It takes a lot for a head coach to trust a true-freshman left tackle as the starter, but that is exactly the case for Notre Dame’s [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthonie Knapp[/autotag].
The Georgia native arrived on campus without much fanfare, but quickly made a name for himself. Following his first career start in a hostile environment in Texas A&M, Knapp graded out very well by Pro Football Focus’ metrics.
What’s more impressive is his mindset. You have to have a great one to be successful early at any school, but that’s not all. You have to have a coach that instills confidence in you, which Knapp explained Freeman does.
“He’s more than a coach. He’s just so electric. Having someone like that in your corner saying they believe in you, makes us want to run through a brick wall.”
Freshman offensive lineman Anthonie Knapp on Marcus Freeman being fired up pregame to get ND’s young O-line ready to go pic.twitter.com/mM3gFyBA2d
— Angelo Di Carlo (@angdicarlo) September 3, 2024
The term players-coach certainly applies to Freeman, who has done a great job getting the most out of his team. Previously the results hadn’t been the best, but that tide looks to be turning in 2024.
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