Notre Dame Gets the Letters: Four offensive linemen sign with Irish in Class of 2024
As Notre Dame readies current freshman Charles Jagusah to start his first career game at left tackle in the Sun Bowl against No. 19 Oregon State on Dec. 29, the Irish have secured the recruit who could then be Jagusah’s heir apparent. Of the four offensive linemen Notre Dame signed today, tackle Guerby Lambert most looks the part of a future star.
GUERBY LAMBERT
Catholic Memorial High School; West Roxbury, Ma.
Measurements: 6-foot-7, 300 pounds.
Accolades: The No. 3 offensive tackle in the class and No. 42 overall prospect, per rivals.com, Lambert is a consensus four-star and an All-American.
Other notable offers: While Lambert held offers from Alabama, Georgia and LSU, his visit list is more illuminating. In addition to South Bend, obviously, Lambert also headed to Ohio State, Boston College and Harvard, those latter two certainly near his hometown, more a Boston neighborhood than it is a Boston suburb.
Quick take: Lambert has all the size in the world, including a wing span that reaches further than seven feet. At his weight and with that reach, along with the quick feet of a shot putter, Lambert should be a tackle at the next level.
Short-term roster outlook: Current senior Tosh Baker has the pole position to be Notre Dame’s starting right tackle in 2024, partly because he is likely to start in the Sun Bowl opposite Jagusah. Behind him, current sophomore Aamil Wagner will also get a chance to prove himself in the spring and preseason, leaving Lambert as a reserve as a freshman, no matter how promising he may appear.
Long-term depth chart impact: Baker has only one season of eligibility remaining, so the right tackle gig will reemerge as a possibility in 2025. Lambert will need to primarily compete with Wagner.
PETER JONES
Malvern Prep; Penn.
Measurements: 6-foot-5, 290 pounds.
Accolades: The rivals.com four-star is considered the No. 10 offensive guard in the class and No. 208 overall prospect.
Other notable offers: Jones focused rather intently on Notre Dame, committing nearly a year and a half ago, but he at least took the time to visit nearby Penn State as well as Virginia, also holding offers from Kentucky, Michigan and Stanford.
Quick take: Unlike Lambert, Jones is almost certain to follow the gradual progression of most offensive linemen, spending his first couple seasons focused on strength and conditioning before he threatens for a leading role, even if his lower body already looks rather powerful.
Short-term roster outlook: That is even more clear when remembering Jones played right tackle in high school, so his likely move to the interior will include a bit of a learning curve. Fortunately for Notre Dame, it could have as many as four offensive guards with starting experience on the roster in the spring and preseason.
Long-term depth chart impact: Of Notre Dame’s nine or 10 interior offensive linemen on the roster, all but current fifth-year Andrew Kristofic may be around for a few years.
STYLES PRESCOD
Hamilton Southeastern High School; Fishers, Ind.
Measurements: 6-foot-6, 265 pounds.
Accolades: The rivals.com four-star is ranked the No. 29 offensive tackle in the country.
Other notable offers: Half of the Big Ten, as currently constituted, chased Prescod, as did Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama out of the SEC.
Projected position: His lower level of high-school competition suggests Prescod may need some time to develop at Notre Dame, but his size should push him to a tackle position down the line.
Quick take: If nothing else, the Irish securing the No. 6 prospect in Indiana — along with the third in consensus four-star safety Brauntae Johnson — is a solid sign for the program as a whole.
Short-term roster outlook: Notre Dame may look for an offensive lineman on the transfer market, a direct reflection of how close Lambert and Prescod could be to playing time. With juniors Joe Alt and Blake Fisher headed to the NFL, the Irish have just four clear tackles on the roster, none of which are proven commodities.
Long-term depth chart impact: And thus, Prescod needs to catch up with Wagner and current freshman Sullivan Absher if he wants to make noise before 2027 or so.
ANTHONIE KNAPP
Roswell High School; Ga.
Measurements: 6-foot-4, 270 pounds.
Accolades: The rivals.com three-star is also the No. 72 offensive tackle in the class.
Other notable offers: Knapp’s recruiting accolades may suggest a project, but more than half of the ACC sought him, along with multiple members of the Big 12 and, most notably, Penn State. Virginia Tech may have landed Knapp if not for losing offensive line coach Joe Rudolph to Notre Dame last winter, Rudolph then continuing his recruitment of Knapp from South Bend and landing a commitment in late March.
Quick take: Knapp should not be a singular reflection of Rudolph’s evaluations, but the fact that Rudolph continued so doggedly after Knapp when he got to Notre Dame makes it apparent that Rudolph believes wholeheartedly in the Georgia product.
Short-term roster outlook: Knapp needs to put on weight before finding any traction on the Irish depth chart. Without weight, he projects as a guard. With weight, his days at tackle could continue.
Long-term depth chart impact: Knapp’s footwork fundamentals could propel him over other interior options, though as mentioned above, there are interior options aplenty.
