It’s been a familiar journey for Ashton Craig.
The 6-foot-5, 315-pounder has suffered ACL injuries in each of the last two years, but the last nine months have been different than the first time Craig went through the process.
Craig will be the first to tell you the rehab process has its dark moments, but this time he knew exactly what to expect.
“It's just more of like a gut punch,” stated Craig. “It's like, ‘Dang, you made that full recovery the first time and it comes around the second time.’
“I feel like I had a sense of calmness with it. I know I've been through this before and I feel comfortable with what to expect and how to handle it.”
Beyond the physical hurdles, the last nine months have been about finding a better way to approach rehab while continuing to develop as a player and leader.
“It was mainly just finding a better way to go through my recovery,” said Craig. “If that's doing extra stuff like cold tubs or whatever. I was also trying to help as much as I could for the guys who were playing while I was watching. It was just a mixture of both. Just trying to better my best and better the guys around me as well.”
That leadership has made Craig the head of Notre Dame’s offensive line room, a role he takes great pride in.
“I definitely feel like I bring a sense of leadership and a voice to that group on the offensive line,” Craig explained. “I bring some physicality as well. It's just that I have a sense of calmness with the guys around me. I feel like I'm a big leader for that group up front.”
Offensive line coach Joe Rudolph also believes Craig has become the tip of the spear for his unit.
Rudolph watched Craig work his way back from another serious injury, but he also saw him find creative ways to lead and challenge the room while he was unable to play.
“I think the guys see how hard he works because he's in the weight room with them,” Rudolph stated. “He's doing all those things. I think they know where his mindset is, how committed he is, his understanding of everything. They look to him for like, ‘Hey, what's the call here? What would you do here? How would you set this up?’ He's great with that. He has the voice of the room.”
Notre Dame isn’t overloading Craig despite the fact that he’s fully cleared. The Indiana native expects to be ready for week one and the Fighting Irish defensive line is helping him get there.
There’s no easing into competitive periods when Notre Dame has one of the most talented defensive lines in the country. That means Craig has seen plenty of Francis Brewu.
“Francis is a freak,” said Craig. “He's a super strong human. It's rare to see a guy that strong and he plays athletic. For him, it's just like he's twitchy, he's super strong and it's just hard to stay on blocks against that guy.”
It’s not just Craig who benefits from those practice reps. The entire offensive line has embraced the daily competition against Charlie Partridge’s deep defensive line rotation.
The goal is to get better every day and that competition could help lead the Irish toward a higher level of execution than they showed in 2025.
“I think we'll be more physical this year,” Craig said. “I feel like we've gotten stronger this offseason. I think that's starting to show out on the field.”
If Notre Dame’s offensive line reaches its full potential, the Joe Moore Award will certainly be within reach.
Craig believes this is a group capable of getting there, but the focus remains on the process rather than the accolades.
“Our goal as a unit is to play five as one and reach our full potential,” said Craig. “We're going to do that each and every day, whatever that takes. If that's the Joe Moore award, then it's the Joe Moore award. But each and every day, we're literally just trying to better our best and do whatever it takes.”
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