Notre Dame Football: 5 players who must step up in 2018

1. The majority of the offensive line

With the Irish transitioning from one of the most experienced lines to one with significantly less experience, it was hard to pick just one player who needs to step up in 2018. As it stands right now, the Irish will likely be starting three players with less than a year of experience. While both Robert Hainsey and Tommy Kraemer played all last season, they split snaps at the same position.

Hainsey, a sophomore, and Kraemer, a junior, split time at right tackle last season as neither was able to solely claim the position for himself. Additionally, junior Liam Eichenberg figures to put in some time at one of the tackle positions, most likely left. However, it’s still likely that all three players function as starters at some point next season.

With only two returning full-time starters, the Irish will need at least two of these guys to step up in a big way next season. Hainsey and Eichenberg will each need to prove that they can handle an entire position on their own, while Kraemer will need to make the successful switch from tackle to guard.

Next: Game by Game predictions for Notre Dame in 2018

With three different players potentially moving to three new positions, offensive line coach Jeff Quinn will have a lot on his hands when considering this year’s depth chart. However, there is still a significant amount of talent available on the bench as this is one of the team’s deepest position groups. Notre Dame has all the right pieces, but must find a way to put them in the right spots.