Notre Dame's Offensive Line Transfers: A Sign of Strength at the Position

The departures of Coogan and Spindler speak to the strength of Notre Dame's offensive line

Notre Dame offensive lineman Pat Coogan, right, hugs head coach Marcus Freeman before a NCAA college football game against Virginia at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A quick look at Notre Dame's transfer portal news over the last two days would make it seem like the offensive line is doomed going forward.

One day after offensive lineman Sam Pendleton entered the transfer portal, three of his linemates followed suit as veterans Pat Coogan and Rocco Spindler both put their names in the portal on Thursday, as did reserve Ty Chan.

A quick look from 200-yards out would make it seem that something is amiss at Notre Dame, but that couldn't further from the truth. The fact of the matter is, it is two graduate-seniors who stepped into starting roles due to injuries across the roster, that are choosing to play out their eligibility elsewhere - because playing time for them would be anything but a certainty in 2025.

Let's quickly review.

Notre Dame's Brutal Offensive Line Injury Luck in 2024

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Rocco Spindler (50) against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Of the four offensive linemen to enter the transfer portal from Notre Dame so far this off-season, only one went into 2024 as a starter.

Pendleton out of North Carolina began the year at left guard for the Irish, helping to beat Texas A&M in Week 1.

Rocco Spindler and Pat Coogan were both covered on the depth chart before injuries forced both of them into starting roles while Ty Chan was a regular on Notre Dame's special teams in 2024.

Listen, nobody is doing cartwheels celebrating that they are gone. Coogan was the emotional leader of the group and that's not a sinch to replace. The good news is that the group has other leaders as well, but don't count on seeing as emotional of pregame speeches in the open like Coogan brought.

In today's college football these departures make perfectly clear sense as Notre Dame will be loaded on the offensive line entering 2025.

Notre Dame's Loaded Offensive Line for 2025

The hits have been coming the last 48 hours for Notre Dame's offensive line, but that's because of what is already in place. As good as the unit was in 2024, expect improvement in 2025.

Here is a quick look at what the projected group of starters will look like:

Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, second from right, talks to offensive lineman Aamil Wagner (59) during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

Left Tackle - Anthonie Knapp
Knapp was called into action as a true freshman to replace Charles Jagusah in fall camp, as Jagusah tore a pectoral. Knapp went on to start every game in for Notre Dame in 2024 until an ankle injury kept him out of the national championship.

Left Guard - Billy Schrauth
Schrauth was a regular starter on Notre Dame's offensive line in 2024 aside from when an injury in the Purdue game kept him sidelined for roughly a month. Schrauth started the year at right guard but returned to play the left side in October, a spot he kept through the championship game. Schrauth will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Center - Ashton Craig
Craig started the season as Notre Dame's season before an injury in the Purdue game cut his season short. Craig has the makings of being a special center, as evidenced by him earning the starting spot over veteran Coogan to start the year.

Right Guard - Charles Jagusah
Jagusah was projected to start at left tackle in 2024 before a fall camp pectoral injury cost him the regular season. He returned and performed almost heroically at guard in Notre Dame's comeback win over Penn State in the Orange Bowl. The versatile lineman probably has the highest ceiling playing guard.

Right Tackle - Aamil Wagner
Notre Dame is loaded across the offensive line but especially so at tackle. Wagner started every game for Notre Dame in 2024 so is the projected starter but freshman Guerby Lambert and incomer Will Black both figure to press Wagner and Knapp for playing time.

The unit was already a semi-finalist for the Joe Moore Award (nation's best offensive line) this past year and should be better next fall. It has the potential to be one of college football's absolute best in 2025, and the scary thing is that it would all be eligible to return in 2026 as well.

Tip of the Cap to Coogan and Spindler

God. Country. Notre Dame. pic.twitter.com/uOy0IKYbF3

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 2, 2025

As an end to this piece I just thought it was worth noting that Coogan and Spindler both deserve a massive tip of the cap from Notre Dame faithful.

The two play positions that don't get a ton of love all the time but put their souls into Notre Dame football. Despite starting their senior years in reserve roles, both were key starters on an offensive line that you saw get better the deeper into fall we got.

Coogan's pregame speeches offered a peak to the public just how much of a leader he was with that group, something that was present a lot more than just before kickoff.

Spindler battled through injury seemingly all year long and gutted out impressive performances considering the circumstances.

I don't know if Notre Dame makes the College Football Playoff this year without either of them, but I know for certain the Irish don't go on the run they did without both of them.

All the best in the future.

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