2026 Spring Practice Thread

[JD Irish]

Haha! None of this halfway stuff. They need to give in and move him to center. It is his destiny.

ND needs 6'7" tackles and 320 lb. OGs, like every other respectable football factory.

But Knapp and Craig are 2 of the 5 best OL, so the only way to play both is if one is G and the other is C.

 

[allenm5333]

But Knapp and Craig are 2 of the 5 best OL, so the only way to play both is if one is G and the other is C.

Black, Knapp, Craig, Absher/Jags, Lambert...Otting, Augustine, Absher/Jags, Freshman....loads of talent and potential. But can Rudolph play the players in the right spot

 

[2013Irish]

Is Jagusah available for spring?

 

[JD Irish]

Black, Knapp, Craig, Absher/Jags, Lambert...Otting, Augustine, Absher/Jags, Freshman....loads of talent and potential. But can Rudolph play the players in the right spot

If Jagusah is healthy, then I really like that starting OL. Without him, not so much. I think he is the key.

 

[Dale]

Would guess Jagusah isn’t available fully for spring but last update was generally positive IIRC. Craig is also out.

You’re probably fielding Black - Absher - Otting - Knapp - Lambert and seeing how you like it or not

 

[allenm5333]

If Jagusah is healthy, then I really like that starting OL. Without him, not so much. I think he is the key.

I think that without Jagusah, this is a top 10 ol. With him? top 5. I just really like the talent more than some of you. Also not ruling out Augustine emergingover Absher

 

[IRISHbluehen]

Is Jagusah available for spring?

No Jags in spring, on track to be back by summer workouts and fall camp

 

[stlnd01]

I would also think that working out Knapp at guard is a low-risk move considering he has two seasons of experience under his belt at tackle. If a better tackle than Knapp does not emerge, you can always move him back.

 

[SeekNDestroy]

I would also think that working out Knapp at guard is a low-risk move considering he has two seasons of experience under his belt at tackle. If a better tackle than Knapp does not emerge, you can always move him back.

Tackle is so much about length. I really hope one of our longer players can keep Knapp inside.

 

[stpeteirish]

But Knapp and Craig are 2 of the 5 best OL, so the only way to play both is if one is G and the other is C.

ISD’s Freeman had the beginning OL l to r Black Knapp Craig or Otting Absher and Lambert. That’s a lot of moving people around but better now than in the fall.

 

[rtrn2glory]

Gotta think if Craig's healthy he's starting. He was the reason they let Coogan walk last year. I think it'll come down to is Otting better than Asher and then moving Craig maybe to guard? Absher should get a decent shot considering he played the last handful of games.

 

[Dale]

Gotta think if Craig's healthy he's starting. He was the reason they let Coogan walk last year. I think it'll come down to is Otting better than Asher and then moving Craig maybe to guard? Absher should get a decent shot considering he played the last handful of games.

This is what I want to happen. I just think Otting is better than Absher.

Jagusah - Knapp - Otting - Craig - Lambert
Black

 

[allenm5333]

This is what I want to happen. I just think Otting is better than Absher.

Jagusah - Knapp - Otting - Craig - Lambert
Black

Black is one of our best 5 and needs to play

 

[Dale]

Black is one of our best 5 and needs to play

Black has not played a snap of competitive college football

 

[allenm5333]

Black has not played a snap of competitive college football

He is a special talent and people raved about him and his potential. He will start

 

[Dale]

Black is one of our best 5

He is a special talent and people raved about him and his potential.

These are two different statements IMO.

 

[allenm5333]

These are two different statements IMO.

if it fits your argument. sure

 

[Pete]

No Jags in spring, on track to be back by summer workouts and fall camp

I’m assuming that the coaching staff is taking extra precautions with Jags this offseason.

 

[Dale]

if it fits your argument. sure

Black needs to start because he’s one of the best 5 is very different from Black needs to start because people rave about his potential are clearly different? I don’t see how we know he’s one of the best 5 when we’ve never seen him play a competitive snap. If you say he’s got more potential than Otting, sure of course he does.

 

[allenm5333]

Black needs to start because he’s one of the best 5 is very different from Black needs to start because people rave about his potential are clearly different? I don’t see how we know he’s one of the best 5 when we’ve never seen him play a competitive snap. If you say he’s got more potential than Otting, sure of course he does.

I am saying he is one of our best 5 and has sky high potential. Not mutually exclusive

 

[rtrn2glory]

Black is one of our best 5 and needs to play

you may be right, but I hesitate to jump to that conclusion with him having zero game experience. I think we'd all love to see Jagusah and Lambert at tackle, but I remember last spring they were repping Jagusah at guard. It's just really hard to get a grasp on where they view a few of our guys. I worry too about Lambert being too heavy footed to play tackle, but i also don't like the idea of having inexperienced guys at tackle, which leaves me liking keeping Knapp there just based on his experience. wasn't good last year having a new guy at tackle. Overall, very fascinating

 

[burmafrd1944]

He is a special talent and people raved about him and his potential. He will start

lots of those type show nothing in real games so this is frankly hopium and no more

 

[Old Man Mike]

Testy.

Random thoughts ... we're REALLY Good. I wonder (sarcasm) if we'll learn anything watching the big boys in the Spring?

In my opinion, and sure, easily wrong, I believe that we have multiple guys capable of playing very high level OLine football almost regardless where you put them. This (for Rudolph) is about very fine lines discriminating who-and-where. We know a few things:

A. When Craig is healthy, he's probably top-5 center in the country (hell, his transferred "second" was top-5 last season.)
B. Knapp is very good --- probably anywhere you put him, but he's already good at tackle.
C. Otting is very good. He stepped right in and was solid about both play and line call.
D. Jagusah is Jagusah. Healthy? --> 1st team A-A.
E. Lambert gets better all the time. He's ready at Guard now. Tackle?
F. Abshur is Abshur. Ready to play Power. Ready for Pass? Some guys grow into it with another year.
G. Black is .... who knows? We'll see real soon. Now, we don't know enough.
H.I.J.K. Who else? We've heard bits of praise for a few others leak out. ANY of that for an OLineman probably means he's good. I'm betting that we'll have a dozen studs ready by fall. If "A" and "D" are ready to go, we're a monster.

 

[Irish du Nord]

I am saying he is one of our best 5 and has sky high potential. Not mutually exclusive

I am what your basis is for making the first claim.

 

[DONTH8]

No Jags in spring, on track to be back by summer workouts and fall camp

This is honestly huge. It seemed like the program, the beat reporters, and other insiders had been preparing everyone for the possibility that we’d hear this summer that he might never play football again.

Something must have changed in his recovery recently, because now it sounds like most people expect him to be fully cleared by summer and a full participant in fall camp. If that’s the case, it’s something we should be incredibly grateful for.

I’m extremely happy for Jags.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Can't wait until the next big recruit comes along and it is suggested that he gets reps from Black.

 

[MacIrish75]

Can't wait until the next big recruit comes along and it is suggested that he gets reps from Black.

 

[Dale]

Can't wait until the next big recruit comes along and it is suggested that he gets reps from Black.

Meet Grayson McKeough

 

[RudyVerse]

Styles Prescod has been passed over then it seems, barring major shake up. I hope he sticks around, can never have enough depth at LT/RT.

 

[Old Man Mike]

As to our pipeline: people always want everyone to be "Top 200." Well, yeh, but ...

If you think about dividing up the positions (and taking into account the biases about certain positions over others), OLinemen probably don't get more than (?) 30 of those spots in any year. Let's then say that you're comparing yourself to other top 20 football powerhouses, and say "they" get all "30". That would mean, in equal share, that each team would get one or two of these guys. In my reading about our class (with McKeough et al), we have at least THREE of these guys, plus the "others" are rated top 100 inside prospects and the kid from Connecticut who might have the best measurables of any. Hell, we might have SIX Top-200 football players in the incoming OLine class alone. ...... OK, so THAT is not likely. Still it says to me: once again, we're loaded, as much as humanly possible to ask.