Things To Learn: Focus on Notre Dame's offensive line, a 2024 preview, in Sun Bowl vs Oregon State on Friday

Notre Dame’s defense is a known commodity, one of the best in the country and still starting nine players in at least their fourth season of collegiate action, the exception being star sophomore cornerback Benjamin Morrison and counterpart Jaden Mickey.

The Irish coaching staff deserves some praise for creating a culture that induces fifth-year linebacker JD Bertrand, sixth-year safety DJ Brown and Ohio State transfer defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste to play in the Sun Bowl on Friday. And the recruiting under Clark Lea back before the pandemic should be credited for creating the kind of depth that can replace fifth-year linebacker Marist Liufau and Oklahoma State transfer nickel back Thomas Harper with another fifth-year linebacker in Jack Kiser and a senior defensive back in Clarence Lewis, respectively.

Looking at 2024, the announced returns of Kiser and defensive tackles Howard Cross and Rylie Mills immediately raise Notre Dame’s ceiling to Playoff levels.

But the Irish offense will face No. 19 Oregon State as a relative unknown in all respects. Notre Dame’s offense will end the year with only one 13-game starter, left guard Pat Coogan, after both offensive tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher opted out to prepare for the NFL draft. In total, nine Irish starters from November will not line up on Friday (2 ET on CBS), creating a chance to learn about Notre Dame’s offensive future.

“You have to go back to your basics, your foundation, your install-one stuff from training camp,” interim offensive coordinator Gino Guidugli said this week. “The fortunate thing is you get a lot of time to prepare for a game like this, so you get stuff in.

“We’ve got really smart kids at Notre Dame and those guys will go out there and be able to execute. As far as how much you can put in, we’ll be able to do enough, but we’re going to lean on the things we think we’re best at.”

Even though the 2024 Irish offense will presumably be led by incoming transfers in Duke quarterback Riley Leonard, Clemson receiver Beaux Collins and Florida International receiver Kris Mitchell, the core of Notre Dame’s offense will play in El Paso. Head coach Marcus Freeman insists his offense is “driven” by his offensive line, and the majority of the 2024 offensive line should take the first snap Friday, led by freshman left tackle Charles Jagusah making his first career start and second career appearance.

If Guidugli intends to “lean on the things” the Irish are best at, that should speak to the ground game.

“[Jagusah] is just a huge human being and moves really well for his size,” Guidugli said. “... His ability to just take information and be able to apply it to the field and make adjustments on the fly is what is going to make him special.”

The only consistent piece of Notre Dame’s offensive line will be next to Jagusah, left guard Coogan, then joined by sophomore center Ashton Craig and sophomore right guard Billy Schrauth, both injury-replacement starters in November. Craig looks like the Irish center of the future, while Schrauth and junior Rocco Spindler should resume a position competition in the spring.

At right tackle, senior Tosh Baker has taken hold of the leading role.

In other words, all five offensive line starters on Friday could start at Texas A&M to open the 2024 season.

And while Notre Dame may have restocked its receivers room with five players this month and Leonard may have been the best quarterback available on the market this winter, the Irish have recruited to be a ground-driven offense for years.

A running back room led by sophomore Jadarian Price and freshman Jeremiyah Love should not change that. Price or Love may be able to assert himself as the lead back in 2024 with a particularly convincing performance against Oregon State.

Defensively, every snap taken by someone besides Lewis at nickel back will be a learning experience. Freshmen defensive backs Christian Gray and Micah Bell could supplement him there, a prelude to a springtime competition to emerge there.

“Christian has made a steady climb all year,” defensive coordinator Al Golden said this week. “He loves football. He’s constantly in one-on-one meetings with [cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens], trying to improve, trying to get better and trying to glean as much as he can in the film room.

“He’s ready for this opportunity. He’s had some opportunities already this year, so we have a lot of confidence in Christian.”

If a nickel package is needed against the Beavers, it almost assuredly means Notre Dame has found itself a decisive lead, forcing Oregon State to throw even though it does so 3 percent less than game state would usually expect.

Until the Irish have turned the Beavers one-dimensional — think how Pittsburgh and Wake Forest had no choice but to throw against Notre Dame because they trailed by so much, despite knowing their passing offenses were dreadful — Oregon State will try to run, and that will be when fifth-year linebackers JD Bertrand and Jack Kiser star, behind Mills and Cross.

Golden said Kiser will move inside in nickel packages, taking Liufau’s role, but remain on the outside in a standard 4-3 look. Regardless, the defender that makes more plays per snap than any other defender in a gold helmet should impact the game only more with more action.

And if the Beavers are going to stick to their usual approach despite being without their two best quarterbacks, both capable rushers, and their lead running back, then Kiser’s and Bertrand’s experience should wreak havoc.

“[Third-string quarterback Ben Gulbranson] fits what we’re doing very well, and we haven’t gone about changing our scheme,” Oregon State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jon Boyer said this week. “Our game plan is our game plan, … as far as the makeup of our offense, Ben Gulbranson is 100 percent capable of running the offense we’re going to do, and so he fits it perfect.”

Taking Boyer at his word, as questionable an approach as that is from the outside, Notre Dame’s defensive veterans should stand up well to the Beaver’s ground attack, giving the new-look Irish offensive line time to find its own momentum in the Sun Bowl.

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