The Natty must still be haunting the Notre Dame head coach, Marcus Freeman, in his dreams. After all, it slipped away from the Fighting Irish’s hands at the most crucial moment. However, Freeman is likely to write a fresh story. The plot is in the making in such a way that it has a sweet ending, unlike the last time. And what better way to achieve the sweet ending than having a rock-solid roster? Turns out that Freeman and Co. have already started to take the baby steps. The result? A big glow up for Notre Dame in the On3 Industry Recruiting Rankings. After all, they are just a step away from hitting a nonuple jackpot. Maybe Freeman’s gang needed this boost. That’s because their running back, Jeremiyah Love, ushered in some bad news.
Already, things are extra tough for Notre Dame. They run as an independent program without the safe shelter of any conference. However, in the 2024 season, the fire of hope was burning bright as they got a place to fight for the National Championship title. But maybe the universe had some other plans. While Freeman was still coping with the loss, the players added to his woes by jumping into the transfer portal. The Fighting Irish lost players like Pat Coogan, Deion Colzie, and Jayden Thomas, among others. But Freeman refuses to brood in the past and has already started to build his new castle. His latest win came with landing a commitment from four-star edge rusher Ebenezer Ewetade. And VOILA! Notre Dame shot up to No. 9 in the On3 Industry Recruiting Rankings.
The chase was no cakewalk as Freeman had to beat bigwig frontrunners like Alabama and Georgia, along with a couple of others. Even after this, Notre Dame refuses to hit the ‘SETTLE’ button. They are on their way to hitting a nonuple jackpot of nine heavyweight recruits. It’s decision week for Charlotte (NC) Myers Park five-star Rodney Dunham Jr. The No.3 edge rusher in the nation has a bunch of suitors- Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia. However, the Fighting Irish have been trending since a visit last month. Freeman and Co. had hosted On300 tight end Evan Jacobson and 4-star receiver Bubba Frazier. In both cases, things are leaning toward Notre Dame more. If you think that’s all that Notre Dame has got on their cart, then buckle up; there is a long way to go when it comes to Freeman’s to-do list!
Notre Dame is at the top for blue-chip safety Joey O’Brien. Now it’s going to be a tough chase. After all, O’Brien has been going on a visit spree with stops at Penn State for the spring game, along with Oregon, Clemson, Michigan, Tennessee, and a couple of others. While Michigan battles for Forney (Texas) High four-star running back Javian Osborne, Freeman’s Notre Dame is in the front to land the player. Things are also trending in Fighting Irish’s favor when it comes to Charlotte (NC) Independence safety Nick Reddish. Wait, the list is not yet over!
After losing two key receivers to the portal, Notre Dame aims to get more electric in the receiver room. They are now looking forward to winning four-star receiver Brayden Robinson’s commitment. And how could we miss the NFL legacy recruit, 4-star Kaydon Finley? He is the son of Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley and is eyeing Notre Dame as his next home. The commitment date for 4-star defensive lineman Tiki Hola is May 10. As he makes a visit this weekend (April 12 -13), Freeman and Co. looks to be strong. While the Fighting Irish devote their attention to the recruiting race, something else must be bothering them.
Injury bug bites Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame hard
Spring season, as usual, ramped up the excitement of the college football fans. For the Notre Dame fans, they are grateful towards head coach Freeman. When coaches like Ryan Day and Matt Rhule thought of tapping into a protective mode by canceling spring games, Notre Dame stood firm in their decision to play the spring games. But will Freeman now regret it? Maybe. After all, the primary goal of the practice has been to stay healthy as a team. Sadly, the Fighting Irish never had much luck in that area. They lost wide receiver Micah Gilbert to a broken hand and offensive lineman Guerby Lambert to a shoulder injury. Well, that was not enough.
Injury Gods thought of sprinkling some blessings on Freeman’s star running back Jeremiyah Love, who will enter the 2025 season arguably as college football’s best running back. He did witness some highs in 2024, coming up with 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns. But this season ushered in some woes. Love suffered a hamstring injury that took him out of April 5’s practice for Notre Dame.
During the post-spring game practice, Marcus Freeman did address the issue with a heavy heart. “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.” Now, will Marcus Freeman be extra-cautious about Love for the rest of the spring camp? Or will he go with the flow, soaking in the fever of big recruiting wins?
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