Notre Dame football 2024 practice: Depth chart projections, Riley Leonard predictions by Irish insiders

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are gearing up for their season-opening showdown against the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday, Aug. 31. The Fighting Irish will try to live up to the preseason hype in a raucous atmosphere known as Kyle Field. Notre Dame is ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25, so Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame football roster will try to secure an early victory against the 20th-ranked Aggies to strengthen its shot at a playoff berth. Luckily for the Irish, Notre Dame's football schedule only features two games versus teams that finished last season ranked.

With the conference realignment in college football and several teams in new conferences and playing unfamiliar opponents, this could be Notre Dame's best opportunity to get back into the national title game picture. Notre Dame hasn't appeared in the College Football Playoff since 2020, but the Fighting Irish have a shot at ending that drought now that the College Football Playoff will feature a 12-team playoff bracket for the 2024-25 season. If you want to see the latest Notre Dame football camp news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at Irish Illustrated, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Notre Dame .

Led by Tim Prister, who has covered Notre Dame since 1982, the staff at Irish Illustrated is on the ground covering every Fighting Irish practice and game. With their decades of experience, Irish Illustrated is one of the most trusted authorities of Notre Dame football coverage. They are always out front on football news, analysis and insight and there's no better collection of veteran voices than at IrishIllustrated.com, which also features community message boards where fans can connect and get even more insider information.

The team at Irish Illustrated will be covering every practice, so head to Irish Illustrated now to see see the latest news . And right now, Irish Illustrated is offering 30% off the first year* of an annual membership, so get started today .

Top Notre Dame Fighting Irish practice storylines

Notre Dame was dealt a serious blow on the offensive live earlier this month. Sophomore offensive lineman Charles Jagusah was expected to be the starter at left tackle in 2024, filling the spot left by two-time All-American and first-round NFL Draft pick Joe Alt. However, Jagusah will miss the entire 2024 season after suffering a torn right pectoralis muscle earlier this month.

The former blue-chip prospect spent much of last season on the scout team, but was thrust into the starting role for the Sun Bowl with Alt opting out in favor of preparing for the draft. The 6-foot-7, 330-pound offensive lineman was on the field for 61 snaps in the victory over Oregon State, helping Notre Dame's ground game rack up 236 yards and two touchdowns. Get more updates on the Notre Dame RB at Irish Illustrated .

One of Notre Dame's biggest question marks heading into the 2024 season is at running back. The departure of Audric Estime left a gaping hole for the Fighting Irish offense. Estime finished last season with nearly 1,000 more rushing yards than his nearest competitor, almost 150 more rushing attempts, 15 more touchdowns, and 53 more first downs.

Sophomore Jeremiyah Love is expected to enter the season as the starter, but Jadarian Price is also expected to see the field in critical situations. Both running backs played in Notre Dame's dominant 40-8 victory over Oregon State in the Sun Bowl. Price was the star of the show, rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Love finished with 39 rushing yards and caught a TD pass, so they've shown they can carry the load when given the opportunity. Find out more about Mike Denbrock's new offense at Irish Illustrated .

How to get insider Notre Dame football practice insights

The staff at Irish Illustrated is on the ground for every Notre Dame practice. They will be regularly reporting on Notre Dame football breakout players, Notre Dame football recruiting, and Notre Dame depth chart projections, so be sure to get every update now .

Who is dominating at Notre Dame's football practices, and what will the 2024 Notre Dame football depth chart look like? Go to Irish Illustrated to see all the latest Notre Dame football news, all from a team of reporters with decades of experience covering the Fighting Irish , and find out.

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