Notre Dame’s offensive line room is crowded with talent, but it’s also young enough that opportunities are there for the taking. For 2025 recruit Owen Strebig, that means a real shot to work his way into the two-deep if he finishes the offseason strong and keeps battling once fall camp opens.
At 6-foot-8, Strebig already brings the kind of size that turns heads. The Wisconsin native has one of the biggest frames on the roster, and Notre Dame sees a player whose physical tools could eventually make him a real factor. He appeared in just one game last season, logging one snap against Syracuse in Notre Dame’s final home game of the 2025 season, but the signs from this offseason have been encouraging.
When Strebig first arrived, the biggest question was functional strength. That was always part of the projection, and it showed up in the early evaluation of him as a recruit.
Notre Dame’s assessment described him as a massive young tackle with a frame that could carry much more weight, noting that he was listed at 6-8 and 295 pounds but could “easily get to 320+ pounds.” The same evaluation pointed to his natural punch, leg drive, smooth athleticism and elite length, while also stressing that he needed to add strength and clean up his footwork and pad level.
That development has started to show. This spring, Strebig looked more able to absorb bull rushes and carried himself with more confidence on the practice field. The growth is important because the tackle depth chart is still relatively open, and Notre Dame needs players who can step in behind the starters if called upon.
The Irish are already counting on other 2025 additions to help this season, with Will Black seemingly moving into the starting lineup at left tackle and Matty Augustine viewed as the next option at multiple spots. Strebig now has a chance to join that group and put his name into the conversation for a role.
There’s also a broader reason his path matters. Notre Dame’s offensive line is talented, but the room is inexperienced, and the team will need dependable depth behind a unit that has Joe Moore Award-level expectations. Injuries have been a factor over the last two seasons, and Strebig’s size and upside make him the kind of player who could be needed sooner than later.
The 6-8, 302-pound lineman should also see more game action this fall than he did a year ago. Notre Dame has games against Rice, Purdue, Stanford, North Carolina and Boston College on the schedule, and that should create chances for him to get more meaningful snaps late in games. There’s even the possibility that he competes for a starting job on Notre Dame’s place kicking unit.
A strong season for Strebig would mean earning a spot in the two-deep, getting his feet wet with real in-game reps and carving out a role on special teams. The talent is there for him to become an impact player at the college level, and this fall will be about turning that upside into something concrete.
In Other News...
USC Just Handed Notre Dame Fans Fresh Rivalry Ammo
USCs social media team tried to build a little preseason buzz by leaning into The Odyssey, pairing a Trojan helmet image with the line, Our Odyssey begins August 29. It was the kind of glossy, movie-reference post that usually disappears into the summer scroll, except this one landed in a rivalry ecosystem where every detail gets picked apart, especially when the branding is doing more work than the history.
Notre Dame fans were quick to pile on, turning the comments into a fresh round of mockery aimed at USCs choice of imagery and tone. The post is still up, which only keeps the jokes circulating a little longer and gives Irish fans another easy talking point whenever the rivalry starts heating back up. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Gained Serious Early Momentum With Elite 2028 Safety
Notre Dame has already put itself in the mix for one of the countrys most coveted young defensive backs, and the early signs suggest the Irish will get multiple chances to make their case in person. CJ Craig-James, a highly ranked 2028 safety from Parker, Ala., has been on the radar of major programs since Notre Dame offered him April 28, and he was back around the program in June for the Irish Invasion camp. With 45 offers already on the table, the competition is deep, but the Irish have earned a place in the conversation alongside schools such as Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and Texas A&M.
Craig-James is scheduled to return to Notre Dame twice this fall, giving the staff another shot to build on the momentum from his summer visit. One trip is tied to the Shamrock Series game at Lambeau Field on Sept. 6, and the other comes Nov. 7 for a traditional stop in South Bend when Miami visits. For a prospect this early in his recruitment, those kinds of repeated visits matter, especially when the offer sheet is already that crowded. [Read more 🡒]