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SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame football will be without starting left tackle Anthonie Knapp in the College Football Playoff championship game against Ohio State, coach Marcus Freeman announced Sunday.
A season-long starter as a freshman, Knapp suffered a high left ankle sprain 14 snaps into the Jan. 9 win over Penn State in the Orange Bowl. Graduate senior Tosh Baker replaced him for the final 61 offensive plays and struggled to the second-lowest Pro Football Focus grade (41.5) of his career.
The 6-foot-8 Baker graded out at 40.7 in his first career start against Purdue in 2021.
Graduate senior Rocco Spindler, meanwhile, suffered a setback with his sprained right ankle and exited late in the first half after 22 snaps. Redshirt freshman Charles Jagusah, making his 2024 debut after August shoulder surgery, went the rest of the way at right guard in place of Spindler.
“We’ll see how (Spindler) progresses this week of practice,” Freeman said Sunday on a national conference call with reporters. “I know he’ll give everything he has into make sure he’s prepared.”
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With Knapp missing the title game in Atlanta, close to his hometown of Roswell, Ga., the Irish are certain to use their fourth different configuration to start a game this year on the offensive line. If Spindler is able to make his 13th straight start, Jagusah could return to left tackle, his natural position, against the Buckeyes.
That’s where Jagusah made his only career start in last year’s Sun Bowl win over Oregon State after NFL first-rounder Joe Alt opted out. Knapp’s season-ending injury means right tackle Aamil Wagner is the only remaining lineman for the Irish with a chance to start all 16 games at the same spot.
“We’ll do what’s…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/freshman-left-tackle-anthonie-knapp-212829317.html
Author : South Bend Tribune
Publish date : 2025-01-12 21:28:00
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