Notre Dame football news: The player Marcus Freeman just compared to Joe Alt
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Notre Dame football news: The player Marcus Freeman just compared to Joe Alt appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
With the Notre Dame football team earning a win over the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday, 41-13, head coach Marcus Freeman would highlight one player whom he feels resembles a star NFL offensive lineman. As the Notre Dame football program assesses its next opponent in Rice for Saturday’s matchup, he keys on one player who is similar to Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Joe Alt.
The Chargers star was drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, where he had a productive career with the Fighting Irish. To Freeman, he believes that Notre Dame offensive lineman Anthonie Knapp reminds him of Alt, especially in his mentality towards practice.
“I love Knapp Daddy, man,” Freeman said, according to the team’s official account on X, formerly Twitter. “He’s a dude, he’s a grown man. He reminds me…and here’s what he reminds me of. His mentality and approach to practice reminds me of Joe Alt. Like Joe Alt, you just look at him every day, and he was ready to practice. Like he knew what practice time was.”
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)
“The majority of guys, right? Normal guys. ‘Okay, I gotta practice. We gotta go.’ Gotta talk to yourself,” Freeman continued. “You gotta make yourself go. That’s what normal people do. Then you get your guys like Joe Alt and Knapp that love it, that know how important it is. Man, he is a heck of a football player. He’s tough, physical. I love him.”
Watch LIVE as Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman speaks to the media in the Bob Hinton Media Room ahead of our home opener vs. Rice.#GoIrishhttps://t.co/4FyOWMT64F
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 8, 2026
Knapp made his first start at left guard for the Fighting Irish in the win over Wisconsin, as it remains to be seen how his usage on the offensive line progresses, but also if he could reach the level of Alt. The junior and the Notre Dame football team look to improve for Week 2’s matchup against Rice on Saturday.
Related: Michigan Man Dave Portnoy slaps MAC Commissioner with ‘no backsies’ quip after WMU appeal decision
Related: Coach lays out the true difference between HBCU & Power Five football teams
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos