Notre Dame football's secret weapon for a dominant o-line in 2024?

As the Notre Dame football team prepares for the 2024 season, some questions are more important than others. Who will be the starting running back? Can Riley Leonard stay healthy? Will the offensive line be better than it was in 2023?

This last question will depend on the ability of a handful of actors to defend themselves. Others must step up their efforts and perform better in 2024. Tosh Baker falls into the latter category. Fortunately, there are signs that he is ready to make improvements.

Baker will almost certainly be called upon to intervene in the wake of Blake Fisher currently being drafted. In place of Fisher at right tackle, Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman has not officially named a starter, but Baker has taken most of the first-team reps in the spring training.

One of the reasons Baker is considered a likely starter at right tackle is the way he performed in very specific situations last season.

Baker produced a Pro Football Focus pass blocking effectiveness evaluation of 97.6 in 2023. He has allowed 2 pressures, including a quarterback hit, in 41 pass protection opportunities.

As PFF describes it, pass blocking efficiency is a “signature stat measuring pressure allowed for each snap, with weighting toward sacks allowed.” Baker wasn't credited with a sack allowed last season, so his was relatively high. He ranked second at Notre Dame among tackles, behind Alt (99.1) and just ahead of Fisher (97.4).

The caveat is that Baker's numbers and grade were due to very limited playing time.

However, some fear that Baker will face challenges in his new role. During spring practice, coaches and reporters observed that Baker moved out of his stance too slowly to handle Notre Dame's faster rushers. This led to constant pressure on the edge, a key factor in the defense's effective pass rush during the “jersey” scrimmage. and the Bleu-Or game.

The performance of the Notre Dame football program's offensive line is a crucial factor in the team's success. Although the question of improvement may not be answered immediately, if it is not resolved by the time they play their first match of the seasonthe team could face significant challenges.