Notre Dame’s fall camp has been somewhat quiet when it comes to players making bold moves up the depth chart.
The football program’s decision to limit local media access is one reason for that, as the only full-practice reporters were present was the first day of camp, when the Irish weren’t wearing pads.
Make no mistake, though, players have made moves and found roles over the past 3.5 weeks of practice.
That said, Notre Dame returns a plethora of talent on both sides of the ball, so there likely aren’t many surprises coming when the depth chart for Wisconsin is released.
Junior receiver Matt Jeffery is one name to watch after offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock made sure to highlight the former walk-on.
Notre Dame has a clear top four at wide receiver in Jordan Faison, Micah Gilbert, Mylan Graham and Jaden Greathouse, but Jeffery is fighting with several others for a spot in the next wave.
“I think there's another young, talented lacrosse player I would throw in that mix as well,” Denbrock stated. “Matt [Jeffery] has been incredible in fall camp and really has stepped into the discussion with all those other four guys. To be honest with you, his consistency and the way he's played and the toughness that he brings have been really, really good.”
A year ago, Jeffery carved out a role primarily as a blocker, similar to the role Deion Colzie played in 2024. Notre Dame ran the ball on 21 of the 26 plays Jeffery was on the field, but that could change this season if he finds himself in the rotation more consistently.
“He's twitchy, he's athletic, can get in and out of his breaks, has shown really solid hands, hasn't dropped many balls,” explained Denbrock. “He has just been really, really consistent with his play and has kind of put himself in a position to be in the rotation at some point.”
Another receiver to watch as the season develops is freshman Bubba Frazier.
At the moment, Frazier has Greathouse and Graham ahead of him, but it appears there could be a role for the speedster as the season progresses.
Notre Dame has already seen Frazier’s big-play ability. The next step for the Georgia native is learning to play with more consistency.
“I like Bubba,” Denbrock stated. “I think he’s done a really nice job. Consistency-wise, he’s just got to continue to come along. He flashes. I think everybody saw the highlight of his little touchdown and all that kind of stuf, then he drops a hitch route. Those things have got to continue to kind of come along.”
While the receiver room has a couple of players pushing for expanded roles, the right guard position could be the biggest question mark when Notre Dame releases its first depth chart of the season Monday afternoon.
The Irish could have Sullivan Absher, Ashton Craig, Joe Otting or Styles Prescod listed as the starter, but it also wouldn’t be surprising to see “or” listed multiple times at the position.
Prescod is the latest player to get work at right guard after spending his first two seasons primarily at tackle.
The 6-foot-6, 304-pounder worked at guard during Notre Dame’s final scrimmage of fall camp, and the tape impressed the coaching staff.
“We’ve got a number of guys we're taking a look at in there,” Denbrock stated. “Styles is one of those guys. We put him in there in the scrimmage last Friday and saw some really natural things happen from him in there.
“We're going to keep trying to figure out what the best combination is up front. But Styles is definitely in the mix to become one of the five that goes out there.”
It’s an opportunity Prescod has patiently waited for during his time on campus.
An injury slowed him down in 2024, but the Indiana native played 89 snaps as a reserve tackle last season.
Notre Dame believes Prescod is the No. 2 at both tackle positions, but if he can take the right guard job, it could provide the Irish with a way to get their best five offensive linemen on the field.
“He's come a long way with his maturity about his approach to every practice and the consistency that he's been playing with,” said Denbrock. “He's been outstanding at tackle and has earned an opportunity to showcase whether he could be one of the first five guys in there or not.
“He's probably, at this point, a clear backup at either one of the tackle positions. But there's opportunity at other places. We've got to give him an opportunity to see whether he can handle the workload or whether we've got to go in another direction. He's earned that by his play.”
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