Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1538217
20 PRESEASON 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED Will Pauling matched up with the early days of camp. But how deep beyond that and who fills those roles was open for discussion and competition. Junior KK Smith, sophomores Micah Gilbert and Cam Williams, and true freshman Elijah Burress figured to be competing for two spots to get the core playing group to six. And the quality of those six matters. So does Denbrock's determination to help coax Fields' Michael Floyd-like skill set closer to Floyd's pro- duction at Notre Dame (1,025 and 1,147 yards receiving in 2010 and '11, respectively) than the still-impressive numbers he put up at Virginia (back-to-back 800-plus yard seasons) with less of a surrounding cast. It's not that the Irish will be more wide receiver- centric every game, but Denbrock wants to have that look in his play-calling holster when he uncov- ers mismatches that would favor that. 5. Gauging Whether This Is A Vintage Year For Tight End Play Tight End U still? In theory, yes. In the future, yes. In the early part of the 2025 season? That's what Denbrock is building toward — not to be all in on ground-and-pound multiple-tight end looks, but to have it as a gear, and option, in a more multi- faceted offense than the Irish have had in years. In theory at least. Denbrock is convinced a healthy version of senior Eli Raridon could put up the kind of numbers Notre Dame's vintage tight ends have since Anthony Fasano in 2004 kicked off the run of starters who evolved into NFL draftees. Oh, and a little piece of trivia, one of Fasano's backups was a guy named Marcus Freeman. A dif- ferent Marcus Freeman. But as far as the current backups, that's the key. Sixth-year feel-good story Kevin Bauman is the emotional/mental toughness rock in the tight end room and has a role somewhere on the periphery of the tight end core group beyond Raridon. The wild cards are Arkansas transfer Ty Wash- ington, June-enrolling freshman James Flanigan and junior Cooper Flanagan, whose surprisingly fast recovery timeline from a January Achilles in- jury has him returning at some point during the regular season. 6. Building The Nation's Top Offensive Line What a difference a year makes. Last training camp, the inexperienced Irish offen- sive line was seemingly the most fragile position group in terms of holding up under bright lights and high-stress moments. This August, even with starting guard Charles Jagusah sidelined indefinitely, it may be the best starting five in the nation. Denbrock's covert objec- tive is to make it the best 10-man grouping. Not because they're planning to turn O-line into a rotational position group, but to have backups ready in case of injury. Right tackle Aamil Wagner was the only 2024 O-line starter who made it through all 16 games. August is about finding the next five, and mak- ing sure Sullivan Absher was the right plug-in for Jagusah until he returns. Sophomore tackle Guerby Lambert is the best so far of the next wave. ✦ Here is Blue & Gold Illustrated's projection for where Notre Dame's 2025 scholarship depth chart stood for the offense at the beginning of fall camp July 31. Quarterback No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 8 Kenny Minchey 6-2 208 Jr./3 or 13 CJ Carr 6-3 210 So./4 10 Tyler Buchner* 6-1 206 Sr./1 or 12 Blake Hebert 6-3 225 Fr./4 Running Back No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 4 Jeremiyah Love 6-0 214 Jr./2 24 Jadarian Price 5-11 210 Sr./2 22 Aneyas Williams 5-10 205 So./3 3 Gi'Bran Payne 5-10 205 Sr./2 21 Kedren Young 5-11 240 So./4 23 Nolan James Jr. 5-10 215 Fr./4 Boundary Receiver (W) No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 0 Malachi Fields 6-4 222 Gr./1 14 Micah Gilbert 6-2 204 So./4 5 Cam Williams 6-2 200 So./4 15 Jerome Bettis Jr. 6-1 207 Fr./4 Field Receiver (X) No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 6 Jordan Faison 5-10 185 Jr./2 11 KK Smith 6-0 176 Jr./3 17 Elijah Burress 6-0 185 Fr./4 Slot Receiver (Y) No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 1 Jaden Greathouse 6-1 215 Jr./2 2 Will Pauling 5-10 190 Gr./1 19 Logan Saldate 6-0 189 So./4 81 Scrap Richardson 6-0 190 Fr./4 Tight End No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 9 Eli Raridon 6-7 252 Sr./1 84 Kevin Bauman 6-5 250 Gr./1 or 7 Ty Washington 6-4 248 Sr./1 or 85 Jack Larsen 6-3 250 So./4 88 James Flanigan 6-6 241 Fr./4 87 Cooper Flanagan^ 6-6 255 Jr./2 Left Tackle No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 54 Anthonie Knapp 6-4 300 So./3 71 Styles Prescod 6-6 292 So./4 58 Matty Augustine 6-7 310 Fr./4 Left Guard No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 74 Billy Schrauth 6-4 310 Sr./2 77 Peter Jones 6-5 312 So./4 65 Will Black 6-7 307 Fr./4 Center No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 70 Ashton Craig 6-5 310 Sr./2 64 Joe Otting 6-4 308 Jr./3 57 Cam Herron 6-2 285 Fr./4 Right Guard No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 75 Sullivan Absher 6-8 327 Jr./3 55 Chris Terek 6-6 322 Jr./3 52 Devan Houstan 6-4 307 Jr./3 56 Charles Jagusah^ 6-7 333 Jr./3 Right Tackle No. Player Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. 59 Aamil Wagner 6-6 300 Sr./2 76 Guerby Lambert 6-7 335 So./4 78 Owen Strebig 6-8 300 Fr./4 * Walk-on; ^ injured BGI'S PROJECTED 2025 NOTRE DAME SCHOLARSHIP DEPTH CHART FOR THE OFFENSE Junior Sullivan Absher earned the right to get the first shot to fill-in for injured starting guard Charles Jagusah, but he will have to prove he's the right fit during fall camp. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER