Notre Dame released its first official depth chart of the season on Monday for the road showdown against Texas A&M. Among the surprises for Saturday night’s game at Kyle Field in College Station is the youth movement on the offensive line.
After losing Joe Alt and Blake Fisher to the NFL, Notre Dame is in a rebuilding mode upfront. Notre Dame’s coaching staff has made a bold decision, opting to entrust the protection chores to a group of inexperienced yet promising underclassmen for the season opener. Freshman Anthonie Knapp won the starting left tackle job over senior Tosh Baker. Sophomore Sam Pendleton edged out upperclassmen Pat Coogan and Rocco Spindler at left guard.
Notre Dame Depth Chart Offensive Line
With young guns Knapp and Pendleton making their presence felt in fall camp, this is what the depth chart looks like for the offensive line against Texas A&M.
LT1 Anthonie Knapp (Fr.)
LT2 Tosh Baker (Sr.)
LG1 Sam Pendleton (So.)
LG2 Rocco Spindler (Jr.)
C1 Ashton Craig (Jr.)
C2 Pat Coogan (Sr.)
RG1 Billy Schrauth (Jr.)
RG2 Sullivan Absher (So.)
RT1 Aamil Wagner (Jr.)
RT2 Guerby Lambert (Fr.)
Quarterback
The least of the surprises for Notre Dame in Week 1 is Riley Leonard has been named the starter. The expectation has been that the Duke transfer would be the starter since he joined the Irish through the transfer portal last December. Leonard has overcome an ankle injury suffered in Duke’s loss to Notre Dame last season. Following a pair of surgeries, Leonard is healthy heading into the first game of the season against his former coach Mike Elko, now with Texas A&M. Leonard is also a team captain this season.
QB1 Riley Leonard (Sr.)
QB 2 Steve Angeli (Jr.)
Running Backs
Offensive standout Jeremiyah Love will be a starter for the first time against Texas A&M. As a freshman, Love rushed for 385 yards on 71 carries. He averaged a solid 5.4 yards per carry. He also has good hands and is effective in the screen game. Love caught eight passes last season for 77 yards and a touchdown. Love saw limited playing time in 2023. He primarily backed up Audric Estime, who has since moved on to the Denver Broncos.
RB1 Jeremiyah Love (So.)
or Jadarian Price (Jr.) or
Aneyas Williams (Fr.)
or Devyn Ford (Sr.)
Wide Receiver
Beaux Collins, a graduate transfer from Clemson, provides a veteran presence to a young Irish offense. Collins racked up 91 receptions for 1,290 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Tigers. Sophomores Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison have also been named starters. Jayden Thomas and Kris Mitchell are certain to see plenty of playing time as well in a stacked wide receivers room.
WR1 Beaux Collins (Sr.)
or Jayden Thomas (Sr.)
WR1 Jaden Greathouse (So.)
or Jayden Harrison (Sr.)
WR1 Jordan Faison (So.)
or Kris Mitchell (Sr.)
Tight Ends
Mitchell Evans was on the cusp of becoming one of the country’s best tight ends last season before he was injured. A knee injury halted his season after eight games. Despite missing the final four games of the 2023 season, Evans ended the season as the team’s top receiving target. He caught 29 passes for 422 yards and scored one touchdown, averaging 14.6 yards per catch.
TE1 Mitchell Evans (Sr.)
TE2 Cooper Flanagan (So.)
TE3 Eli Raridon (Jr.)
Defensive Line
Jordan Botelho played in all 13 games for the Irish a season ago, starting 12 as the team’s primary Viper. He recorded 32 tackles, 18 solo. Botelho had 4.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. He also accounted for three quarterback hurries. Botelho has been named to the Watch list for the 2025 Senior Bowl.
Starting defensive tackle Rylie Mills played and started in all 13 games last year. He finished the season with 47 tackles, 22 solo. Mills added 5.5 tackles for loss and recorded 2.5 sacks. He forced four quarterback hurries and recovered two fumbles. Like Botelho, Mills has been named to the Watch list for the 2025 Senior Bowl. He is also a team captain this year and has been named to the Lombardi Award Watch list.
Howard Cross III started all 13 games as the Irish’s defense’s nose tackle. He finished the season second on the team with 66 tackles, 28 solo. Cross added seven tackles for loss, had two sacks, and totaled four quarterback hurries. He also forced a pair of fumbles. Cross is a 2024 Associated Press Preseason All-American (first team) and is on the Lombardi Award Watch list, as well as the Watch list for the 2025 Senior Bowl.
VYP1 Jordan Botelho (Sr.)
VYP2 Boubacar Traore (So.)
or Junior Tuilalamaka (Jr.)
DT1 Rylie Mills (Sr.)
DT2 Jason Onye (Sr.)
DT1 Howard Cross III (Sr.)
DT2 Donovan Hinish (Jr.)
DE1 R.J. Oben (Sr.)
DE2 Joshua Burnham (Jr.)
or Bryce Young (Fr.)
Linebackers
Jack Kiser played in all 13 games last season, making three starts. He finished third on the team with 62 tackles and tied for the team lead with 41 solo tackles. Kiser had 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and an interception. He also recorded a pass breakup and forced three quarterback hurries and a fumble. Kiser is a team captain this year and has been named to the 2025 Senior Bowl Watch list.
WLB1 Jack Kiser (Sr.)
WLB2 Jaiden Ausberry (So.)
or Kyngstonn Villamu-Asa (Fr.)
MLB1 Drayk Bowen (So.)
MLB2 Kyngstonn Villiamu-Asa (Fr.)
ROV1 Jaylen Sneed (Jr.)
ROV2 Jaiden Ausberry (So.)
Cornerbacks
Benjamin Morrison played in 12 games last season, making 11 starts in his sophomore season. He recorded 31 tackles, 25 solo, and added 3.5 tackles for loss. He finished second on the team with three interceptions and led the Irish with 10 pass breakups. A 2024 team captain, Morrison is an Associated Press Preseason All-American (second team) and is on the 2025 Senior Bowl Watch list.
Nickel1 Jordan Clark (Sr.)
Nickel 2 Karson Hobbs (Fr.)
CB1 Benjamin Morrison (Jr.)
CB2 Leonard Moore (Fr.)
CB1 Christian Gray (So.)
CB2 Jaden Mickey (Jr.)
Safeties
Xavier Watts played and started in all 13 games last season. He led the nation with seven interceptions and finished the year with 52 tackles, 30 solo. Watts was the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Award winner as the best defensive player in the country and a 2023 unanimous All-American. A 2024 team captain, Watts is an Associated Press Preseason All-American (first team).
Boundary1 Adon Shuler (So.)
Boundary2 Luke Talich (So.)
or Kennedy Urlacher (Fr.)
Field1 Xavier Watts (Sr.)
Field2 Rod Heard II (Sr.)
Notre Dame Depth Chart Special Teams
Transfer kick returner Jayden Harrison ranked second among all FBS players in kickoff return average last year with Marshall with 30.7 yards per return on 23 returns. He tied for second among all FBS players in kickoff return touchdowns with two. Harrison played in all 13 games for Marshall, starting four at wide receiver. He totaled 28 receptions for 410 yards and a touchdown. He is listed as the top kick returner on the Notre Dame depth chart.
KO Mitch Jeter (Sr.)
PK Mitch Jeter (Sr.)
P1 James Rendell (Sr.)
P2 Eric Goins (Sr.)
LS1 Andrew Kros (So.)
LS2 Rino Monteforte (Jr.)
H1 Chris Salerno (Sr.)
H2 Jack Polian (Sr.)
PR Jordan Faison (So.)
or Jaden Greathouse (So.)
KR Jayden Harrison (Sr.)
or Jeremiyah Love (So.) or
Jadarian Price (Jr.)
