Notre Dame football: Tosh Baker to start Sun Bowl at right tackle

Ten days after freshman Charles Jagusah was named the likely starter at left tackle to replace the departed junior OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame has named a replacement for Alt’s counterpart, fellow junior Blake Fisher. Interim offensive coordinator Gino Guidugli confirmed that senior Tosh Baker will start at right tackle in the Sun Bowl at 2 p.m. ET on Dec. 29 in El Paso, Texas.

Baker, who backed up Alt and Fisher throughout the regular season but started one game as a blocking tight end, beat out sophomore Aamil Wagner. Guidugli explained that Baker practiced better entering game week, so he earned the starting gig.

“Both of those guys did a good job,” Guidugli said. “I think we’ve got good depth there. It was the attention to detail. [Offensive line] coach [Joe] Rudolph does a great job with them. At the end of the day, Tosh had a better week of preparation leading up to the game.”

Baker was the No. 94 recruit and No. 10 offensive tackle 2020 out of Phoenix Pinnacle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He played 186 snaps in 2021 but eventually lost the starting left tackle job to Alt. That season, Baker allowed 8 pressures and 3 sacks in 104 opportunities and was given a 45.3 Pro Football Focus offense grade.

In limited reps in 2023, Baker didn’t perform much better. He allowed 2 pressures in 18 opportunities and totaled a 43.1 PFF offense grade.

Baker and Wagner were the primary backup tackles throughout the regular season, but Jagusah quietly surpassed them both.

“Jags is just a huge human being and moves really well for his size,” Guidugli said. “And on top of that, the guy is a true freshman and you teach him, he reps it, he knows it, and he can go execute it. His ability to take information and be able to apply it to the field and make adjustments on the fly is what’s going to make him special.”

Junior guard Pat Coogan, sophomore center Ashton Craig and sophomore guard Billy Schrauth will start, from left to right, between Jagusah and Baker in El Paso. Coogan is the only Notre Dame offensive player who started every regular-season game and remains with the team in bowl season. Craig started the final two games in place of the injured Zeke Correll, who then transferred to North Carolina State. Schrauth did the same, replacing the injured junior guard Rocco Spindler (knee).

While many — this writer included — assumed the Irish would acquire a transfer offensive tackle over the offseason, they have not yet done that. Whether they go to the portal for offensive line help between the Sun Bowl and spring camp could depend a great deal on Baker’s performance in Notre Dame’s final matchup.