Notre Dame football was dealt a harsh blow when they lost starting left tackle Charles Jagusah early during fall camp. The question for what the next step to figure out his replacement would be would quickly emerge. It seemed like we may have had a quick response when offensive line coach Joe Rudolph seemed to fully back Tosh Baker making the move to the left side after batting for the right tackle job with Aamil Wagner.
For most people, that impending move was not a reassuring one. Baker, who has been a stellar teammate and member of the Irish squad over the years, hasn’t ever been able to find his footing as a big time college offensive lineman. Just handing him the position didn’t seem like the most ideal situation.
In an interesting turn of events recently, it appears that Baker is not fully penciled into that spot. True freshman left tackle Anthonie Knapp has reportedly been receiving some first team reps recently, which is extremely interesting, and pretty uncommon. You don’t often see true freshmen starting up front.
With Knapp receiving first team reps, the proposition of him playing a ton in 2024 has also brought on mixed reviews. Some like, some hate it, and others are in between. For the sake of the left tackle position this fall, the move to Knapp might be the best for Notre Dame.
Competition breeds excellence, and growth
One thing that a lot of Notre Dame fans struggled with last season was a lack of competition up front on the offensive line, particularly during fall camp. The starting lineup we saw the first day was the one we saw during the season opener. Right or wrong, Coach Rudolph seemed to know his starting five very early on.
With Joe Alt and Blake Fisher entrenched as the starting offensive tackles, that made a ton of sense. You can even throw in center Zeke Correll, who was coming off of a rock solid 2022 campaign. But then there was two starting guard spots open, and it appeared that they were being handed to the “older and more dependable players”, rather then being in a true competition against players like Billy Schrauth.
When Baker received an early vote of confidence, a lot of Notre Dame fans began having flashbacks. The fact that it isn’t set in stone, and there is a competition brewing, is a great sign for the program. Coach Rudolph seems more open to players competing this time around.
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Why the confidence in Tosh Baker?
Baker has given Notre Dame everything he has. In the world of the transfer portal, it’s pretty rare for a former high caliber recruit to take his lumps, have early struggles, plateau as a quality reserve, and be as patient as Baker has been. It’s something to be commended, and admired for.
In the Sun Bowl against Oregon State last season, Baker also played a solid football game. It was the best that we have seen of Baker, all 6-8 and 320 pounds of him. Even with that improvement, the Arizona native wasn’t great. Serviceable is the word that has been thrown around a lot.
Coming into this offseason, Baker appeared to be the player to beat at right tackle, the spot where he started during that aforementioned bowl game. By all accounts, Wagner had slowly gained ground on Baker and eventually supplanted him entering fall camp. Could Wagner just have taken a massive step? It’s possible, but also not a great sign for Wagner.
In a season where a playoff run is very much on the table, and a national championship doesn’t seem like a pipe dream, are we really ready to hitch our hopes to a sixth year breakout? Does counting on someone who has been replaced multiple times, including this offseason, seem wise?
With all respect intended, it seems like a move with very, very low upside.
Knapp is a talented player
Some stargazers out there won’t be very high on Knapp, at least for now. He was rated as just a three-star by every major recruiting platform aside from On3, who had him pegged as the No. 97 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class. That perspective doesn't give the Georgia standout the attention his talent deserves.
While his junior film was good, but left you wanting to see more, Knapp transformed into a completely different player as a senior. His body continued to grow, now sitting at around 291 pounds. Knapp was always a technically refined player but he really took a big jump athletically in 2023. He was a lot more explosive, and extremely powerful.
While Baker has the physical development edge on Knapp, he isn’t nearly the athlete he is right now. As long as Knapp can hold up physically, which has been grading out well this offseason, his overall athleticism, nasty demeanor and advanced technical development should allow him to play if need be this fall.
It is a bit of a gamble, but sometimes risks bring a much bigger payout. We know who Tosh Baker is, an okay player with extreme limitations. As a fanbase, we have little idea what Knapp is going to be. While unsettling, a team who has high aspirations of competing for a championship might want to take that gamble. Settlers hardly ever prosper. Take the plunge, and see what you have with the true freshman.
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