Top 25 most important Notre Dame football players of 2024: No. 6
Coming at No. 6 on Blue & Gold’s list of the top-25 most important Notre Dame football players is sophomore offensive tackle Charles Jagusah. He is the highest-ranked player who is neither an established star nor the starting quarterback, and for good reason.
Here’s why the Irish need big things from Jagusah in 2024.
Why Jagusah is No. 6
He’s the key to Notre Dame’s offensive line, and by extension the (non-quarterback) key to its offense.
When asked a question about the state of the offensive tackle position after the departure of stalwart offensive tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher, Irish head coach Marcus Freeman led with, “I feel really good about Jagusah. He’s going to be solid at that left tackle position.” It’s a belief Freeman has held since he named Jagusah Alt’s replacement on the left side shortly after bowl practice began in December. Through what was a trying and at times rocky spring, the coaching staff hasn’t wavered. His size, physicality and know-how for offensive line play all stand out at the tackle position.
If Jagusah succeeds, everything else becomes much easier for the Irish O-line. He would provide sturdy blindside protection for quarterback Riley Leonard and allow the offense to operate without concern for the gantlet of top pass-rushers it faces this season.
If he does not, the O-line becomes a legitimate weakness. That’s difficult for any team to overcome.
What a successful season would look like for Jagusah
Expecting Jagusah to replicate Alt’s play is neither realistic nor fair, particularly for someone with only one career start. It’s also not entirely fair to ask him to face Texas A&M, whose edge rushers are the strength of its team, in Week 1. Purdue transfer and reigning Big Ten sack leader Nic Scourton is a tall task for anyone.
Still, a successful season for Jagusah would certainly start with holding off Scourton and the Aggies. That’s a crucial piece of the College Station, Texas puzzle for the Irish. But the most important thing for Jagusah is consistent improvement. He should reward Notre Dame’s faith in him by being an effective, above-average — dare we say very good — left tackle by November.
Behind the top-25 most important Notre Dame football players ranking
Five voters — Tyler Horka, Kyle Kelly, Todd D. Burlage, Steve Downey and Jack Soble — were asked to rank their top-25 most important Fighting Irish ahead of the upcoming football season. Players were given 25 points for a first-place vote, 24 points for a second-place vote, and so on and so forth.
This list is not necessarily ranking the best players or the top NFL prospects; it’s the most important players. Voters considered talent, impact, place on the depth chart and positional value, but a premium is placed on these two questions: 1) If you subtracted this individual from the roster, how much of a setback would it be? And 2) If this less proven player emerges and makes an impact, how much does that raise the ceiling (or lower it, if a breakout does not happen as expected)?
Individual rankings for Jagusah
Jack Soble: No. 5
Tyler Horka: No. 6
Todd D. Burlage: No. 6
Kyle Kelly: No. 8
Steve Downey: No. 10
BGI’s Notre Dame Top 25 so far
6. Charles Jagusah (95)
7. Jack Kiser (93)
8. Jeremiyah Love (88)
9. Rylie Mills (82)
10. RJ Oben (71)
11. Kris Mitchell (64)
12. Christian Gray (49)
13. Jadarian Price (48)
14. Jaden Greathouse (47)
15. Jordan Faison (44)
16. Jaylen Sneed (42)
17. Aamil Wagner (36)
18. Ashton Craig (36)
19. Jordan Botelho (32)
20. Billy Schrauth (31)
21. Drayk Bowen (30)
22. Jordan Clark (26)
23. Rod Heard II (24)
24. Jayden Thomas (22)
25. Pat Coogan (19)
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