Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1523876
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM AUGUST 2024 21 Players Signed: 27 Players Available In 2024: 10 2023 Recruiting Rankings: No. 9 by 247Sports and Rivals, and No. 12 by On3 Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Joe Alt OT 6-8 322 Arguably Notre Dame's greatest offensive lineman of all time; was selected fifth overall by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Irish's highest pick since 1993. Devin Aupiu DL 6-5 220 Signed with the Irish and enrolled early but transferred to UCLA in the sum- mer of 2021; has played in 16 games as a Bruin and has 8 total tackles. Ryan Barnes CB 6-2 186 Logged seven games played over three seasons before transferring to UMass this winter. Cane Berrong TE 6-3½ 243 Appeared in four games in two seasons for the Irish before transferring to Coastal Carolina. Josh Bryan K 6-0 191 Kicked one extra point for the Irish in 2022, which ended up being the only appearance he ever had at Notre Dame. Tyler Buchner QB 6-1 215 Started three games at QB for Notre Dame in 2022 before transferring to Alabama, where he started once in 2023; is back with the Irish in 2024 as a walk-on wide receiver after playing lacrosse in the spring. Deion Colzie WR 6-4 212 Has 16 catches for 304 yards and 2 touchdowns in three seasons and has battled injuries for much of his time in South Bend. Pat Coogan OG 6-5 310 Was the only Notre Dame offensive lineman to start all 13 games in 2023 and could be a full-time starter again in 2024. Logan Diggs RB 6-0 214 Had 1,052 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns at Notre Dame in 2021 and 2022; had 653 rushing yards and 7 total touchdowns at LSU in 2023; transferred to Ole Miss this winter. Audric Estimé RB 5-11½ 227 Finished his Notre Dame career with 2,321 rushing yards and 30 total touch- downs before being selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Mitchell Evans TE 6-5 260 Was on pace for a prolific junior season before tearing his ACL in late Octo- ber; still had a team-best 29 catches for 422 yards and 1 touchdown. Blake Fisher OT 6-6 312 Started 26 straight games after only playing six quarters as the top-ranked player in the Notre Dame class as a freshman; was taken 59th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Khari Gee CB 6-2 191 Did not play at Notre Dame as a freshman but has played in 13 games in the last two years at Georgia Tech. Caleb Johnson OL 6-6 295 Played in one game against USC in 2022 before defecting from the program in the spring of 2023. JoJo Johnson WR 6-0 184 Redshirted with a knee injury as a freshman before transferring to Iowa Western Community College; has since ended up at Indiana. Kahanu Kia LB 6-2 230 Played in two games as a freshman before taking a two-year mission trip; is back in 2024 with all four years of eligibility remaining. Prince Kollie LB 6-0½ 228 Appeared in 23 games for the Irish and scored a special teams touchdown against Clemson in 2022 before transferring to Vanderbilt. Jason Onye DT 6-5 289 Arguably Notre Dame's most important reserve defensive tackle working in tandem with starter Rylie Mills. Ron Powlus III QB 6-3 227 Served as a sideline signaler and reserve quarterback for two seasons before medically retiring in the spring of 2023. Philip Riley CB 5-11½ 195 Played in four games for the Irish; Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman an- nounced on March 22, 2023, that Riley had left the program. Gabriel Rubio DT 6-5 315 Has 29 total tackles in three seasons as a reserve; stepped away from the team in the spring for personal reasons but returned in the summer. Will Schweitzer LB 6-4 225 Played in three games for Notre Dame as a true freshman but had to medi- cally retire in the spring of 2023. Rocco Spindler OG 6-5 331 Started 10 games in 2023 before a knee injury ended his season; could con- tend for a starting spot again this season. Lorenzo Styles Jr. WR 6-1 185 Played in 26 games in two seasons for the Irish before transferring to Ohio State before the 2023 campaign. Jayden Thomas WR 6-2 218 Has 46 catches for 671 yards and 5 touchdowns in the last two seasons as the most experienced returning wide receiver on the roster. Chance Tucker CB 6-0 189 Has appeared in just 10 games in three seasons but might be needed to play in a reserve capacity as a senior. Justin Walters S 6-1 190 Played in seven games in two seasons before medically retiring in advance of what would have been his junior season. Senior Class Review Tight end Mitchell Evans could threaten to put up team-leading receiving numbers again if he comes back healthy from last season's torn ACL. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER