CRYSTAL BALL
I see a season of special teams duty for Byrne, an interior offensive lineman on long snaps and some time as a second-stringer or garbage time participant. One player to watch that could impact Byrne’s future is Tommy Kraemer. The Irish staff thinks they have a special player in Kraemer. They also really, really want to redshirt him if possible.
Byrne’s development at this point in his career doesn’t mean his fate is sealed when it comes to playing time. It should take well into a lineman’s career to earn snaps and starts. But it’s telling that the right guard job opened up and Byrne wasn’t all that close to competing for the gig.
It’s year seven of the Kelly era. Harry Hiestand has been recruiting like an ace, making limited offers and landing at a very very high rate. Byrne’s a victim of circumstance—getting a starting job on the O-line is one of the hardest to earn at Notre Dame. That means Byrne is going to have to show patience, all while working his way slowly up the ladder.