Joe Rudolph identifies Tosh Baker as replacement for Charles Jagusah

Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph has identified veteran offensive lineman Tosh Baker as a replacement for the injured Charles Jagusah.

Jagusah suffered a season ending injury in Fall Camp for the Irish, tearing a pectoral muscle during practice. That left a major gap on Notre Dame’s offensive line, as he was expected to be the team’s starting left tackle in 2024.

“I think Tosh [Baker] is our answer at the left tackle position,” Rudolph said.

Charles Jagusah is a 6-foot-7, 330-pound redshirt freshman who came to Notre Dame as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023. He was the sixth-ranked offensive tackle in that class. He also was able to play in two games last season for Notre Dame, seeing the field against Stanford and starting the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against Oregon State in place of Joe Alt.

Luckily, for Notre Dame, Tosh Baker will bring experience to the position. A four-star recruit in the 2020 cycle in his own right, Baker has been with the Irish for four full seasons. 2024 will be his fifth as a graduate student. He first saw action in 2020 and has played in a total of 37 games during his Notre Dame career. That includes four starts, two of which came in 2023.

For Joe Rudolph, it’s good to have an option like Tosh Baker to play as an injury replacement. Part of that comes down to the success Notre Dame has had on the offensive line, particularly at the left tackle position. Joe Alt, Liam Eichenberg, Mike McGlinchey, Ronnie Stanley, and Zack Martin were all at least second round picks, going back to the 2014 NFL Draft.

Rudolph wasn’t the offensive line coach that entire time. He joined the program in 2023. However, prior to that, he was an offensive coordinator or offensive line coach at three different spots since the 2012 season.

Joel Klatt ranks Notre Dame at No. 6 in preseason

Expectations are high for Notre Dame in 2024, with Joel Klatt ranking them as high as sixth in his preseason rankings

“A team that, the more I study the season, the more I watch film, the more that I get ready? I’m like, ‘You know what? This team is going to be really good.’ The more I look at it, folks, the more I’m just convinced that Notre Dame is going to be really strong,” Klatt said.

“Notre Dame is going to have a dominant defense. You know that’s going to happen under Marcus Freeman. That side of the ball? They return several star players, including The Nagurski Award winner from last year in Xavier Watts. Benjamin Morrison, Howard Cross – all back on the defensive side. Now you’re looking at this and you’re like Riley Leonard with his experience? Mike Denbrock? That defense? Well, hold on, they’re going to be pretty good.”