OT - Football News
by hobbs, San Diego, CA, Monday, March 16, 2026, 11:23 (73 days ago)
Spring practice is set to start later this week and we have some news. It looks like ND has officially kicked A. Knapp inside to guard.
https://atozsports.com/college-football/notre-dame-fighting-irish-news/set-to-make-a-li...
now back to more "smart toilet" talk.
This is good news.
by San Pedro
, More than 100 feet from Bob Davies, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 06:26 (72 days ago) @ hobbs
Lambert and Black have the size and length necessary to hold up against the bull and speed rushes. It's probably not fair to Knapp to point out his struggles against the top competition over the last two years, but we need better play in those situations to win the title. I think he will make an excellent guard and I'm looking forward to seeing him pulling and hammering people.
Freeman announced today that Aneyas will be "limited"
by Jeremy (WeIsND), Offices of Babip Pecota Vorp & Eckstein, Monday, March 16, 2026, 18:29 (73 days ago) @ hobbs
During spring practice. I didn't see the whole interview, so not sure if its injury-related, or "pitch count" related. In any event, big chance for Nolan James and the freshmen to make an impression. Get the sense that Kedren Young is probably still not all the way back yet.
buying all the Javian Osborne stock I can grab here
by KGB, Belly o. the Beast, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 09:33 (72 days ago) @ Jeremy (WeIsND)
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There's a Nolan James picture floating around the webs
by Jeremy (WeIsND), Offices of Babip Pecota Vorp & Eckstein, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 11:35 (72 days ago) @ KGB
Showing off his, uh, "gains" since last offseason. Pretty startling.
It's in here with the McElroy/ESPN interview:
by PMan
, The Banks of the Spokane River, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 09:30 (72 days ago) @ Jeremy (WeIsND)
watching now, great interview (edit)
by Jay, San Diego, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 11:42 (72 days ago) @ PMan
edited by Jay, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 12:20
Interesting stuff at about 23-min on the offseason study they did to prevent another slow start out of the gate.
Since you brought it up.
by River, Hell of the Upside Down Sinners, Monday, March 16, 2026, 17:49 (73 days ago) @ hobbs
I have decided against installing one.
Carry on.
Football adjacent news
by Chris, Raleigh, NC, Monday, March 16, 2026, 12:41 (73 days ago) @ hobbs
Kelly was at Lou’s funeral today.
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"F--- everyone who isn't us."
#Team128
Too late. If only he hadn’t waited so long to try to connect
by bk
, Close enough, Monday, March 16, 2026, 14:34 (73 days ago) @ Chris
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I'm excited that we might have a better LT on the team
by BillyGoat
, At Thanksgiving with Joe Bethersontin, Monday, March 16, 2026, 12:30 (73 days ago) @ hobbs
than Knapp. He's a darn good player and did a good job out there for two seasons. It's also worth noting that he's a Rudolph favorite and was hand-picked for the LT spot last season, despite there being some other potential candidates. Too many fans might view this as a demotion, of sorts, for Knapp. And I don't think that's fair to the kid at all. It's the first opportunity (there's no guarantee Black works out) to take what should be a very good line and give it a chance to be elite. The second will likely come in October, when Jagusah is fully healthy and potentially in position to take (presumably) Absher's place at guard.
Yep.
by KGB, Belly o. the Beast, Monday, March 16, 2026, 14:47 (73 days ago) @ BillyGoat
Knapp has gotten a bum rap from a lot of ND fans who don't know nearly as much about OL play as they think. He was a road-grader in the run game and didn't allow a single sack in 2025 after game 3. He's become a very good college tackle. That said, there are younger, more unproven options who may have a higher ceiling on the outside. If Rudolph believes that one of them is good enough to prove it this fall, then this reshuffle could supercharge the entire unit. We shall see.
Does Knapp project at Guard in the NFL?
by Jeff (BGS)
, A starter home in suburban Tempe, Monday, March 16, 2026, 14:10 (73 days ago) @ BillyGoat
If so, I wouldn't think he would necessarily take this as a demotion.
--
At night, the ice weasels come.
Probably. Center might be an option too
by Jeremy (WeIsND), Offices of Babip Pecota Vorp & Eckstein, Monday, March 16, 2026, 14:34 (73 days ago) @ Jeff (BGS)
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Yeah. Lots of comparisons to Hainsey out there. Nick
by BillyGoat
, At Thanksgiving with Joe Bethersontin, Monday, March 16, 2026, 16:13 (73 days ago) @ Jeremy (WeIsND)
Martin is probably also a decent comp.
I'll throw out Graham Barton of the Bucs
by BPH, San Diego, Monday, March 16, 2026, 16:41 (73 days ago) @ BillyGoat
Standout left tackle at Duke, now a center for Tampa Bay.
Who, in turn, essentially threw Hainsey out of TB.
by BillyGoat
, At Thanksgiving with Joe Bethersontin, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 06:40 (72 days ago) @ BPH
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he's probably halfway in between the two
by KGB, Belly o. the Beast, Monday, March 16, 2026, 16:31 (73 days ago) @ BillyGoat
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And that's a very, very, very good place to be for an OL.
by BillyGoat
, At Thanksgiving with Joe Bethersontin, Monday, March 16, 2026, 16:37 (73 days ago) @ KGB
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Yes. I never saw him as anything other than G
by hobbs, San Diego, CA, Monday, March 16, 2026, 14:34 (73 days ago) @ Jeff (BGS)
edited by hobbs, Monday, March 16, 2026, 17:44
in the NFL. Not physically big enough to hold up against power guys like Myles Garrett or fast, or long enough, to stay in front of speed guys like Micah Parsons.
He"d be much better and more formidable inside.
None of which means he's been "playing out of position"
by KGB, Belly o. the Beast, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 09:27 (72 days ago) @ hobbs
edited by KGB, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 09:30
which is something that a lot of wanna-be eggheads have been saying about Knapp for two years. He has long arms for his frame and is basically the same size as Zack Martin, who was an All-American college OT. He was also thrown into the fire at LT directly out of high school, which is not a normal path for a college lineman and compels people to pass judgement prematurely. In a different timeline, Knapp would be prepping to start regularly for the first time this fall.
Man, I hope we don't have to wait until October for Jags
by BPH, San Diego, Monday, March 16, 2026, 12:40 (73 days ago) @ BillyGoat
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He hasn't done any lifting with the team & they were worried
by cdawg, Monday, March 16, 2026, 13:13 (73 days ago) @ BPH
He was done for good. Heard this from a friend and II guy.
Word came out a few weeks back he should be full go to lift this summer. Not Spring.
Sounds like he basically had nerve damage like what Jaylon Smith dealt with. I don't blame anyone for the accident, but things would probably be much different if it never happened.
The changes excite me b/c ND is bigger
by hobbs, San Diego, CA, Monday, March 16, 2026, 12:37 (73 days ago) @ BillyGoat
Last year NDs starting tackles were both 6'5 295ish. Granted first game but both guys got sized up late in the 4th qt against Miami who had two ends around 260.
In Black and Lambert NDs 26 OTs are 6'8 325. ND is just going to be bigger and longer on the outside.
TBF, the first game/humidity factor was probably a big cause
by cdawg, Monday, March 16, 2026, 13:16 (73 days ago) @ hobbs
They never looked like that again, so it seems like an outlier. Give Miami credit though. They were really good.
2 of the 3, maybe 4 best teams played each other week 1. Sad that it became a sticking point rather than a celebration of good football.
Those two dudes ate everybody's lunch in the CFP.
by KGB, Belly o. the Beast, Monday, March 16, 2026, 14:54 (73 days ago) @ cdawg
NDs tackles looked more capable than most of Miami's playoff opponents. That final drive was ugly, but they were set up to fail under the circumstances.