With just a dozen days left before Notre Dame football kicks off its season opener against Wisconsin, Joe Rudolph’s offensive line is alarmingly still holding auditions for a full 40% of its starting spots. This isn’t just about the center battle between Joe Otting and Ashton Craig,where doctors haven’t even fully cleared Craig after his second torn ACL,it’s also a full-blown turnstile spinning at right guard.
The Right Guard Scramble Is Real
The right guard position is wide open, and the competition is heating up, or maybe it’s just getting more frantic. Sullivan Absher came into fall camp as the top guy, but a broken foot totally derailed Matty Augustine’s push for the job. Even Ashton Craig, the center dealing with ACL issues, has taken snaps there, having practiced extensively at right guard back in 2023. But the real curveball? Styles Prescod, who was considered the top backup at either tackle spot, is now getting a serious look at right guard. Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock put it plainly, “Listen, the competition at right guard is open. And we’ve got a number of guys we’re taking a look at in there. Styles is one of those guys.” Prescod apparently earned his shot in an August 21st scrimmage, showing “some really natural things” in there. Now he’s doing drill work at guard, squeezed right between Craig and starting right tackle Guerby Lambert, who himself was last year’s starter at right guard. Talk about musical chairs up front.
From Low PFF to High Hopes for Prescod?
Prescod, a 6-foot-6, 304-pound lineman, has been drawing the coaches’ eyes with his productivity as a tackle backup. Denbrock praised him saying, “He’s come a long way with his maturity about his approach to every practice and the consistency that he’s been playing with. He’s been outstanding at tackle and has earned an opportunity.” Here’s the kicker: Prescod didn’t even see the field in 2024 because of early-season shoulder surgery. Last fall, he was limited to just 88 offensive snaps across seven games, mostly in mop-up duty. His single-game high was 20 snaps against Purdue, and his season grades from Pro Football Focus were, let’s just say, rough: 32 for pass blocking and 49 for run blocking. So, this guy with some seriously low PFF numbers is now “definitely in the mix to become one of the five that goes out there.” Denbrock admitted he’s “probably, at this point, a clear backup at either one of the tackle positions,” but with opportunity knocking at other spots, they’ve got to see if he can handle it. This right guard battle is going to the wire. They’ve got less than two weeks to figure out “the best combination up front” before they square off with Wisconsin.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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