Where Can Notre Dame Improve Most in the 2025 Season?

Noah Wehby
May 28
3 min read

Notre Dame's 2024 team will go down in history as one of the most memorable for many fans who witnessed the unexpected run to the National Championship. With that being said, there were certainly a few areas that held the team back at crucial junctures. Let's take a look at two areas where Notre Dame can elevate their game the most.

Photo by The Irish Tribune

Passing Game

In 2024, Notre Dame's passing attack was led by Riley Leonard. Leonard was a runner, a leader, and a winner, but he was not an exceptional passer by any means. This limited the ceiling of this offense, as opposing defenses never seemed to be threatened by the prospect of Notre Dame moving the ball through the air. The 2024 wide receiver group was also unable to consistently establish themselves as a threat, which never gave Leonard many options. This combination landed Notre Dame at only 198 passing yards per game on average, placing them all the way down at 101st in the country. Even with this, Notre Dame's offense was solid, and great at times, but limited nonetheless. A large chunk of Notre Dame's offensive production came on the ground, which good defenses were able to limit.

In 2025, this is an area Notre Dame can and will have to improve upon. The offense will feature a new quarterback, whether that's CJ Carr or Kenny Minchey. Either way, they may both end up being better passers than Leonard was. If so, they will immediately improve the Irish passing attack in 2025. The other part of this is the wide receivers. In 2025, this should be improved upon as well. Notre Dame brought in Malachi Fields from Virginia, who will be an instant starter and Notre Dame's best deep threat weapon. Jaden Greathouse is coming back after he seemed to have found his stride during the playoffs. The group will also feature weapons like Jordan Faison, Micah Gilbert, and Cam Williams, underclassmen who now have more experience under their belt to pair with raw talent.

Pass Rushing

The bulk of Notre Dame's pass rushing came from their dominant interior duo of Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills. Together, they accounted for 11.5 of the team's 40 sacks. Cross was third on the team in sacks, even after missing multiple games with an injury. These two had been the anchors of Notre Dame's defense for years. The team had always relied on them to generate pressure and sacks through the interior, but with both now in the NFL, replacing that production won't be easy. It is now time for the defense to rely on new players to get after the quarterback. Last season, Notre Dame did have quality pass rushers on the edge to start the season, but by the time the season was over, injuries completely derailed the edge position.

As long as the defensive line can remain relatively injury-free, this 2025 group looks like it can be really special. Last season, Notre Dame struggled to provide consistent pressure on the edge, but that should not be the case next season. With players like Boubacar Traore, Jordan Botelho, Bryce Young, and a few others, the Irish defense should have no problem getting pressure on the quarterback. Botelho brings a lot of experience to the group, while Traore and Young bring elite length and athleticism that should make up a dynamic and productive pass rush. This group, if successful, will be able to unlock this team's ability to lock down offenses, especially when they have excellent linebackers and defensive backs behind them.