Despite NFL departures, elite recruits inject fresh talent and depth into Notre Dame's 2026 offensive line, bolstering its promising future.
Despite losing two key starters from the 2024 and 2025 offensive line to the NFL Draft, the Notre Dame offensive line room, depth and talent still looks extremely promising heading into the 2026 offseason. That doesn't mean that right tackle Aamil Wagner and left guard Billy Schrauth will be easy to replace, but having the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the country, bolstered by six offensive line signees certainly helps. Losing two captains on offense won't be easy to replace, but the level of talent coming in cushions the blow.
Impactful Departures
The departures of Schrauth and Wagner not only impact the starting lineup, but it impacts the player-led leadership on the team as well. Both lineman were 2025 offensive captains for the Irish and were impactful leaders during their 10-game win streak to end the regular season. But they were also productive players. This past season, in 342 pass blocking snaps, Wagner only allowed seven total pressures, one sack and two hits on the quarterback. His sack allowed and two hits on the quarterback came in week one against Miami. The rest of the regular season, Wagner kept CJ Carr's jersey clean.
Unfortunately, Schrauth wasn't able to finish the regular season due to an MCL injury he sustained in the USC game. Up until his injury, Schrauth was playing the most dominant ball of his career. He was a force in the run game, especially against the Trojans. In the last two seasons for the Irish, the 6-4, 310-pound guard only allowed one sack and that came against USC on the road in the final regular season game of 2024. He didn't allow a single pressure in the Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl or National Championship game in 2024.
Exciting Additions
As impactful as the departures are for Joe Rudolph and the offensive line room, there are six incoming freshman, four of whom will be early enrollees, that bring a lot of talent an much needed depth to the room. Offensive tackle Grayson McKeough, the 6-8, 300-pound tackle, is the highest rated offensive line Notre Dame brought in on the Irish Breakdown recruiting board as well as On3/Rivals. We have McKeough rated as a 4.5 star caliber player with a 5.0 star upside grade. Interior offensive lineman Tyler Merrill is the second highest graded offensive line recruit in the class. The 6-5, 330-pound Pennsylvania native was graded a 4.0 star recruit on the IB board with a 5.0 star upside grade.
Up next is Michigan native Ben Nichols. The 6-5, 320-pound lineman was rated a 4.0 star recruit on the IB board with a 4.5 star upside grade. McKeough, Merrill and Nichols are the most likely of the six incoming freshman to make an immediate impact and potentially crack the two-deep as freshman. With that being said, don't count out Gregory Patrick, a 6-5, 275-pound recruit, and Sullivan Garvin, a 6-5, 315-pound Michigan native, from that equation. Both players were 4.0 star caliber recruits on the IB board with 4.5 star upside grades.
Finally, projected offensive tackle Charlie Thom rounds out this six-man recruiting class. The Connecticut native received a 3.5 star grade on the IB boards with a 4.5 star upside grade. He was a late addition to the 2026 recruiting class and mostly played tight end in high school. He made the switch to offensive line during his senior season and turned some heads. This is an impressive offensive line class, and one that should make an immediate impact in one way or another the moment they step foot on campus.
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