Notre Dame standout named as potential 2026 NFL Draft riser after needing to answer a massive early career question mark

When you think of Notre Dame football, offensive line play is one of the first things that typically come to mind. Names like Zack Martin, Quenton Nelson, Ronnie Stanley, Joe Alt, and Mike McGlinchey are typically mentioned quickly. The Fighting Irish have attracted talent up front because of that history, and are set to put out one of their most talented offensive lines in several years during the 2025 college football season. 

One of the more underrated of the 2025 version of the offensive line is Aamil Wagner. Originally a member of the 2022 recruiting class, Wagner always had a ton of talent but being able to add solid weight to his frame was a struggle. He showed up to campus at around 255 pounds, and needed a lot of development.

Wagner, who possesses a long frame at 6-6, was able to get up to 291 pounds this fall. The flashes we saw from Wagner in his first year as a starter already has some people’s attention. That includes Pro Football Focus (PFF), who had Wagner listed as a potential 2026 NFL Draft riser. 

Here’s what PFF had to say about Wagner, and his chances to rise in next year’s class. 

OT AAMIL WAGNER, NOTRE DAME

The Fighting Irish continue to prove themselves as an offensive line factory. Immediately after losing two offensive tackles that were top-60 picks in Joe Alt and Blake Fisher, Notre Dame has another stud tackle in Wagner.

He finished his junior year as the third-most-valuable Power Four tackle according to our WAA metric, trailing only Spencer Fano and Kelvin Banks. Wagner’s 78.1 run-blocking grade was also 17th among Power Four offensive tackles. He held up well as a pass protector as well, allowing just two sacks on 496 pass-blocking snaps. 

While there was some really nice stretches for Wagner, I’m not quite willing to project him to be a major riser next April. He still needs to prove that he can continue adding weight while maintaining his athleticism. If he can, on top of his outstanding length, then Wagner has a chance to be real player in the 2026 class if he chooses to declare. 

If Wagner does take that type of jump, Notre Dame has a chance to have one of the best offensive lines in the country this fall. Charles Jagusah looks poised to be a breakout star as well, and Ashton Craig, Billy Schrauth, and Anthonie Knapp also bring back starting experience to a talented group.