There are a few truths in football that are universally accepted. One of those is that the team that wins in the trenches will likely win on the scoreboard. That may be even more true at a university that carries the moniker OLine U and depends heavily on that position group which it seemingly recruits at a higher level than other positions and at the highest levels of college football.
Heading into this season, Notre Dame had lost four long-time starters from its 2020 offensive line to the NFL. Robert Hainsey, Aaron Banks, Tommy Kraemer, and Liam Eichenberg started and were mainstays on the Notre Dame offensive line for over two years.