Notre Dame football opens up fall camp this week with several key questions needing to be answered

Wake up, Notre Dame fans! Fall camp finally begins on Wednesday. With the excitement for what the Irish could accomplish in 2024, the next several weeks are going to begin to shape the expectations heading into the season.

Here are several storylines that Notre Dame fans should keep a close eye on. It includes several position battles, keys to 2024 success, and exciting aspects of the Irish roster to consider.

Get and stay healthy

The health of the 2024 Notre Dame team has to be one thing that Irish fans are most pessimistic about heading into the fall. Three of the team's best players have been dealing with offseason injuries, including quarterback Riley Leonard, tight end Mitchell Evans, and cornerback Benjamin Morrison.

There is a lot of good news heading into the fall with those three. It has been reported, and verified by myself, that Leonard is back to 100 percent and is ready to go. The former Duke signal caller had his 2023 season derailed while dealing with an ankle and foot injury. His foot flared up again this offseason, costing him some valuable reps in the spring. It is said that Leonard is back to full health with no restrictions, although it’s believed that Leonard could wear a special brace around the previously injured foot/ankle to be protective and preventative.

Marcus Freeman announced earlier this offseason that Evans would be cleared for fall camp, so you should expect No. 88 to be out there participating. It would be potentially smart to have some load management with the talented tight end. When healthy last season, Evans was awesome, hauling in 29 receptions for 422 yards and a touchdown in just eight games played. Evans has had a tough string of injuries in the past, making this fall camp very important to make sure he’s in good shape entering the season.

When it comes to Morrison, Coach Freeman didn’t put an exact timeline on his talented cornerback but has the intention of being available for the first game when they travel to Kyle Field to take on the Texas A&M Aggies. Morrison, who is projected to be a first round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has been dealing with an offseason shoulder injury. There’s a legitimate argument that Morrison is the best player on the Notre Dame roster heading into the fall.

Outside of those three standouts, injuries are always something to keep a close eye on. It can make or break a roster each season. The Irish are prepping for what should be an outstanding campaign. Maintaining that health the best possible is going to be huge.

What does the offensive line look like?

This isn’t a huge question in terms of extreme uncertainty. We know who three of the five starting offensive lineman are going to be for sure. We know sophomore Charles Jagusah will be the starter at left tackle. We also know that both Ashton Craig and Billy Schrauth will be at center and right guard respectively. Both players started down the stretch of the season at those spots and showed massive upside.

The big questions will center around who the other two starters will be. At left guard, Notre Dame does have a returning starter coming back in Pat Coogan. He started every game last season and was a steady, yet unspectacular element to f the offensive line. Could Rocco Spindler challenge him coming back from injury? Could sophomore Sullivan Absher shift over to make the battle even more interesting? Those are questions that we don’t have the answers to right now.

Right now, the right tackle position battle is the biggest to watch. Graduate student Tosh Baker left the spring as the starter but feels like a potential bridge option for the time being. He has junior Aamil Wagner nipping on his heels following a good ending to spring practice, boasting some really nice raw tools and upside. True freshman Guerby Lambert is also one to watch during camp. If he isn’t the starter early in the season, don’t count him out to eventually take that spot towards the end of it.

Related: Interior defensive group the deepest in the 2025 NFL Draft class, boasting insane top level talent and depth

Offensive roles and explosiveness

The ability to create big plays offensively has been something lacking in South Bend for several years. That’s why the addition of offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock was so vital this offseason. Coach Freeman has also done a tremendous job of upgrading the skill position talent for Denbrock to work with. The cupboard is far from bare.

It starts at quarterback, where the depth chart has done a complete 180 from where things were when Freeman took over. The future is very bright, as should be the short term with Leonard. He has the upside to be the best dual threat signal caller that the Irish have had in some time.

Leonard will also have plenty of talent around him, including handing the ball off to running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Both players have game breaking speed and playmaking ability. Even if they don’t end up being the best duo in college football, they have the ability to potentially be the best big play duo in the country.

At wide receiver, the Irish will be depending on transfer portal additions in terms of speed. Former FIU Kris Mitchell brings production and vertical speed to the table. As does former Marshall pass catcher Jayden Harrison, who might see his impact more felt on special teams as a kick returner. Former Clemson standout Beaux Collins isn’t a burner but he has the big body and catch radius to make plays down the field as well.

Besides those trashed portal additions, Notre Dame also has a couple unproven pass catchers with big play upside. That includes freshman wide receiver Cam Williams and junior tight end Eli Raridon, both of which are extremely athletic.

Which young players are ready for big roles?

This is always one of the most exciting parts of fall camp. The “new toys” always become fan favorites. The potential and unknown are always most exciting. Which young player has a chance to make an impact in 2024?

Williams was already mentioned at wide receiver, as was Lambert at offensive tackle. You can add in Jagusah at left tackle, as well as Absher trying to find a role up front. They could all figure into 2024 plans.

Outside of that, sophomore pass rusher Boubacar Traore, freshman linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, freshman defensive end Bryce Young, and sophomore defensive backs Christian Gray and Adon Shuler all have a chance to play big roles this season. The Irish defense should be awesome again in 2024, a big reason for that sustainability would be the presence of some young top defenders.