Every season, there's a player on the roster that becomes very polarizing by a faction of the fan base. Last season, it was cornerback Christian Gray . This season it's right guard Sullivan Absher. Some believe that he's just a placeholder until other players return to health while others believe he's the right guy for the job.
Here's what we know, as a unit, this offensive line looks better when No. 75 is in the starting lineup next to right tackle Guerby Lambert who worked alongside Absher for the duration of the offseason. The 6-7, 325-pound guard has grown in his four starts this season and is building off the foundation he laid in the final five games of 2025.
"From the outside, it does seem like the highest of highs, lowest of lows," Absher shared. "On the inside, it did feel like that at times. You come back, and you take a step back, and you're like, 'This isn't going to change the work I'm going to put in. This isn't going to take away from my love for this university, my love for this team.' You put that all aside, and you just flush it, and you go out and 'Leave No Doubt' that you can't be left off the field."
It wasn't until the second half against Wisconsin that Absher made his 2026 debut and there was an immediate turnaround in offensive line play, especially on the ground. After rushing for only 29 yards in the first half against the Badgers, the Irish gained 82 yards in the second half. The Wisconsin season opener is not a game Absher is going to forget any time soon.
"It was awesome to get a chance, and to capitalize on that chance," Absher explained. "I think I brought the appropriate energy and the appropriate intent to the second-half game plan that we were going with. I was just so proud of our team, so proud of our quarterback, so proud of our running back, so proud of our defense, for putting our heel on the ground in that second half, and we finally got things rolling on offense. It was really proud to see."
The run game is an improvement the entire unit needs to work on, but pass protection on the other hand has been a relative strength of this offensive line, including Absher. Through four games this season, they've done a great job of keeping CJ Carr 's jersey clean. They rank 4th in the country in sacks allowed.
"I think it all starts mentally," Absher said when asked about the key to protecting Carr. "Half the battle is believing that you can do it. Bringing the fight to them is something that we've really been working on as a pass-protecting unit, and I think we need to display that more. When we get our hands up and put hands on guys early, it's a different ballgame."
When entering the starting lineup, we never assumed Absher would be a player that would contend for the Outland Trophy, awarded to the best interior lineman in college football. But we knew he could do a darn good job at right guard alongside Lambert and center Ashton Craig . His growth and development has been fun to watch over the last two seasons and his performance on Saturday will go a long way in dictating the margin of victory for the Irish.
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