
Notre Dame transfer Rocco Spindler makes PFF College First Team Preseason All-Big Ten
The Notre Dame transfer joins Nebraska after spending four seasons with the Fighting Irish. He played in 40 games for Notre Dame at right guard, starting in 23 of them.
Spindler got his first chance of action during his freshman season in 2021, playing in two games before redshirting. He then played in 12 games as a sophomore in 2022, before earning the starting role in 2023. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound lineman got 10 starts in 2023, helping the Fighting Irish rank second in school history in scoring and yards per play.
His performance on the Notre Dame helped him become a 2023 Joe Moore Award Semifinalist. Spindler then started the final 13 games of the 2024 season, guiding Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff championship game.
Before joining the Fighting Irish, Spindler emerged from Clarkson High School in Michigan with a four-star rating and ESPN tabbing him as the nation's No. 1 offensive guard.
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