Imagine a master chef with a prized, rare ingredient capable of elevating any dish to Michelin-star status. That’s the potential of Notre Dame’s 1,824-yard offensive weapon. After watching the Buckeyes—a team that learned to master multiple recipes, even stunning Notre Dame on their way to the national title—expose weaknesses in playoff contenders, the pressure is on Marcus Freeman to finally unleash this game-changing talent. Yet, Freeman appears to be taking baby steps, keeping his star ingredient carefully measured. Will this cautious approach be the right recipe for Notre Dame’s bolder ambitions this season?
This spring has been tough on Marcus Freeman’s squad regarding injuries, with WR Micah Gilbert sidelined due to a broken hand and OL Guerby Lambert facing shoulder surgery to repair his torn labrum. But what could truly jeopardize their championship aspirations this season is the potential absence of their star RB, Jeremiyah Love, who many consider the top running back in college football heading into this year.
Love suffered a hamstring injury a week ago, keeping him off the practice field. Despite these concerns, Freeman addressed the media with an optimistic update. “J-Love had a hamstring today in practice. We took him out of practice just to be smart right there. But I don’t think it’s serious, but we’ll get a full report after he sees the docs and go from there.” Yeah, everyone’s itching to see him back out there, with folks like David Pollack even telling Freeman to hurry it up on his show. But Freeman’s response made it clear he’s playing the long game with his star.
“So our challenge is to say, okay, how many ways can we get the ball in his hands without, you know, we owe him to be able to make sure we don’t use every rep he has in his body in college, like he’s got an NFL career, and we’ve got a table of facts. How do we find ways to rotate those guys in there and get the most out of Jeremiyah but also utilize the guys we have in that room?” That’s a valid point. Given Jeremiyah Love’s history with injuries, rushing his return could lead to a more significant, long-term loss. This caution is likely why he didn’t participate in the Blue-Gold spring game.
Remember his right knee injury against USC during the regular season? While it didn’t sideline him completely, it clearly hampered his performance, evident in the Ohio State game where he gained a mere three yards on four carries and an additional five yards on two receptions. This is a scenario Marcus Freeman would undoubtedly want to avoid repeating. Despite this, he concluded the season with an impressive 1,125 rushing yards on 163 carries and 17 touchdowns.
Freeman clearly understands Love’s exceptional talent and how best to utilize it. He remarked, “J-Love is a freak, man. He is athletic. He probably would jump over top of me if I was gonna tackle him, if I went high, he would find a way to make me miss. But he’s way more athletic than I ever was.” The former linebacker further elaborated on Love’s versatility. “Again, he can also put his shoulder down and run you over like that’s the tricky part about Jeremiah, is it? If you want to go low, he’s going to jump over the top. You want to go high, he’s going to put his shoulder down over like he has so many different traits and skill sets, and then guess what, if you let him break loose, I haven’t seen somebody catch him. I mean, he’s that type of person; he has that type of speed.”
Anyway, Love’s little tweak isn’t the only headache Freeman’s got right now….
Dark cloud looms over Marcus Freeman and Co’s future
Michigan’s recruiting efforts have stalled significantly. Since late February, they haven’t secured any commitments, leaving them with a mere three pledges and a disappointing No. 40 national ranking for the 2026 class. Despite hosting numerous top prospects, they’ve failed to land them. The apparent reason? Michigan’s reluctance to openly discuss NIL compensation, offering only vague pitches and relying on tradition without specific figures or negotiations.
While this approach worked in the past, it’s no longer effective in an era where recruits demand clarity and concrete numbers—something Michigan isn’t providing. Contrast this with Notre Dame, which is aggressively pursuing commitments. They already have eleven, openly discussing NIL deals and leading with concrete numbers and detailed plans, often securing commitments on the spot.
However, a Michigan recruiting insider offers a cautionary note for Marcus Freeman’s team, stating, “Notre Dame loads up on recruits early and loses plenty of them before signing day. It’s tradition.” He further added, “The Irish were ranked ahead of Michigan at this time last year (by a lot) but finished behind U-M & outside of the Top 10. This cycle could be a repeat.”
Notre Dame loads up on recruits early and loses plenty of them before signing day. It’s tradition.
The Irish were ranked ahead of Michigan at this time last year (by a lot) but finished behind U-M & outside of the Top 10. This cycle could be a repeat… https://t.co/YmylqL2W6g pic.twitter.com/5mXjG1AD49
— “EJ Holland” (@EJHollandOn3) April 14, 2025
It’s a known trend that Notre Dame gets early verbal commitments, but a good chunk often doesn’t make it to signing day. Just in the 2025 cycle, Freeman saw seven such pledges fall through, some being mutual decisions, but the sting of QB Deuce Knight flipping to Auburn definitely hurt. So, while their current recruiting looks promising, especially right now, history suggests caution about those early commitments turning into signed letters.
Notre Dame capped off a successful recruiting weekend with commitments from three key players: 2026 offensive lineman Gregory Patrick and edge rushers Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade. Fresh off a killer Blue-Gold game, Freeman’s crew is straight-up crushing it on the recruiting trail, looking like a real powerhouse. But let’s see who’s still showing up when it actually counts.
The post Marcus Freeman Clears Stance on 1824-YD Weapon After Notre Dame HC Warned of Repeating Alarming Past ‘Tradition’ appeared first on EssentiallySports.
