Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has high expectations for Notre Dame freshman starting offensive lineman

If you haven’t heard, Notre Dame football released its depth chart against Texas A&M, and there are two freshman starting offensive lineman.

True-freshman Anthonie Knapp and redshirt-freshman Sam Pendleton will run out onto Kyle Field when the Irish take their first offensive snaps of the 2024 season. While many would see this as a potential problem, Aggies head coach Mike Elko viewed it completely differently.

The former Notre Dame defensive coordinator met with the media on Monday and was very complimentary of the two starting freshman. Elko mentioned that the Irish traditionally have one of the best offensive lines in the country, and if a young player is starting, they’re going to eventually get drafted one day.

It’s hard to disagree with this assessment, as the Irish have had a few freshman start over the last couple years ended up seeing their names called in the draft.

Joe Alt and Blake Fisher are just two examples of young Notre Dame offensive lineman being ready to perform at this level immediately. It seems like the Irish have another pair that can do so in Knapp and Pendleton.

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