You’d think Notre Dame is merely at the onset of a special few years. It does feel like they’re ahead of schedule. HC Marcus Freeman has only been in his capacity for 3 years in total. His trajectory as a coach is pointed skyward. The program is well-equipped on the financial front to keep providing him with competitive rosters. When the emotions from losing Natty eventually settle, Notre Dame can take solace from their efforts to get there. However, success inevitably breeds its own problems. In a revelation that was equal parts expected and troubling, a mass exodus has ensued out of South Bend. Many key contributors are departing for greener pastures than even the leprechauns could conjure.
All three levels of the hierarchy have been breached. The front office, the coaching staff, and the players themselves. One of these exits, GM Chad Bowden, seemingly happened under some hostility. At least that’s what one Notre Dame insider discerns after Bowden’s not-so-subtle shade at Marcus Freeman. Bowden has departed to take up the same role across the country at archrivals USC with Lincoln Riley. He’ll now contend for the Jeweled Shillelagh trophy from enemy lines. No, this isn’t a “Trojan” Horse situation either. Bowden is really there for being a messiah who can help propel USC back to the upper echelons of the sport. How did they manage to pull off this coup? With all due respect, trading South Bend for LA is enticing in itself. But there’s also the small matter of the Trojans quadrupling his $250k salary to a cool $1 million.
Bowden will just have to contend with the traitor moniker he’s about to be tagged with for joining the other side of the Jeweled Shillelagh trophy. Because boy, is he going to be labeled that after he fired shots at coach Freeman during a USC presser.“[Lincoln Riley] is, as a recruiter, the best I’ve ever been around,” said Bowden. “There’s two elements of recruiting. This is the first head coach I’ve been around who evaluates prospects. So when I say recruiting, this is a guy who holistically do it all.” Sheesh. Naturally, this didn’t go down well with the Irish faithful. Insider Sean Stires reckons there’s a deeper reason behind this subliminal attack. Speaking over his “Irish Breakdown” YouTube channel, Stires dissected this very comment by Bowden.
Right off the bat, the belief was that this was a preemptive diss of Freeman. “It feels like there was maybe some kind of friction behind the scenes,” said Stires. He proceeded to lay out reasons for why he thinks this was potentially the case.“Did Chad Bowden feel like Marcus Freeman was getting too much credit for the recruiting? Did he feel like he wasn’t being given enough credit when he was here?… The fact that he flirted with Michigan last year. Got a raise out of it and a promotion to stay around. Didn’t even make it for another full year. Then he goes to Notre Dame’s biggest rival, and now, all of a sudden, he’s out there throwing darts and shade left and right at Marcus Freeman…If it wasn’t for Marcus Freeman, no one would even know who Chad Bowden is.”
Safe to say that Bowden, despite his contributions, won’t be welcomed back to South Bend. At this current juncture, the Trojans’ program is a far cry from the Fighting Irish. But Bowden has already shown he’s a top recruiter who can awaken a sleeping giant. It’s not a coincidence that Lincoln Riley currently boasts of the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for ‘26. Bowden has been getting busy on the recruiting front, even at the direct expense of Marcus Freeman. Twice, at that. This isn’t just a war of words, folks. It’s transpiring over more tangible things, too.
Chad Bowden has snagged 2 recruits from under Marcus Freeman’s nose
4-star D-lineman Simote Katoanga was trending towards the Irish for a minute. The signs pointed to Freeman getting his man, and Chad Bowden was at the crux of the process. The script has now flipped on its head, with Katoanga now a USC commit. Trojans’ insider USC J took to his “LOST IN THA SAUCE” podcast to relay how Bowden made this happen. “[Simote Katoanga] wasn’t even expected. This just kind of came out of the blue just a couple of days prior to [it] happening. So for this to even turn in USC’s favor, you got to know that this is the Chad Bowden effect,” he said.
Ahead of his final high school season, Cali-native Katoanga is transferring to Rancho Santa Margarita. Fascinatingly head-coached by USC legend Carson Palmer. Another player from the same high school is now predicted to land with coach Riley. Someone who went as far as saying, “Notre Dame was my dream school growing up,” and was offered by Marcus Freeman and Chad Bowden back in 2022. 4-star wide receiver Trent Mosley is expected by On3’s Steve Wiltfong to be a Trojan. The No. 11 WR in his class of ‘26, Mosley is an even steal from the Irish than Katoanga.
Both of Trent Mosley’s parents went to Notre Dame. His father, Emmett Mosley IV, played football for the Fighting Irish. Mother Cindy Mosley (née Daws) is a bona fide legend for the soccer program. She won the Hermann Trophy, equivalent to the Heisman in women’s collegiate soccer. Daws left South Bend as the top scorer in Notre Dame history. Yet her son won’t don the gold helmet. The aforementioned “Chad Bowden effect” is very real. Freeman reaped the rewards of it, and Riley will, going forward. The next game between these two rivals will have an extra layer of malice to it.
The post Marcus Freeman’s Potential Rift with Chad Bowden Emerges as USC GM’s Disrespectful Antic Adds to Notre Dame’s Double Blow appeared first on EssentiallySports.
