Notre Dame strips Iowa State of Camping World upset hopes

By Dec 28, 2019, 3:15 PM EST
Notre Dame Chase Claypool
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If Notre Dame was not satisfied with a Camping World Bowl appearance, it did not show for so much as a moment in a dominating 33-9 win against Iowa State. The No. 15 Irish (11-2) used a couple of early fumbles to get a 10-0 first-quarter lead and then never gave the Cyclones (7-6) a chance at a comeback.

After a week filled with outside speculation of an unfocused team, such a wire-to-wire performance silenced any doubts about Notre Dame’s makeup.

“Even this week, ‘Notre Dame is not ready to play,’” Irish head coach Brian Kelly said after receiving the Camping World Bowl trophy. “They used that as another form of motivation to show people wrong. You just read this team wrong.”

If the focus was not there early in the week, a single-minded form of it arrived Saturday, led by senior receiver Chase Claypool. He recovered the first of those fumbles, a punt fumble forced by senior safety Alohi Gilman, fitting given Claypool’s first Notre Dame impacts were on special teams as a freshman in 2016. He finished with 146 receiving yards — bringing his season total to 1,037 — and a touchdown on seven catches.

The score came after junior linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah forced and recovered a fumble and gave the Irish a 10-0 lead. By this point, enough of Claypool’s 13 touchdowns have been impressively leaping and acrobatic that the 24-yard snag hardly surprised.

Claypool was not alone in crossing a threshold; senior quarterback Ian Book reached 3,034 yards by throwing for 247 in Orlando, all part of an offensive performance that gained 455 yards and averaged 7.0 yards per play with quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees calling plays.

“I thought it was well-orchestrated,” Kelly said. “… The ability to run the football, synced up with play-action, then the ability to spread the field, take shots down the field, get the ball into the right guy’s hands, [Claypool’s] hands, find matchups that work for us. I thought the ball was spread evenly and then run effectively.”

As impressive as Claypool and Rees’ offense were, the Irish defense may have been even more so. Notre Dame kept Iowa State sophomore quarterback Brock Purdy from ever finding a rhythm, throwing for 222 yards on 17-of-30 passing, well below his average of 313.3 passing yards per game.

The Cyclones gained 204 yards in the first half, but then only 68 in the second as Irish defensive coordinator Clark Lea’s unit tightened its grip. This season, the Cyclones never fell short of 17 points; this was hardly a weak offense, averaging 34.1 points per game.

“All year, we’ve been stingy in the passing defense efficiency,” Kelly said. “We felt like we were going to be in a good position as long as we re-routed, did some good things and we did. Clark did a great job with the linebackers, getting into passing lanes, making it difficult, and our pass rush is so effective because you’re never getting settled.

“That’s been who we are all year, so I didn’t think we were going to be somebody different. We go against our defense all the time, and I know how difficult it is for us to throw the football against them.”

That defensive performance rendered moot any narrative about Notre Dame’s approach to the “second-tier” bowl or who had how little experience calling offensive plays. It simply made it clear who would enter the offseason riding not only good momentum but a six-game winning streak.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
Eventually named the Camping World Bowl MVP, Claypool’s official stat line fell short of what could have been when what would have been his 14th touchdown of the year instead became a 43-yard completion to the one-yard line upon a questionable review. The Irish already held a convincing 13-3 lead late in the second quarter, but with Iowa State receiving the kickoff to start the second half, the game was still in doubt.

Two plays later, junior running back Jafar Armstrong took a handoff around the edge for a touchdown and an overwhelming deficit.

That Claypool catch made him the ninth player in Notre Dame history with 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

“It’s not something that I was trying to reach,” he said. “It was a goal I had, it was definitely a goal I had, so it’s nice to reach that goal, but you don’t really play the game for statistics. It’s nice, but I’m not going to remember getting 1,000 yards this game. I’m going to remember going out with these guys.”

PLAY OF THE GAME
The ABC broadcast did an illuminating job of highlighting the blocks that made senior running back Tony Jones’ 84-yard touchdown run possible. Tight ends Cole Kmet and Tommy Tremble, and fifth-year receiver Chris Finke all cleared Jones’ path through the second- and third-levels.

From there, it was a question of if Jones could outrun his pursuers. For all his varied assets, outright speed has never been among them. Instead, Jones made a stiff arm apparent.

“It was exciting — it was the culmination of putting together a running plan that when you see it hit, and then you see [Jones] go the distance because he’s been talked about as a guy that doesn’t have the ability to take you over the top,” Kelly said. “You saw him today break down the sideline and have the longest run in Notre Dame bowl history, another record that probably will not be given enough credit to a guy.

“He doesn’t really care about that stuff. He was just excited about the ability to run the ball today effectively. He ran physical and did what he normally does, help us win.”

Thanks to that run, Jones gained 135 yards on 11 carries, bringing his season totals to 857 yards on 144 rushes, a 5.95 average per attempt.

STAT OF THE GAME
Claypool’s 1,000 receiving yards, Book’s 3,000 passing yards, Rees’ offense averaging seven yards per play, Lea’s defense holding the Cyclones to 68 second-half yards — all would be suitable for this category.

The two recovered fumbles, though, further a season-long trend. The Irish finished the year +17 in turnovers, including recovering 19 of 33 fumbles, unusual luck in a game with an oblong ball. Pending a few more bowl games, namely Alabama’s (+16) and Clemson’s (+14), Notre Dame’s margin currently ranks No. 3 in the country, as does its 28 turnovers forced.

Just as vitally, the Irish consistently score off those quick changes in possessions, including 10 points against Iowa State.

“We feed off each other, us and the defense,” Claypool said. “They tell us they’re going to get a stop, and then we have to go score for them. It’s give-and-take. I was happy we were able to put something on the board right after that turnover and then continue that on.

“The defense kept giving us good field position, good confidence, because once we get a lead, we can start opening up our playbook a little bit.”

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Claypool won MVP honors, for good reason, but looking beyond him, junior kicker Jonathan Doerer warrants notice, not for the first time this season. Even with a 51-yard knuckler, he went 4-of-4 on field goal attempts. While a 33-9 win is utterly one-sided, a 27-9 game result would not have been as drastic, and if one of those hypothetically-missed field goals, the 51-yarder perhaps, yielded such field position that the Cyclones scored, a 27-16 conclusion would have left space for the perpetually-frustrated to gripe.

Owusu-Koramoah should also be mentioned, making nine tackles with four for loss including three sacks and the forced fumble he recovered himself.

SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
9:29 — Notre Dame field goal. Jonathan Doerer 39 yards. Notre Dame 3, Iowa State 0. (8 plays, 21 yards, 4:10)
3:20 — Notre Dame touchdown. Chase Claypool 24-yard pass from Ian Book. Doerer PAT good. Notre Dame 10, Iowa State 0. (8 plays, 58 yards, 3:43)

Second Quarter
9:27 — Iowa State field goal. Connor Assalley 41 yards. Notre Dame 10, Iowa State 3. (7 plays, 43 yards, 2:46)
7:23 — Notre Dame field goal. Doerer 51 yards. Notre Dame 13, Iowa State 3. (5 plays, 32 yards, 2:04)
2:25 — Notre Dame touchdown. Jafar Armstrong 1-yard rush. Doerer PAT good. Notre Dame 20, Iowa State 3. (4 plays, 45 yards, 1:30)
0:50 — Iowa State field goal. Assalley 26 yards. Notre Dame 20, Iowa State 6. (8 plays, 67 yards, 1:35)

Third Quarter
13:14 — Notre Dame touchdown. Tony Jones 84-yard rush. Doerer PAT good. Notre Dame 27, Iowa State 6. (1 play, 84 yards, 0:15)
4:58 — Iowa State field goal. Assalley 42 yards. Notre Dame 27, Iowa State 9. (10 plays, 55 yards, 4:33)
0:15 — Notre Dame field goal. Doerer 19 yards. Notre Dame 30, Iowa State 9. (13 plays, 74 yards, 4:43)

Fourth Quarter
3:53 — Notre Dame field goal. Doerer 39 yards. Notre Dame 33, Iowa State 9. (9 plays, 28 yards, 4:51)

Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 77 Ty Chan, sophomore offensive tackle, former four-star recruit

By Jun 3, 2023, 7:00 AM EDT
Ty Chan Notre Dame
rivals.com
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Listed measurements: 6-foot-5, 310 pounds.
2023-24 year, eligibility: A sophomore, Chan has all four seasons of eligibility remaining.
Depth Chart: Chan might crack the two-deep as the backup to junior Blake Fisher at right tackle, conceivably competing with classmate Aamil Wagner for that theoretical honor. “Theoretical” because the practical backup to Fisher would more likely be senior Tosh Baker, though Baker will not be listed as No. 2 at both left and right tackle.
Recruiting: Chan’s low-maintenance recruitment fit both an offensive lineman prospect and a Massachusetts product, turning down Boston College, Penn State and Syracuse when he committed to Notre Dame more than a year before he could sign his National Letter of Intent. The No. 11 offensive tackle and No. 221 overall prospect in the class, per rivals.com, Chan never wavered in that lengthy commitment.

CAREER TO DATE
Chan did not see the field as a freshman.

NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS

QUOTES
When new Irish offensive line coach Joe Rudolph twice mentioned Baker getting work at guard this spring, it sparked a thought that perhaps Chan and/or Wagner was impressing at tackle. At this point, that is nothing more than a sparked thought, but it is something to keep in mind if Baker again works on the interior in preseason practices.

WHAT WAS PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“Vague expectations show Chan as a reserve at right tackle in 2022, putting him behind sophomore Blake Fisher and junior Tosh Baker, though if injuries were to tear through the line (again), junior Michael Carmody would find his way onto the field long before Chan.

“Which is to say, Chan should enjoy the typical freshman season that Fisher and Joe Alt did not in 2021. He will work on his technique under (former Irish offensive line coach Harry) Hiestand’s tutelage, more of a need for this class than perhaps any other after so many of their 2020 seasons, their junior seasons, were turned upside down by the pandemic.

“Chan has much of the lower body muscle one would want from a collegiate offensive tackle, but his upper body still needs to develop some punch. Working in the strength and conditioning program will also benefit him.

“One thing neither Heistand nor strength coordinator Matt Balis will need to worry much about is Chan’s footwork. Assuredly, some of his exact steps may need fine-tuning, but someone able to deftly move around the post in a basketball game usually takes well to the exact steps at tackle. Exhibit A: Ronnie Stanley.”

Inside the Irish

Sean Sevillano Notre Dame
300-pound defensive tackle Sean Sevillano joins Notre Dame class of 2024
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Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 78 Pat Coogan, junior interior offensive lineman
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2023 OUTLOOK
Chan’s 2023 should look much like his 2022, though a spot on the travel roster and perhaps some special teams protection work could be added to his portfolio. Otherwise, it would take a rash of injuries to move Chan past not only Alt and Fisher but also Baker and senior Carmody, a one-time starter at tackle during the 2021 rash of injuries.

This is the typical track of an offensive line prospect; Alt and Fisher are the exceptions that prove the rule. Chan lost his junior season of high school football to the pandemic, and he comes from rather infertile preps territory in Massachusetts. Developing the fundamentals of pass blocking against collegiate defensive linemen should be atop his priority list for the time being, and that is exactly what scout-team work is for.

Furthermore, Chan appeared to have some wrist or arm injury at the end of spring practices. If that is something that has plagued him this summer or continues to, that could knock him a step backward in development, particularly behind Wagner.

All of which is to say, Chan may provide Notre Dame depth in 2023, but little more.

DOWN THE ROAD
Alt will be in the NFL next season. Fisher might be, but that is not the same certainty. If only one starting gig is available, Baker will get the first shot at it and with a decent runway. But after him, Chan and Wagner will be competing with incoming freshman Charles Jagusah.

That same trio should be the primary challengers for both starting gigs in 2025, when Fisher should be in the NFL and Baker will be out of eligibility.

Such a timeline is, again, the usual for an offensive line prospect and why Chan can spend the short-term focusing on his fundamentals.

NOTRE DAME 99-TO-0
The summer countdown begins anew, Rylie Mills to Deion Colzie
No. 99 Rylie Mills, senior defensive tackle, moving back inside from end
No. 98 Devan Houstan, early-enrolled four-star defensive tackle
No. 97 Gabriel Rubio, junior defensive tackle, one of three Irish DTs with notable experience
No. 95 Tyson Ford, sophomore defensive tackle, up 30 pounds from a year ago
No. 92 Aidan Keanaaina, a senior defensive tackle now ‘fully healthy’ after a 2022 torn ACL
No. 91 Aiden Gobaira, sophomore defensive end, former four-star recruit
No. 90* Brenan Vernon, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 90* Boubacar Traore, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 88 Mitchell Evans, the next starter at ‘TE U’
No. 86* Cooper Flanagan, incoming freshman tight end, four-star recruit
No. 85 Holden Staes, sophomore tight end, up 20 pounds in a year
No. 84 Kevin Bauman, senior tight end coming off a torn ACL
No. 83 Jayden Thomas, junior receiver, probable No. 1 target in 2023
No. 79 Tosh Baker, senior tackle, again a backup but next year …
No. 78 Pat Coogan, junior interior offensive lineman
Rhode Island transfer safety Antonio Carter gives Notre Dame desperately needed backline depth
Penn State RB transfer Devyn Ford gives Notre Dame newly-needed backfield depth, experience

300-pound defensive tackle Sean Sevillano joins Notre Dame class of 2024

By Jun 2, 2023, 1:30 PM EDT
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Notre Dame added its second defensive lineman commitment in two weeks with the Friday announcement from consensus three-star defensive tackle Sean Sevillano (Clearwater Academy; Fla.). The massive interior prospect is the first defensive tackle to join the Irish class of 2024.

And “massive” might not be saying enough. At 6-foot-2, Sevillano weighs more than 300 pounds. Keep in mind, he has yet to start his senior year of high school.

And while he is big, Sevillano does not play slow. If there is a hole in the offensive line protection, he is quick enough to get up the field and bother the quarterback, logging 22 sacks last season. If there is not a hole, his sheer size is likely to create one.

He uses his body weight to bring down ball carriers, content to drop his weight on them and force them to consider moving forward with 300 added pounds rather than using that force to knock through them. While that is an example of his size as an asset, some college running backs will be able to shimmy out of that trap or strong enough to even carry him for an extra yard, so some discipline to actively tackle will need to be developed.

In a similar respect, Sevillano’s size represents raw potential. He is already clearly strong, but if more of his frame becomes devoted to muscle, he could become a genuine collegiate force.

How much of that size and frame is immediately functional may determine if Sevillano is a day-one contributor for Notre Dame in 2024. Starting tackles Rylie Mills and Howard Cross both have eligibility through 2024, but both could also consider the NFL draft after this season. Cross, in particular, will be a multi-year starter and would be a sixth-year veteran in 2024; it may simply be time for him to move on. There are other players between Sevillano and Cross, namely current junior Gabriel Rubio and sophomore Donovan Hinish, but none with a bounty of experience. Furthermore, no defensive line rotation can ever be too deep. If Sevillano arrives on campus as a hard body to move, a situational role in goal-line packages could await him, but if he arrives as needing conditioning work above all else, it could be a season on the scout team while suffering under strength coordinator Matt Balis’s tutelage.

Notre Dame Recruiting

Loghan Thomas Notre Dame
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Sevillano chose Notre Dame over finalists Ohio State, Auburn and Miami, becoming the 17th Irish commitment and the fourth defensive lineman, following consensus four-star end Loghan Thomas’s pledge last week.

Notre Dame’s class of 2024 now ranks No. 3 in the country, behind only Georgia (with 16 commits) and Michigan (17), though not behind the Wolverines by much. Ohio State and Oregon loom at Nos. 5 and 6 with just 13 and 14 commitments, respectively.

Those team rankings will obviously continue to fluctuate plenty between now and the December signing period, but spending a second straight summer in the top five should reflect only well on Marcus Freeman’s continued recruiting emphasis.

Inside the Irish

Ty Chan Notre Dame
Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 77 Ty Chan, sophomore offensive tackle, former four-star...
Brigham Young v Notre Dame
Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 78 Pat Coogan, junior interior offensive lineman
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: APR 23 Notre Dame Spring Game
Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 79 Tosh Baker, senior tackle, again a backup but...

Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 78 Pat Coogan, junior interior offensive lineman

By Jun 1, 2023, 12:30 PM EDT
Brigham Young v Notre Dame
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Listed measurements: 6-foot-5 ⅛, 309 pounds.
2023-24 year, eligibility: A junior, Coogan has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Depth Chart: An interior offensive lineman through and through, expect Coogan to spend some preseason practices working among the guards before being listed as the backup center on the public depth chart, behind fifth-year Zeke Correll.
Recruiting: The recruiting rankings industry rarely respects centers, thus effectively capping Coogan’s ceiling at a consensus three-star prospect. Yet, Stanford and Michigan chased him until he chose Notre Dame, a clear choice all along given the Chicagoland product was a lifelong Irish fan.

CAREER TO DATE
Correll started all 13 games of 2022 after Jarrett Patterson did so at center in 2021, limiting any chances for Coogan. He appeared in just the snowy blowout of Boston College last season.

NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS
Anyone pushing back against athletes making money off their name, image and likeness rights (looking at you, Eli Drinwitz) is missing many realities. One of them is that college athletes may be the best on-field instructors for high-school players, having recently been in those shoes, helping both understand what those younger players are trying to do and aid their credibility with the next wave of recruits.

Yet, college football players have been able to profit from teaching football camps only in recent years.

Their tutelage can and does extend further to far young players, again nothing but a good thing.

QUOTES
Coogan was viewed solely as a center while recruited, and his first couple of seasons at Notre Dame featured a similar outlook. New Irish offensive line coach Joe Rudolph gave Coogan a shot at guard this past spring, and while Coogan is unlikely to win a starting role over the likes of fifth-year Andrew Kristofic, senior Michael Carmody, junior Rocco Spindler and sophomore Billy Schrauth, the chance at competition may have reinvigorated him a bit.

“There’s been a really good battle at left guard, Billy Schrauth has been working along with Pat Coogan,” Rudolph said in April. “They’ve got the majority of the reps there. I think it really freed Pat up, going to guard. I’ve seen his footwork getting better and I think it’s a little more natural for him.”

WHAT WAS PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“A springtime meniscus injury that required surgery and cost Coogan nearly all of spring’s practices has him behind the proverbial eight-ball this year. That absence forced (former Irish offensive line coach Harry) Hiestand to take a look at Carmody at center, and Carmody’s athleticism shined. (That may become a theme for Carmody until he finds a permanent home on the Irish offensive line.)

“That likely elevated Carmody to the ‘break glass in case of emergency’ role at center rather than Coogan.

“There are worse fates. Coogan is only a sophomore, after all, and the entire idea of the emergency glass is to not be broken. Even if he had not injured his knee, Coogan was probably going to spend this season fine-tuning his game under Hiestand’s watchful eye.”

Inside the Irish

Ty Chan Notre Dame
Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 77 Ty Chan, sophomore offensive tackle, former four-star...
Sean Sevillano Notre Dame
300-pound defensive tackle Sean Sevillano joins Notre Dame class of 2024
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: APR 23 Notre Dame Spring Game
Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 79 Tosh Baker, senior tackle, again a backup but...

2023 OUTLOOK
Expect Schrauth and Kristofic to prevail as Notre Dame’s starting guards in 2023, and if the Irish have their way, the world will never genuinely know who their backups are. Of course, football likes to skew such plans, so it is more likely Spindler reveals himself.

In other words, Coogan will probably not find playing time at guard in 2023, and with Correll returning as a three-year starter and possible captain, finding it at center would depend entirely on injury.

Some action should await Coogan, presumably starting with special teams protection units, a clear step forward from not even seeing that last season.

DOWN THE ROAD
Correll could return in 2024. He will have the eligibility to do so. But instinctively, a three-year offensive line starter at Notre Dame is going to seek a chance in the NFL, and a three-year offensive line starter at Notre Dame will be given a chance in the NFL, though it may begin by earning a roster spot.

If Correll does make that leap, Coogan will be the presumptive leader to start at center in 2024, but early-enrolled freshman Sam Pendleton could challenge him. With a bit stronger recruiting profile, Pendleton may have a higher ceiling than Coogan. If he continues to take to the collegiate strength and conditioning program, and avoids a hard collision with the proverbial freshman wall in the fall, then Pendleton could be nearing Coogan’s level by next spring.

At the very least, that could lead to a more honest position competition than is usually the case in spring practices.

NOTRE DAME 99-TO-0
The summer countdown begins anew, Rylie Mills to Deion Colzie
No. 99 Rylie Mills, senior defensive tackle, moving back inside from end
No. 98 Devan Houstan, early-enrolled four-star defensive tackle
No. 97 Gabriel Rubio, junior defensive tackle, one of three Irish DTs with notable experience
No. 95 Tyson Ford, sophomore defensive tackle, up 30 pounds from a year ago
No. 92 Aidan Keanaaina, a senior defensive tackle now ‘fully healthy’ after a 2022 torn ACL
No. 91 Aiden Gobaira, sophomore defensive end, former four-star recruit
No. 90* Brenan Vernon, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 90* Boubacar Traore, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 88 Mitchell Evans, the next starter at ‘TE U’
No. 86* Cooper Flanagan, incoming freshman tight end, four-star recruit
No. 85 Holden Staes, sophomore tight end, up 20 pounds in a year
No. 84 Kevin Bauman, senior tight end coming off a torn ACL
No. 83 Jayden Thomas, junior receiver, probable No. 1 target in 2023
No. 79 Tosh Baker, senior tackle, again a backup but next year …
Rhode Island transfer safety Antonio Carter gives Notre Dame desperately needed backline depth
Penn State RB transfer Devyn Ford gives Notre Dame newly-needed backfield depth, experience

Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 79 Tosh Baker, senior tackle, again a backup but next year …

By May 31, 2023, 2:00 PM EDT
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: APR 23 Notre Dame Spring Game
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Listed measurements: 6-foot-8, 310 pounds.
2023-24 year, eligibility: A senior, Baker has two years of eligibility remaining.
Depth Chart: Baker had the misfortune of arriving at Notre Dame just one year before the increasingly-heralded tackle duo of Blake Fisher and Joe Alt. Thus, Baker remains a backup as a senior, presumably penciled in as the No. 2 left tackle behind Alt on the public depth chart but perhaps the immediate option at both tackle positions if injury befalls either Fisher or Alt.
Recruiting: The No. 5 offensive tackle in his class, per rivals.com, when he signed with Notre Dame, Baker fell to No. 13 by the end of the recruiting cycle, another example of recruiting rankings being fickle and confounding. Baker chose the Irish over the likes of Alabama, Michigan and Ohio State, a high-profile recruitment despite coming from Scottsdale, Ariz.

CAREER TO DATE
Baker had one chance at a prolonged starting career at Notre Dame despite Fisher and Alt bearing down behind him. His headstart was mitigated by the loss of strength and conditioning effectiveness felt by freshmen across the country in 2020; Baker quite literally could not log the 12 months of intense weight-room work that is a pillar for freshman offensive linemen. That made it less surprising when Fisher beat out Baker for the starting left tackle gig in 2021, making Fisher the second freshman to ever start on the Irish offensive line in a season opener, but then a meniscus tear in that very first half sidelined Fisher until the bowl game. Current senior, then-sophomore, Michael Carmody stepped in for Fisher until a sprained ankle forced Baker into action.

Alas, a concussion ended Baker’s starting cameo two games later, two games with middling success but encouraging enough success given Baker was a sophomore, as well. Alt then took over, and the rest has become history.

Baker missed just one week due to the concussion, but Alt was already off to the races.

2020: 2 games.
2021: 11 games, 2 starts.
2022: 13 games as a reserve, largely as field-goal protection.

NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS
The life of an offensive lineman at Notre Dame has long seemed an enviable one: Eat effectively as much as you want, have a built-in close friend group of about a dozen other behemoths, dodge most of the spotlight that can make being a top-tier football player less enviable.

Scroll to the third photo in this Instagram post and see a few examples of that: Having fun at a minor league baseball game with other offensive linemen. Look closer, and realize Baker towers behind comedian Bret Kreischer, who while only 6-foot has made some of his fame on being a rather robust individual, himself.

On that note, the previous entry in this “99-to-0” series was on No. 83 Jayden Thomas, a junior receiver often referred to as a tight end last season by broadcasters. They were imprecise in that description, but their reasoning was clear. Thomas is a wide-bodied target. And now realize Baker stands 6.5 inches taller than Thomas and weighs 90 more pounds.

QUOTES
New Irish offensive line coach Joe Rudolph shares an ethos with his predecessor, Harry Hiestand: Always get the five best offensive linemen on the field together and figure out positions as need be from there. In that respect, Rudolph mentioned Baker could be a backup at guard as well as tackle. In other words, Baker may be Notre Dame’s clear No. 6 offensive lineman, and barring an injury at center, he could have a chance to play if any shuffling is needed.

“You have to concentrate on always having a plan together in terms of what are the things you need to address,” Rudolph said in April. “… You have to have trust that there’s a vision that sees you and always has a vision of trying to put the five best buys on the field together.

“Those things probably have to go hand-in-hand. That’s what I’ve shared with [Baker] along the way, told him I’d get most of his reps at tackle, but he’s absolutely someone that could go inside.”

WHAT WAS PROJECTED A YEAR AGO
“No offense to Baker, but the Irish would undoubtedly not mind a season of relative health at left and right tackle, keeping him on the sideline. The run of injuries last year was unprecedented in recent times, and played a distinct part in Notre Dame’s early-season offensive struggles. Now with a young quarterback, a stable offensive line will be crucial.

“To some extent, though, having Baker as a backup provides some stability. His two starts last season were not stellar, but they were promising enough. He has all the makings of a strong left tackle, should that opportunity arise.

“It is more likely he spends the season working behind Alt and learning under returned offensive line coach Harry Hiestand.”

Inside the Irish

Ty Chan Notre Dame
Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 77 Ty Chan, sophomore offensive tackle, former four-star...
Sean Sevillano Notre Dame
300-pound defensive tackle Sean Sevillano joins Notre Dame class of 2024
Brigham Young v Notre Dame
Notre Dame 99-to-0: No. 78 Pat Coogan, junior interior offensive lineman

2023 OUTLOOK
Let’s offer some transparency here: While this space refrains from speculating on transfer candidates, it keeps an in-house list in an attempt to be loosely prepared for the chaos of the winter and spring transfer windows. Baker’s name was at the top of that list this spring.

Obviously, he did not transfer.

The logic was simple: He should be close to his degree and he could start for most Power Five teams. Furthermore, quality offensive line talent is rare in the transfer portal, so a generous response could have awaited Baker.

A few things can be gleaned by Baker not transferring: Rudolph was well-received this spring, the Notre Dame offensive line culture so maintained by Hiestand has not wavered, and Baker is satisfied with how he is treated, both on the field and off.

All that said, it is still hard to see Baker as a starter in Dublin or one at all barring injury. Alt and Fisher are clearly entrenched at each tackle position, fifth-year Andrew Kristofic has starting experience at guard and three other interior linemen are competing to start opposite him. Rudolph may say Baker could play inside, but at 6-foot-8, he is very much an outside body type.

Another year of support work likely awaits Baker.

DOWN THE ROAD
But then, and this may be the other thought to him not transferring, a starting role could await Baker.

It will be an absolute stunner if Alt does not jump into the NFL draft after this season. He should be a top-10 pick, if not top-5. Fisher may go with him, if he has an impressive enough season. At some point, some offseason research needs to be done on teams that have sent two tackles into the same draft’s first two rounds, first round and first 15 picks, just to set some historical precedent.

Regardless of Fisher’s choice, Baker should be the clear beneficiary of Alt’s success. While it has forced Baker to the bench for years now, with Alt gone after 2023, Baker should start in 2024. Maybe that is at right tackle with Fisher flipping to left, maybe not. Either way, outside of Carmody and Fisher, no one else on the Irish roster has any collegiate experience at tackle.

That carrot presumably played a significant part in Baker not transferring despite there undoubtedly being a market for him. And one strong season as a starter on Notre Dame’s offensive line could be enough to propel him into an NFL career.

NOTRE DAME 99-TO-0
The summer countdown begins anew, Rylie Mills to Deion Colzie
No. 99 Rylie Mills, senior defensive tackle, moving back inside from end
No. 98 Devan Houstan, early-enrolled four-star defensive tackle
No. 97 Gabriel Rubio, junior defensive tackle, one of three Irish DTs with notable experience
No. 95 Tyson Ford, sophomore defensive tackle, up 30 pounds from a year ago
No. 92 Aidan Keanaaina, a senior defensive tackle now ‘fully healthy’ after a 2022 torn ACL
No. 91 Aiden Gobaira, sophomore defensive end, former four-star recruit
No. 90* Brenan Vernon, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 90* Boubacar Traore, incoming freshman defensive end, four-star recruit
No. 88 Mitchell Evans, the next starter at ‘TE U’
No. 86* Cooper Flanagan, incoming freshman tight end, four-star recruit
No. 85 Holden Staes, sophomore tight end, up 20 pounds in a year
No. 84 Kevin Bauman, senior tight end coming off a torn ACL
No. 83 Jayden Thomas, junior receiver, probable No. 1 target in 2023
Rhode Island transfer safety Antonio Carter gives Notre Dame desperately needed backline depth
Penn State RB transfer Devyn Ford gives Notre Dame newly-needed backfield depth, experience