Notre Dame’s Interior Line Options After Matty Augustine Went Down

Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph said during his fall camp availability that Matty Augustine’s injury has taken one of the better players in the room off the field, and that Joe Otting, Sullivan Absher, Cam Herron, and Styles Prescod are the linemen who have pushed inside as a result. Rudolph also confirmed that senior Ashton Craig, who tore his ACL last year, has been cleared and is being worked back into practice a day at a time.

“Obviously Matty going down was a real disappointment,” Rudolph said. “I think he’s one of the better players in our room, one of the better players on this offense, but we’ve had to step up every year.”

The interior reps Augustine has been pushing for throughout camp are now divided among a group Rudolph is still sorting through.

“Guys have stepped up to do that. And guys like Joe Otting’s having a great camp. Sully (Sullivan Absher) really put together, the last two days have been really good. I’ve been proud of him. Cam Herron’s been playing really well. Styles Prescod’s been playing really well. So, we got great competition across the board.”

Joe Otting Could be the Wildcard

Otting is the name to sit with. A senior whose on-field resume from Notre Dame’s 10-2 season includes six starts, has spent camp inside at center and drawn the most attention from the two people best positioned to evaluate him: Rudolph and Craig. Craig, the veteran he is competing with at center after filling in for him following his injury in the NC State game last year, was asked how Otting’s development has pushed him.

“Otter is awesome. I mean, he gives 110% effort with each and every rep. So, I mean, it’s awesome to see a guy like reach his full potential each and every day. And that’s pushing me to reach my full potential each and every day.”

Absher is a senior too, with five starts under his belt after filling in for an injured Billy Schrauth down the stretch last year. Priot to Augustine’s injury the battle at right guard looked like a two way race between the pair.

Herron, a sophomore who came to Notre Dame as the No. 18 interior lineman in his class out of Indianapolis Warren Central, and Prescod, a junior who signed as the No. 27 offensive tackle in his class out of Hamilton Southeastern in Fishers, have zero combined starts though Prescod saw action in 9 games last fall.

Rudolph did not separate the two younger linemen from the two seniors when he ran through who has stepped up, which puts Herron and Prescod in the competition rather than behind it. The room has more than one answer inside, and none of the four has been handed anything.

What Rudolph Is Weighing

Rudolph was asked what separates one lineman from the next in a competition like this one, “I think I’m looking for like two things. Productivity, like do you have the ability to win at a level where you can punch a hole through the defense and create a play? And then you’re always comparing that to kind of times when you’re unproductive, like you caused the problem,” Rudolphh said.

“And if you’re really causing a lot of problems, then you’re a guy we’re going to look for down the line because you’re productive.”

Consistency inside is what gives CJ Carr a clean pocket snap after snap and creates running lanes for Aneyas Williams and the loaded Notre Dame backfield. “Then bringing the consistency with it, I think, is what keeps your team on schedule, allows the other 10 guys to play and to play well,” Rudolph said.

Craig Cleared and Ramping Up

Craig has been through this once before, and said the second time has felt different. “Having an ACL injury last year kind of sucks. But for me it’s like I have a sense of calmness going through this rehab process the second time. Like I know what it takes. I know what it’s going to take to get me back on the field.”

On where he is with the knee, Craig pointed at the daily reps. “I mean, with anything, practice is going to make it feel the best. And once you start to trust it and just let go, like you’ll feel comfortable with it again. And I feel like I’m there and I’m getting ready to go.”

How the Pieces Could Fit

A healthy Craig changes the math inside, and not only at center. Craig does not have to beat Otting out to retake his starting center position for both of them to be on the field, either. If the staff determines that Otting is one of the five best linemen the Irish can put on the field, he could stay at center with Craigh sliding over to guard. Rudolph was not asked about it, but if Otting’s camp is what Rudolph and Craig both described, it’s certainly an option the staff should consider.

Otting took the reps at center all spring after while Craig was still rehabbing, and what Craig gives that room does not depend on which interior spot he lines up in. Rudolph on Craig: “Ashton’s got a really good command of the room. He’s got a real calmness to him that you want a center to have, that guys listen to him. He kind of sets the tone.”

Rudolph has to settle this before the opener as he now has some uncertainty upfront that the staff wasn’t planning for. Regardless of who starts at guard, Notre Dame has some pretty solid options with Otting, Absher, and Craig all bringing plenty of experience. And if either of the young guys passes the group and takes the guard position, fans should look at that as a huge positive because the trio of Otting, Absher, and Craig have proven they are all more than capable starters.