We’re less than four weeks out from the kickoff of the 2024 Notre Dame football season, and the Irish report to camp this week to build on last year’s 10-win campaign. As camp begins, there are still plenty of unsettled position battles that head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff will be sorting out between now and August 31, when the Irish travel to College Station to take on Texas A&M to kick off the 2024 season.
I am not even going to list left tackle here because it seems as though sophomore Charles Jagusah has the left tackle position all but locked up after the spring, and there isn’t a real battle there at all. Jagusah has some big shoes to fill in Joe Alt, and how he fills them will be critical in the outcome of Notre Dame’s opener in College Station.
Right Tackle: Aamil Wagner vs. Tosh Baker
Unlike left tackle, the right tackle position still seems wide open between junior Aamil Wagner and fifth-year senior Tosh Baker. Most consider Wagner the leader in the clubhouse heading into camp, but he will have a battle on his hands with Baker, who started the Sun Bowl and got credited with a start against Ohio State as an extra blocker. Baker also started two games in 2021 as Notre Dame searched for answers at tackle before discovering then freshman Joe Alt was the answer. Wagner raised some concerns after playing a bit undersized in the spring, but his weight was back up on the most recent Notre Dame roster. The staff probably hopes that the player with three years of eligibility remaining wins the job for the long-term future, but Baker’s played more and got the nod in Blake Fisher’s absence in the Sun Bowl.
Left Guard: Pat Coogan vs. Rocco Spindler
Sticking along the offensive line, the other position up for grabs is left guard, where Pat Coogan and Rocco Spindler continue to duke it out. Both were starters at the beginning of 2023, but Spindler got hurt in the final month of the season and sophomore Billy Schrauth seized the opportunity at right guard and doesn’t look like he will give it up anytime soon. That will leave Spindler and Coogan battling it out at left guard this summer. Both have plenty of experience, and it could come down to what kind of identity the Irish offense will have this year under Mike Denbrock. Coogan is the better pass blocker, while Spindler is the better run blocker.
X Receiver: Beau Collins vs. Jayden Thomas
Notre Dame’s revamped wide receiver room is going to be one of the most interesting position groups to watch all summer long. FIU transfer Kris Mitchell seems locked in as the starter at the field position with his outside experience and speed. At the slot, Notre Dame might have too many options with Jaden Greathouse, Jordan Faison, and Marshall transfer Jayden Harrison. At the boundary though, it looks like it will be Jayden Thomas and Clemson transfer Beaux Collins batling. Thomas has flashed at times for Notre Dame the last two years, but he just hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Even when on the field, lingering injuries have hampered his effectiveness. Collins came to Notre Dame for a fresh start and likely expecting to start. He will have to beat out Thomas in camp to do so.
Corner: Jaden Mickey vs. Christian Gray
With Benjamin Morrison entrenched as a starter as one of the nation’s best corners, whoever starts opposite him is likely to be a very busy man this fall. Junior Jaden Mickey and sophomore Christain Gray will fight it out for the honor of getting targetted by opposing offensive coordinators early and often in 2024. Gray graded out at 81.3 in 198 snaps, while Mickey graded at 63.9 in 253 snaps a season ago. Their coverage grades, however, were almost identical, while Gray graded out as a much better tackler, thus the higher overall rating. Gray gave up just a 47.3 QB rating when targetted while Mickey was at 47.5. Again, very similar in coverage. This one will be fun to watch.
MIKE: Drayk Bowen vs. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
Notre Dame got solid play from its linebackers in 2023 but didn’t get a ton of game-changing plays from the group. That could change in 2024, thanks in large part to the battle at MIKE. Sophomore Drayk Bowen was slower to make an impact than some felt he would be, but looks primed for a breakout year if he can hold off early enrolee Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. In almost any other season, a player with Bowen’s skill would already be more than penciled in as a starter, but KVA might just be too good to keep off the field. This will hopefully be a case where competition elevates both of their play. Regardless, we should see plenty of both this season as Notre Dame improves the athleticism in its linebacking corps.
VYPER: Jordan Botelho vs. Boubacar Traore
Some may feel like Jordan Botelho is locked in as a starter, but sophomore Boubacar Traore should challenge him in camp. We got a brief glimpse of Traore’s raw skills at the end of the first half against USC. We also got a glimpse of how much growing and developing he still had to do with his mental lapse leading to a free play and field goal attempt for the Trojans they wouldn’t otherwise have had. Traore might have the highest ceiling of any pass rusher on the roster, while Botelho has battled consistency over his first four years at Notre Dame. Botelho had a standout performance in the Sun Bowl, though, and will be looking to build on that heading into the season. Like the MIKE position, we should see both players play a lot.
ROVER: Jaylen Sneed vs. Jaiden Ausberry
Is this the year that we finally see Jaylen Sneed make the leap from supremely athletic linebacker into game wrecker? The Notre Dame coaching staff sure hopes so. Sneed has flashed the crazy athleticism that earned him 5-star status on some services as a recruit, but he hasn’t been able to put it all together. Though two seasons, Sneed has just 1 sack, 1.5 TFL, and 21 total tackles. If Sneed isn’t ready to seize the starting ROVER position with Jack Kiser at WILL this year, sophomore Jaiden Ausberry is waiting in the wings and could snatch it. This is another position where we could see a lot of both players.
Backup QB: Steve Angeli vs. Kenny Minchey vs. CJ Carr
While Riley Leonard hasn’t officially been named the starter yet, everyone knows there isn’t a real quarterback competition and it’s just a matter of time until Freeman names him the starter. Notre Dame did the same with Jack Coan in 2021 and Sam Hartman in 2023. What will be interesting to see is who wins the backup job. Steve Angeli showed out in the Sun Bowl and has the experience edge over Minchey and Carr, but both could have higher ceilings. Carr specifically looked great in the Blue and Gold game. With Leonard a one year rental, whoever wins the backup job will have a big leg up on the 2025 Notre Dame quarterback competition that figures to be the first real quarterback competition at Notre Dame in a while.
