep off the field in some capacity. If Devyn Ford returns for a 6th season he'll do what he did in 2023, which is be the ultimate team player that does whatever he's asked to do, as hard as he can do it. I don't know if both of these players will be back, but if they are they will have roles, and they will be important.

Freshmen Kedren Young and Aneyas Williams both arrive this winter, which adds a huge boost in talent to the running back room. Both have the skill to make an immediate impact of the opportunity is there.

Biggest Question: At this point my biggest questions are what does the room look like (does everyone stay or not), and how do the roles shake out. The veterans are talented, but the younger players will be hard to keep off the field. There is ridiculous talent in the Notre Dame running back room.

WIDE RECEIVER

Right now I have rising sophomore Jaden Greathouse slotted for the Z position, which is the field outside spot, but I could see him moving all around the offense. That would mean Greathouse can play the Z, but also get snaps inside at F and even in the boundary at X in certain situations. If I had to make a bet right now on who emerges as the top dog at receiver next season he would probably get my bet.

Of course, the arrival of Kris Mitchell (FIU transfer) and elite freshman Cam Williams will have an impact on where Greathouse gets most of his reps. While Greathouse can do a little bit of everything, Mitchell and Williams are more suited to play this position as their No. 1 spot. Both add impact vertical ability to the offense.

Notre Dame didn't really have a pure boundary player for most of the 2023 season, but that should certainly change in 2024.

Rising senior Jayden Thomas gets the nod here based on how the season ended, but where he ends up is one of the biggest questions I have about the wide receiver position. Although Thomas has the body type to play outside, his game has always been better suited to play inside. His ability to play all three spots will help him find an important niche in the offense, even if he's not just a pure boundary guy.

How much Thomas plays in the boundary could be impacted greatly by how Deion Colzie develops this offseason, if Colzie can get and stay healthy, and how quickly Beaux Collins can adapt to the Irish offense. Colzie has all the physical tools to be an impactful player, but he's struggled to stay healthy. Collins has a game that is much better suited for what I think Denbrock wants to run than he was the Clemson offense.

If Colzie and Collins both have strong offseasons the Irish could start using Thomas more as a do-it-all player, allowing the bigger, more vertically oriented players to handle the boundary more. I could also see some situations where Greathouse gets action in this spot when Notre Dame wants to get smaller/quicker.

Rising sophomore Jordan Faison was outstanding down the stretch for Notre Dame, and he ended the season with a 115-yard performance against Oregon State. He'll continue to be a focal point of the offense heading into 2024. I also expect to see Greathouse in the slot at times as well, and there are some instances where flipping Greathouse and Faison has a lot of value.

I am very much looking forward to seeing how KK Smith develops this offseason after missing all but one game as a true freshman. Smith is a very talented player in his own right, and one that is capable of playing either the F or Z positions.

Greathouse, Thomas and even Collins are all players that could spend time in the slot, with Greathouse and Thomas both having starter skills in the slot if the need arises.

Biggest Question: Who plays where? This depth chart makes sense to me, but I could also make a case for a lot movement with this group. That will partly be determined by who steps up and plays the best this offseason and heading into the 2024 season.

TIGHT END

Rising senior Mitchell Evans is the top tight end whenever he returns to health, but my question is when that will be since he was injured in November. We also don't know how much juice he'll have due to the nature of his injury. If Evans returns to the form we saw in 2023 he'll have a chance to be one of the best tight ends in college football.

Rising junior Eli Raridon needs a healthy offseason. If he can have that and continue to grow his game he'll have a chance to be an impact player while Evans is out, and to form a dominant 1-2 tight end punch when Evans returns. Cooper Flanagan will continue being a key blocking weapon in the offense.

Biggest Question: Will Kevin Bauman return, and if he does can he finally stay healthy? It will be tough for Bauman to crack the lineup even if both are true.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Rising sophomore Charles Jagusah handled himself quite well in his first start, which came during the bowl win over Oregon State. He now enters the offseason in the top spot at left tackle, and he'll have a chance to be Notre Dame's top lineman next season. Jagusah has elite tools and potential.

Classmate Sullivan Absher played left tackle after Jagusah, and he could certainly continue developing there, but I could also see Absher play right tackle or even more inside and be a dominant guard. He's a player I have my eye on in regard to making a big jump and forcing his way onto the field in some capacity.

Rising senior Pat Coogan started all 13 games at left guard this season and he seems to be a favorite of Joe Rudolph. His quality of play needs to improve, however, if he's going to be someone that has a spot automatically locked down. Just who might. get a shot to compete with Coogan remains to be seen, although the backup right guards and Absher are all talented options I'd like to see Notre Dame allow to push Coogan. If he beats them out it means he has improved and is ready to go, but if not then Notre Dame would put a more physically gifted player on the field.

Rising junior Ashton Craig went from the center of the future to the center of the present in the final three games of the season. Barring injury he should have the center position locked down, but the depth behind him is quite good. I could see a scenario - either this offseason or next - that Joe Otting proves himself good enough to start, and either he moves to guard and competes there, or Craig moves to guard and Otting takes over at center.

6th-year senior Andrew Kristofic is a bit of a do-it-all player that could handle center and both guard duties. Right now I have him listed as returning, but as of right now it's not a given that he comes back next season. If he doesn't, Notre Dame will need to figure out who else trains at center.

I list this returning trio at right guard because its where they all finished the season, but I wouldn't be surprised if at least one moved to left guard. Rising junior Billy Schrauth is still developing as a player but he showed some impressive moments down the stretch. If he can make another jump in his third season he could become a standout.

I have been impressed with rising sophomore Sam Pendleton since he arrived last winter, and he finished the season on a strong note. If Schrauth falters I could see Pendleton push him, but I'd also like to see him move to left guard and get a legit chance to compete with Coogan while also being the next man in at right guard.

I have rising senior Rocco Spindler listed third because of his injury. A 300+ pounder injuring his knee in late November makes a return to start fall camp a major question mark. He'll certainly be out for the spring, but if he can be back by fall camp the Michigan native should get a chance to once again battle for a starting guard position.

Incoming freshman Peter Jones is the kind of big-bodied, physical young blocker that could make an early splash.

Fifth-year senior Tosh Baker won the battle for the starting right tackle job during bowl prep, but he'll likely need to battle for the spot once again for 2024. I fully expected Baker and rising junior Aamil Wagner to once again compete for the starting right tackle spot. Baker is the long, steady veteran while Wagner is still on the raw side and undersized, but he's talented.

The fact these two have to compete with each other for a starting role makes me quite confident the Irish will get good right tackle play next season. Competition usually brings out the best in players, and a competition means someone will need to earn the job with good play. I could also see Absher get a chance to push here if he has a strong offseason.

If incoming freshman Guerby Lambert was an early enrollee I would say keep an eye on him. In a perfect world, there will come a time that Lambert and Jagusah are the book ends at tackle. In my view they are clearly the two most naturally gifted blockers on the roster.

Battle: The right tackle battle is obvious, but I don't think the play at left guard was good enough this season - or in the bowl game - for Coogan to be the no-doubt starter. Yes, his experience is a positive, and he's a high effort player, but there is simply too much young talent on the roster to not give some of those players at least a chance to push Coogan at left guard.

Biggest Question: There are still questions about who all comes back, and I'm not sure moving players around isn't still in the cards to some degree. The good news is that while Notre Dame will be younger up front next season, they'll be massive, deep and very talented.