Notre Dame’s early-round domination continued on Sunday as the Irish defeated the Michigan Wolverines 76-55 in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in front of the home fans at Purcell Pavillion. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Notre Dame jumped out to an early 6-0 lead as they held the Wolverines scoreless for the first 2:46. The duo of Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron helped extend the Irish advantage to 11-2 with 6:30 on the clock. Both sides went back and forth until a Citron three kick-started a 13-0 run that put the Irish in front 30-10 with under a minute remaining. Liza Karlen knocked down a mid-range jumper with two seconds left in the quarter that gave the Irish a 32-12 lead heading into the second frame. Citron, Hannah Hidalgo, and Liatu King led the Irish offense with eight points apiece in the first ten minutes.  The Wolverines punched back at the beginning of the second quarter. Michigan’s 10-2 run led by Olivia Olson in the first 5:24 of the frame cut their deficit to 34-22. The Irish woke up after this and finished the quarter on a 12-6 run thanks to a couple of stepback three-pointers from Miles and Citron. This quarter-closing run gave the Irish a 46-28 lead at the half. Michigan’s Olson led all second-quarter scorers with eight points but she was just one of three Wolverines to record a basket in the frame. The Irish received production from five scorers led by King with four points. Good shooting was the key for Notre Dame establishing their first-half lead. The Irish shot 58% from the field, 42% from three, and 100% from the free-throw line in the first twenty minutes. King, Citron, and Hidalgo all topped double-digit points in the half. Additionally, the Irish out-rebounded the visitors 19-12 in the half, leading to six second-chance points for the home squad. King led the way with seven boards. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Both offenses began the second half slow with Michigan out-scoring Notre Dame just 4-2 in the first 3:57. The Irish proceeded to go on a 12-0 run from 6:03 - 3:25 to extend their lead to 60-32. The offenses then went quiet again as Michigan closed the quarter on a 4-1 run that cut their deficit to 61-36 heading into the final quarter. Michigan’s Olson and Notre Dame’s Hidalgo and King led third-quarter scorers with four points apiece. Six different scorers hit a basket in the quarter for the Irish while Michigan received production from just three scorers. The fourth quarter opened with a Citron three-pointer and a couple of made free throws from Maddy Westbeld pushing the Irish lead to 30, 66-36, with 8:39 to play. Following a Michigan layup, Hidalgo went on a 7-0 run by herself that pushed the Irish lead to 73-38 with 6:52 on the clock. With the Irish taking their foot off the gas, Michigan closed the game on a 17-3 run led by Olson and Syla Swords to give the Irish a 76-55 second-round victory. Swords led all fourth-quarter scorers with ten points as Hidalgo paced the Irish with seven.  While the second half was not perfect, Notre Dame’s ability to score in the paint gave them the needed advantage. The Irish notched 16 points in the paint compared to eight from Michigan in the half. Notre Dame’s defense also locked in, especially in the third quarter, as they forced ten turnovers including five steals to close the game. Notre Dame is set to face the winner of TCU/Louisville in the Sweet 16 on March 29 in Birmingham.  Irish Stars Hannah Hidalgo: 21 points (8-14 FGs, 2-4 3FGs), 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, +30 Liatu King: 18 points (7-7 FGs), 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, +39 Sonia Citron: 16 points (6-12 FGs, 3-6 3FGs), 6 rebounds, +28 Key Team Stats Field Goal Percentage: ND (51%) - UM (37%) Three Point Percentage: UM (50%) - ND (33%) Free Throw Percentage: ND (78%) - UM (62%) Turnovers: UM (16) - ND (12) Steals: ND (9) - UM (5) Rebounds: ND (34) - UM (31) Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Notre Dame coaching staff has taken a lot of criticism over the past two weeks, as multiple C/O 2026 “Top Targets” chose not to commit to Notre Dame. With Notre Dame set to host many top-tier talented recruits this summer, the coaching staff and recruiting department have a big chance to redeem themselves in the eyes of the fans if they can seal the deal and convince the visiting recruits in the coming months that Notre Dame is the place they should call home.   Photo by The Irish Tribune Notre Dame is expecting a large number of top-tier talent to visit over the summer, but that didn't stop them from working hard on the 2027 class and the future. On St. Patrick's Day for the annual Pot of Gold Day, Marcus Freeman and the staff shocked Irish Fans when they offered nearly 100 class of 2027 recruits, with many highly sought-after recruits picking up offers. Among those offered were ND Legacy 5-star WR Julius Jones Jr. (son of former NDFB Alum Julius Jones). Jones is ranked by 247Sports Composite as the No. 1 overall player in the state of Florida, and the No. 1 overall player in the country. Another Legacy offer went to DL Richie Flanigan (brother of NDFB TE James Flanigan, and son of NDFB Alum Jim Flanigan) ('90-'93). Also offered was DL Alifeleti Tuihalamaka, brother of NDFB LB Junior Tuihalamaka. Other notable offers were 5-star RB Honor Fa'alave Johnson, 5-star RB Landen Williams-Callis, 5-star Edge Chris Whitehead, 5-star KJ Green, 5-star OT Maxwell Hiller, 5-star OT Jake Hildebrand, 4-star WR Monshun Sales, and 4-star Xavier Sabb.   But before a splash can be made in the 2027 class, Freeman and the staff have to focus on the task at hand with all the 2026 visits coming up in the next several months. What will it take to convince them Notre Dame is the place they should be? I spoke to multiple recruits who will be visiting Notre Dame this summer to find out what this visit means to them and what they were looking forward to the most on their visit. The most common response I got while talking to them was the building of relationships with the coaches and staff. Every recruit I talked to spoke about just how important their relationships with the coaching staff are to them, and for most, it is a deciding factor in where they will choose to play football at the next level.     C/O 2027 QB Trae Taylor “I’m really looking forward to seeing how this offense operates with a QB that is more of a passer than a runner and how I would personally fit into Notre Dame’s system. I’m hoping to talk to Coach Freeman more and start to build a relationship with him. I’m a relationship person and it will play a big role in my decision of where I play at the next level.”   C/O 2026 4-star RB DeZephen Walker   “It means a lot; it gives me and my family an opportunity to build a better relationship with the coaches and really see how the environment is when the season is over. I’m looking forward to building a closer relationship with coaches and getting a better feel for Notre Dame as a whole.”     C/O 2026 4-star TE JC Anderson   “To be able to visit Notre Dame is special to me, and for this to be an official visit means a lot to me. I’m really looking forward to meeting the players, spending time with the coaches, and having fun with the team.”      C/O 2026 4-star OT Tyler Merrill (ND Commit)  “I’m really excited to get back in June for the official visit. We have never been able to spend more than one day in South Bend or on campus, so to get to explore the area and campus a little deeper will be nice. I’m really looking forward to catching up with the other 2026 commits and the coaching staff. Hopefully, there will be some visitors that aren’t committed anywhere else yet so that we can have a positive influence on their recruitment to Notre Dame.”   C/O 2026 4-star IOL Sullivan Garvin (ND Commit)  “I’m very excited for my official visit. I get to experience my soon-to-be home for two days and get to spend time with the guys. I’m most looking forward to building better and stronger relationships with the commits, coaches, and our future targets.”     C/O 2026 4-star OT Gregory Patrick  “It means a lot to have the opportunity to visit this summer. Notre Dame has a great tradition of developing offensive linemen. Also, the culture that Coach Freeman has built in the team is evident. Notre Dame has a lot to offer besides football too with the level of academics. I’m really looking forward to spending time with the team and getting to talk to them. I’m also looking forward to hanging out with the other recruits and coaches as well.” C/O 2026 3-star QB Legend Bey  “Visiting Notre Dame this summer is a big deal to me. I can’t wait for the experience of this visit it’s a dream come true. I’m really looking forward to meeting more staff, position coaches, and Coach Freeman. I’m also looking forward to exploring the campus and starting to build relationships with the coaches.”    C/O 2026 4-star OT Evan Goodwin   “These visits are all about the details. Learning more about the offense, O-Line room, and their process. Also, I really want to dive into the academics side of it at Notre Dame. What the classes would look like and how they fit in with football.  It’s really about narrowing down where I want to be and where I fit in. I’m really looking forward to spending time with the coaches since I haven’t been able to get to know them yet. I really want to be around them more and talk to them to start to build a relationship with them.”      C/O 2026 3-star S Nick Reddish  “Feels great to take this next step into my recruitment with Notre Dame and the staff. I’m really looking for to talking more with the coaches and getting to know more about the networking and what Notre Dame offers for life after football.”    C/O 2026 4-star LB Tai'Yion King   “It really is a big deal to me to be able to visit campus again. I’ve been there a couple of times now and I just love the atmosphere there. Notre Dame just came from playing in a national championship game so to be able to visit right after that and see what it’s like to play at the highest level in the game is big for me. I’m also really excited to connect with the coaching staff again and continue to build a relationship with them.”  As you can see, the most important thing to the majority of the recruits is the relationship that is built between player and coach. Freeman has always been great about building relationships and making time for the players and their families. Will that be enough to land the top talent in the 2026 class? Only time will tell...Stay tuned. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame opened their run to a National Championship on Friday with a dominant, team-oriented 106-54 win over Stephen F. Austin at Purcell Pavilion in a first-round matchup. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics The Ladyjacks started the game hot, opening the contest with back-to-back made threes as part of an 8-2 run in the first 2:11. The Irish quickly responded with a 10-0 run led by Maddy Westbeld with six points as Notre Dame gained a 12-8 lead about halfway through the quarter. SFA was held without a made field goal from 7:49 - 0:53 as the Irish finished the first quarter doubling the Ladyjacks points, 26-13. Hannah Hidalgo led first-quarter scorers with eight points, and she received support from Liza Karlen with seven and Westbeld with six. The second quarter was more of a back-and-forth contest as both defenses played a bit stronger in this frame. Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron was the difference-maker in these ten minutes as she poured in eight points including two threes. The Ladyjacks ended the half with a buzzer-beating layup as the Irish entered the break with a 46-25 lead. One key piece to the successful first half for the Irish was their dominance in the turnover battle, forcing 13 SFA errors while committing just six turnovers themselves. Sonia Citron had three blocks while Kate Koval added another pair. In the steals department, Hidalgo found three steals while Liza Karlen also added a pair. Accordingly, the Irish led in points off turnovers 14-3 at the half. Additionally, Notre Dame also dominated the boards, out-rebounding SFA 24-14 with Hidalgo leading the way with six despite her 5-6 height.  Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off A high-scoring third quarter saw the Irish continue their domination, out-scoring SFA 32-16 in the frame. Notre Dame went on a 12-0 run from 9:23 - 7:22 led by Liatu King with six points to extend their lead to 30, 58-28. Following a pair of baskets from the Ladyjacks, the Irish responded with a 9-0 run thanks to three straight SFA turnovers which extended the lead to 67-33 with 5:17 remaining in the quarter. The rest of the frame was back-and-forth as a Westbeld hook shot with a second on the clock gave Notre Dame a 78-41 lead heading into the final quarter. Hidalgo led third-quarter scorers with 11 points as Citron contributed nine in the frame. With an 82-43 lead and 8:44 to play, the entire arena went silent as Olivia Miles lay on the court, holding her ankle. She remained down for a couple of minutes but was able to walk to the locker room under her own power. Miles would not return to this contest with the result in hand. This will be something to monitor before Sunday’s second-round game. Following the tense moments, Notre Dame went on an 8-0 run to take a 90-43 lead with 6:27 remaining. Just after the halfway point of this quarter, Notre Dame unloaded their bench. Walk-on Luci Jensen buried a three, marking her first career points, to extend the Irish lead to 98-47 with 3:58 to play. Sarah Cernugel, another walk-on, knocked down a jumper to put Notre Dame in triple digits. Bella Tehrani added her second made field goal of the season on a layup with 1:07 remaining. SFA hit a layup with 18 seconds left as Notre Dame protected their home court with a 106-54 first-round victory.  Notre Dame will host the six-seed Michigan Wolverines in a second-round matchup on Sunday.  Irish Stars Hannah Hidalgo: 24 points (11-18 FGs), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, +44 Sonia Citron: 24 points (9-16 FGs, 4-8 3FGs), 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks, +48 Liza Karlen: 13 points (6-7 FGs), 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, +39 Key Team Stats Field Goal Percentage: ND (56%) - SFA (33%) Three Point Percentage: ND (37%) - SFA (27%) Free Throw Percentage: ND (90%) - SFA (82%) Turnovers: SFA (28) - ND (11) Points Off Turnovers: ND (38) - SFA (5) Steals: ND (18) - SFA (4) Blocks: ND (9) - SFA (1) Rebounds: ND (44) - SFA (30) Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

In Part 1 of this article series, we examined the NFL careers of 20 recent Notre Dame alumni currently active in the NFL across the 2024, 2023, and 2022 draft classes. In this piece, we'll cover 8 players from the 2021 draft class and see where they've ended up and how they've panned out at the next level. Photo by The Irish Tribune 2021 Draft Class - 8 Players Robert Hainsey - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - OC/OG - Round 03: Pick 095 Hainsey was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2021 NFL draft with the 95th overall pick and signed a 4-year rookie contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He began the season far down the depth chart and out of the starting lineup but earned playing time relatively quickly by making the most of his chances. By season’s end, Hainsey had worked his way into the tackles rotation and appeared in 9 regular season games and 2 playoff matchups. If 2021 was his warm-up, 2022 was where he hit his stride. Tampa’s coaching staff was looking to shake things up along the offensive line, so they moved Hainsey from tackle to center to sure up their thinnest spot on the line. The position change thrust Hainsey into a true “prove it or lose it” situation, and he never looked back. By the end of his sophomore season, Hainsey appeared in and started all 17 of Tampa Bay’s regular season games at center and cemented his role as the offensive line’s anchor. Hainsey repeated his success in 2023, once again starting all 17 regular season games, but this time added another 2 in the playoffs.  Things changed after the 2024 draft, as Tampa Bay selected star lineman Graham Barton in the 1st round. Barton was the top prospect of Tampa’s entire draft class, which meant he’d have an inside edge on a starting lineman role that Hainsey didn't have in his rookie year, along with a higher draft stock and a bigger rookie contract. By the time the preseason came around, Barton came out on top, and Hainsey found himself on the bench after back-to-back seasons as the starter. It was a step back in his professional trajectory, but Hainsey stepped up and embraced his new role. Despite coming off the bench, Hainsey’s playing time remained substantial, and he appeared in all 17 regular season games with 1 start and 1 postseason appearance. Hainsey’s unique, nonlinear career path had helped him develop into an incredibly valuable asset to the Bucs in just 4 seasons.  It truly says something about a player that can rise from deep down the bench to a key rotational piece in their rookie year, to changing positions altogether and winning the starting job in year two, repeating that in year three, only to lose your starting spot to a rookie in your contract season, and still manage to perform at an elite level while appearing in every single game for the third straight season is remarkable. It may not have been the way Hainsey would have dreamed it up, but he has defined himself based on his work, not the situation he found himself in.  Hainsey signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason, and looks to be in a much better position to earn back a starting role on a team that could use the experience and talent along the offensive line. Ben Skowronek - Pittsburgh Steelers - WR - Round 07: Pick 249 Skowronek didn’t come off the board until the 7th round of the 2021 NFL draft, going to the Los Angeles Rams with the 249th overall pick. He signed a 4-year rookie contract and immediately got to work. Skowronek wasn’t able to nab a starting spot but found his way into the receivers rotation and appeared in 14 games by the end of the season, one of which he started. He compiled 133 yards on 11 different catches but failed to register a touchdown. The Rams would go on to finish the regular season with a 12–5 record and secured themselves a spot in the playoffs. They confidently won their first game against the Cardinals in the wildcard round, 34-11, before taking down the Buccaneers 30- 27. They then faced the 49ers in the NFC championship and won a narrow 20–17 victory before heading to Super Bowl LVI.  The Rams were able to hold off the Cincinnati Bengals 23–20. In his very first year, Skowronek not only managed to be on a team that went to the Super Bowl but won while pulling in 2 receptions for 12 yards.  Skowronek played another 14 games for the Rams in 2022, but this time started 11 games, pulling in 39 catches for 376 yards. While he didn’t have a receiving touchdown, Skowronek began taking reps at halfback and managed to score a 17-yard rushing touchdown for his first points in the league. 2023 was the first time Skowronek played in all 17 regular season games for the Rams, although this time, he didn't start any. He continued his hybrid wide receiver/fullback role but seemed to take a step back overall, only pulling in 8 receptions for 66 yards and 1 touchdown to go with 2 rushing attempts for 9 yards. Just before the start of the 2024 regular season, the Rams traded Skowronek for a 6th-round pick to the Houston Texans. The union was short-lived, as the Texans released him just over three months later before the season started. Skowronek managed to earn a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad before being called up to the active duty roster. His role expanded to rotating in at wide receiver, halfback, and fullback, but he only appeared in 10 games, with 1 start in 2024. By the end of his first season with Pittsburgh, Skowronek only mustered 5 catches for 69 yards and 0 touchdowns.  Aaron Banks - San Francisco 49ers - OG - Round 02: Pick 048 With the 48th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2021 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Irish offensive guard Aaron Banks and signed him to a four-year rookie deal worth $7.07 million. In his first season, Banks appeared in 9 games as a rotational asset but did not start any and took a major step in 2022, appearing in and starting 16/17 of the 49ers regular season games. 2023 was a slight step back as turf toe injuries kept Banks sidelined, and he finished the season with 15 games played and 14 games started. Unfortunately, 2024 was cut short for Banks, as he missed several games due to concussion and knee injuries, and he only managed to appear in 13 games, starting all of them. The 49ers made the playoffs in each of Banks' first 3 seasons but failed to make it this past year. Regardless, he’ll be heading to Wisconsin as the new offensive guard for the Packers on a comfortable 4-year $77 million contract. Nick McCloud - San Francisco 49ers - CB – CFA McCloud went unselected in the 2021 NFL draft but signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent. He was waived at the end of the summer, just before the start of the season, before being scooped up by the Cincinnati Bengals off waivers. McCloud played two games for the Bengals in 2021 but had no recordable stats and was waived shortly after. He then signed with the Buffalo Bills practice squad yet again but was waived a second time. In late August 2022, the New York Giants scooped McCloud up off waivers and changed the trajectory of his career. McCloud would go on to play 14 games for New York, starting 8 of them for a total of 43 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 7 pass deflections. McCloud would see his first postseason action with a 31–24 win over the Vikings in the wildcard round before losing to the Eagles 7–38. In those two games, McCloud compiled 3 tackles and 1 forced fumble. McCloud saw even more action at the cornerback spot in 2023, playing all 17 regular season games for the Giants but only starting three. He finished the season with 28 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 pass deflections, and 1 interception.  McCloud had cemented his spot as a starting cornerback at the Giants special “money maker“ CB/LB hybrid position. He’d been highly complimented by the Giants coaching staff for the last two seasons, but 2024 was when things started to come apart. After only four games, McCloud and his agent were contacted by New York’s front office and asked to take a pay cut from the one-year $2.98 million free agency deal he had signed in the off-season. Understandably, McCloud and his team declined, stating they wished to remain with the Giants as a starter but for the original salary negotiated. The Giants front office apparently threatened to get rid of McCloud the first chance they got, and he played five more games for them before getting released on November 5, 2024. The Giants were 2-7 when he was released and lost seven of their next eight games. Thankfully, McCloud’s exit seems to be a product of the Giants' organizational dysfunction and less about his abilities or trajectory as a starting defensive back. He was able to sign with the 49ers practice squad and was promoted to the active duty roster at the end of November 2024. Now on his second team of the year, McCloud immediately worked his way into the defensive back rotation and played an additional eight games with San Francisco before the end of the season. He finished his stint with San Francisco with 11 tackles. McCloud has had a good start to his professional career but was almost derailed by a dysfunctional organization. Whether it’s with San Francisco or somewhere else, McCloud, will find a way to get his time on the field.  Liam Eichenberg - Miami Dolphins - OG/OC - Round 02: Pick 042 The Miami Dolphins drafted Liam Eichenberg in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft with the 42nd overall pick, signing a four-year $8.01 million rookie contract with a $3.18 million signing bonus. Like so many Irish linemen before him, Eichenberg was seen as a safe and talented prospect. He earned the starting left tackle role in his rookie season, playing all 17 games with 16 starts, over 1,100 snaps, and 7 penalties.  Eichenberg moved to the left guard spot for the 2022 season but suffered an MCL spray in week eight, causing him to miss seven games. He was able to rehab quickly and make it back for Miami’s final two games, and finished the year with 10 games played and 10 starts. The Dolphins were just able to make the playoffs and lost a 31-34 heartbreaker to the Bills in the wild-card round. 2023 was a return to form for Eichenberg, playing 16 games with 12 starts, the most since his rookie season. Due to injuries on the offensive line, Eichenberg moved over to center for the first time in his professional career. While it wasn’t necessarily a seamless transition, it was proof positive that Eichenberg was not only capable of playing both the tackle and the guard but was able to hold down the center position as well.  2024 looked to be an even better year for the young offensive lineman, but he struggled mightily. While he managed to play in all 17 games and even start 14 of them, Eichenberg had a rough season and a poor overall performance, receiving an abysmal 49.7 PFF pass-blocking rating and a 58.7 run-blocking rating. It was a disappointment to both Eichenberg and the coaching staff, and all signs pointed to a mutual parting of ways. To everyone's surprise, it was recently announced that Miami would be bringing Eichenberg back on a one-year deal through the 2025 season. While partially motivated by free agency departures on the line, the Dolphins were smart enough to recognize just how versatile alignment they had despite his struggles. 2025 will be sure to be a redemption campaign for Eichenberg.  Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah - Cleveland Browns - LB - Round 02: Pick 52 Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft with the 52nd overall pick. The highly talented linebacker signed a 4-year rookie deal worth $6.47 million with a $2.06 million signing bonus. Owusu-Koramoah found a way into the linebacking rotation quickly and finished the season with 14 games played and 10 starts. If it hadn’t been for a high ankle sprain in week 6, he would’ve likely played all 17 games for the Browns. Owusu-Koramoah finished his rookie season with a solid 76 total tackles, three tackles for loss, four past deflections, two forced fumbles, and 1.5 sacks. The Browns just missed the playoffs with an 8–9 record. 2022 looked to be a breakout year for Owusu-Koramoah, but the sophomore linebacker suffered a knee sprain in week seven and a foot sprain in week 14 that sidelined him for six games. Despite this, he finished with 11 games played, and 10 games started with nearly identical numbers to the season before. He collected 70 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4 past deflections, and 2 force fumbles. With a 7–10 record, the Browns once again failed to qualify for the postseason. Owusu-Koramoah’s injury setback in 2022 disrupted what was supposed to be a big season for the developing linebacker, but he made up for it in 2023. Owusu-Koramoah played 16 games and started 13 of them, only sitting out the Browns' week 18 matchup. Now fully recovered from his injury, Owusu-Koramoah posted career highs in tackles with 101, sacks with 3.5, pass deflections with 6, interceptions with 2, tackles for loss with 20, and 1 forced fumble. This comeback season was made all the more sweet because the Browns qualified for their first playoff appearance of Owusu-Koramoah’s career and he was named to his first Pro Bowl. The Browns 11–6 record earned them a match-up with the Houston Texans in the wildcard round, but they lost 14–45. In his first playoff game, Owusu-Koramoah recorded 9 tackles and 4 tackles for loss.  Just before the start of the 2024 season, the Browns agreed to bring Owusu-Koramoah back on a 3-year $37.5 million with a $6.99 million signing bonus. The deal would keep the 25-year-old in Cleveland through the end of the 2028 season. 2024 was a particularly rough season for the Cleveland Browns, as they failed to build on the momentum of 2023 and responded with an embarrassing 3–14 record. Owusu-Koramoah was on an absolute tear through the first eight games of the season, starting all eight and on track to set a career-best in nearly every category. That was until a freak injury occurred on a routine tackle that saw Owusu-Koramoah carted off the field on a board to the hospital. There has been little information about his injury since then, but the severity of the injury has led many to question what exactly his future will be. Prior to the injury, Owusu-Koramoah had compiled 61 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 pass deflections, and 1 interception. At this moment, his potential return for the 2025 season and the status of his career as a whole are unclear. Tommy Tremble - Carolina Panthers - TE - Round 03: Pick 083 Tremble was picked up by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft with the 83rd overall pick. He signed a 4-year rookie deal worth $4.9 million with a $942,860 signing bonus. He was named a starter for the 2021 season and played in 16 games, 11 of which he started. Coming out of college, Tremble was primarily known as a vicious and imposing blocker, but he managed to pull in 20 receptions for 180 yards and 1 touchdown. The Panthers missed the playoff with a 5-12 record. 2022 was a slight improvement for Tremble, playing in all 17 of the Panther's regular season games but only starting 4 of them. His numbers were comparable across the board, with 174 yards on 19 receptions, but with a career-high 3 touchdowns. The team also improved slightly, going 7–10, but once again did not qualify for any postseason action. 2023 was statistically Tremble‘s best season yet. He played in 16/17 games, starting 8 of them and missing only 1 due to illness. He posted career highs in receptions with 30, yards with 194, and touchdowns with 3. Unfortunately, the Panthers regressed, and they finished with an embarrassing 2–15 record. The 2024 Carolina Panthers once again underwhelmed with a 5–12 final record and yet another missed postseason. Despite the team's struggles, Tremble found a way to improve individually while battling a week one hamstring injury, a week four knee injury, a week five concussion, and a week nine back injury. He finished the season with a career-low 12 games played but with 11 starts, collecting 23 receptions, a career-high 234 yards, and 2 touchdowns. While his 2024 statistics are relatively similar to those of 2023, Tremble recorded nearly identical production on nearly a third fewer games. This is an incredibly promising sign for 2025 if Tremble can remain healthy. There’s enough evidence to suspect his production will keep improving as he continues his career. Tremble recently signed a new 2-year $10.5 million salary with a $4 million signing bonus, keeping him in a Panthers uniform through the 2026 season.  Brock Wright - Detroit Lions - TE - CFA Wright was not selected in the 2021 NFL draft but was signed by the Detroit Lions as a free agent. He was promoted to the active duty roster in early November 2021 and went on to appear in the 10 remaining games, starting five of them. By the end of the season, Wright caught 12 balls for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns. It was a solid statistical performance but was made all the more impressive when considering Wright’s rookie season didn’t officially start until week seven. The Lions finished with a 3–13 – one record and did not qualify for the postseason, but it was just the beginning of Dan Campbell‘s reign.  The small sample size was enough to impress the Lions, and it was enough to sign him to a deal through the 2023 season. The Lions bet quickly paid off, and Wright appeared in all 17 games for 2022, starting 10 of them and posting career highs in receptions with 18, yards with 216, and touchdowns with four. The Lions improved significantly to 9–8 but narrowly failed to make the playoffs. 2023 was a bit of a step back for Wright. He lost the starting job to TJ Hockenson, affecting his statistics, and suffering from a bruised hip that sidelined him for three games. The step back was evident, as Wright posted just 91 yards on 14 catches for just 1 touchdown. All of this came in 14 games, with only 4 starts. Following the 2023 season, Wright became a restricted free agent and was offered a three-year $12 million contract by the San Francisco 49ers. The Lions, unwilling to lose their tight end, decided to match the offer and keep Wright in Detroit through 2026.  Thankfully, the 2024 season was a slight improvement for Wright, despite remaining the second-string tight end, now behind Sam LaPorta. Wright caught 13 balls for 100 yards and two touchdowns. While his production hasn’t been top-notch over the last two years, his sizable contract extension goes to show just how valuable he is to this team as a blocker in the trenches.  Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

When Leonard Moore stepped onto campus in South Bend for his freshman year, the three-star cornerback was not showered with the overwhelming hype that some of his peers from across the country garnered. It wouldn't take long before the country was put on notice. Photo by The Irish Tribune Ranking 42nd at his position, Moore was almost somewhat of an afterthought in Notre Dame's 2024 recruiting class, who many figured to get mostly mop-up duties in blowouts as well as special teams snaps. After Notre Dame's week 4 victory over Miami-OH, fellow cornerback Jaden Mickey decided to use his redshirt and ultimately transfer out of the program. It was then Moore's number that was called the following week to start against Louisville in place of injured starter Christian Gray. The very next week against Stanford, All-American Benjamin Morrison suffered what would end up being a season-ending injury. On the surface, the hip injury that prematurely ended Morrison's Notre Dame career would be tough for the Fighting Irish to overcome. In reality, what it did was provide the opportunity for a hungry Leonard Moore to prove that rankings are not nearly as important as the name that follows them. So what did Moore do with his opportunity? He decided to become a Freshman All-American en route to turning into one of the best young defensive backs in the entire country. Without him, Notre Dame does not go on their magical playoff run which culminated in a championship showdown with Ohio State. I want to take a look back at some plays from the course of the year that really shined a light on his potential and what he can still work on going forward. A cornerback's first job will never be run support, but when a big physical defensive back on the perimeter can help clean up on outside runs, it's only going to boost his stock. Right out of the gate as a full-time starter, Moore showed a willingness to come down and take on ball carriers one-on-one. The above clip is from the Georgia Tech game. Moore takes a step inside on the snap to follow the WR, but once he recognizes the run, he is able to get back to the outside shoulder of the running back and not give up the sideline, making the tackle in space. From the same game, this is another very impressive stop. Moore is able to take on the lead blocker who goes low on him, maintains his balance, and wraps up the running backs legs to allow very little yardage gained. Here again, Moore quickly keys run, drives on the ball carrier, and wins the leverage battle, making a textbook tackle on a very good running back. When the lights were brightest against the best competition in the country, it was business as usual for Moore. He again takes a few steps inside, but has the change of direction and acceleration to get back to the numbers, avoid a stiff arm from TreVeyon Henderson who routinely runs through cornerbacks, and makes a solid tackle. Run support is a great attribute, but no corner becomes an All-American without stellar Man to Man coverage and Moore is an absolute technician in that department. Moore does everything right here. He Maintains good leverage on the inside shoulder of the WR, allowing the sideline to be used as an extra defender. He shows excellent discipline and patience vs the double move and never allows himself to be stacked. Georgia Tech clearly calls this play thinking they would get a chance at a deep shot, but you can see the quarterback go to throw it and have to pull it back down and bail due to Moore's excellent positioning. A+ work from the freshman. Here, Georgia Tech brings the WR back and forth in motion in order to get him a free release. Moore does a good job of following without being overaggressive. Moore gets back to his spot and once the WR plants and turns, Moore drives on the ball using his off hand to bat the pass down without going through the receiver and drawing a flag. Against arguably the best WR in the country, Jeremiah Smith, Moore shows he very much belongs on the same field. Smith runs a whip route in the above clip, and Moore once again shows off his fluid change of direction when in man coverage, planting and staying on the hip of Smith when he breaks back towards the sideline. He is able to utilize his long arms and get another pass breakup. Even on this play which ends up being a completed pass, Moore does a great job of being physical at the line and getting hands on Smith. Smith gets away with a bit of a push-off at the top of the route, but because Moore was in such a good position, he is still able to recover and limit any YAC. In the tight red zone area here, Jeremiah Smith takes an inside release hoping to get Moore to commit on an in-breaking route before working back out toward the sideline. Instead, Moore stays patient in his trail technique and is step for step with Smith at the top of the route taking away one of the initial reads for Will Howard. Yes, the play ends up as a touchdown for OSU but Moore played his role to perfection. Here is an outside release up the sideline by the WR who does get an initial step on Moore, but Moore never panics and shows off some good recovery speed, and the ability to locate the ball with his back to the QB. He stays in good enough position to disrupt the catch at the point of attack. Leonard Moore also brought a level of competitive toughness as a Freshman that speaks to how high his ceiling truly is. In a bittersweet example, this is one of my favorite plays of the season by Moore. It was an early backbreaker to Notre Dame's championship outlook, but Moore flat-out showed zero quit. It was a counter play that Quinshon Judkins chose to bounce back up the middle. He was already in full gallop by the time he hit the 30-yard line with Moore being at almost a complete stop about five yards behind him. Judkins cleared the second-level defenders with Gray trying to come from his corner spot and make a play, but he did not have a great angle. Moore got on his horse and showed incredible acceleration, hawking Judkins down around the 5-yard line, and saving a touchdown on the play. It doesn't matter that the drive ended in points for OSU, Moore showed what can take a great player to elite status. As with every player that has ever touched the gridiron, mistakes will be made. Although Moore had significantly fewer errors than the normal freshman, there were still some things that he could clean up and take his game to an even higher level. There were times on his high school film that Moore would get caught peeking in the backfield even when aligned in man coverage. That reared its head on a couple of occasions during his freshman campaign. In the above clip, Moore is lined up in the slot over Emeka Egbuka. Egbuka does not get off the line of scrimmage with much urgency and runs his route almost at half speed. Moore gets a little lackadaisical because of that, and starts watching Howard's eyes. Once Egbuka feels Moore ease up, he can uncover and find a void for Howard to fit the ball into and picks up a nice gain on the play. At 6'2" and around 190 pounds, Moore is not a small corner by any means. He has the length and physical tools to be the aggressor at the line of scrimmage and thrive in press coverage. In this particular rep though, he allows Smith to bully him off the ball. He lets Smith get into his chest and knock him off balance before he can get his hands on him. The ball goes elsewhere on the play, but Smith had Moore beat and would have been an easy target for Will Howard. Moore needs to continue to work on being physical at the LOS and re-routing WRs. Biggest Offseason Focuses for Improvement Line of Scrimmage Skills - Moore proved time and time again throughout his freshman season that he can line up in the face of WRs and mirror them off the line with ease. The area I would like to see him make an even bigger jump next season is disrupting routes with improved hand usage and the timing of his jams. He has the length and strength to do so, and once he puts it together receivers will not look forward to playing Notre Dame week to week. Eye Discipline - With Chris Ash taking over as defensive coordinator, there is a chance we will see some increased zone coverage being played. Moore thrived in a system that played primarily man, but he has the ball skills and football IQ to do well as a zone defender as well. The big thing will be differentiating where his eyes are on a down-to-down basis based on the defensive call. Looking in the backfield while playing man is a recipe for disaster when playing against good route runners and speedy WRs. Leonard Moore will not be sneaking up on anyone next year, as he has already established himself as one of the next big-time cornerbacks in the nation. With plenty of experience under his belt at the highest level, and another full off-season to train, I have no doubt Moore will pick up exactly where he left off, which is giving opposing quarterbacks fits. In the ever-changing landscape of college football, one thing that is sure to ring true again in 2025, is don't throw it in Leonard Moore's direction. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Legendary Notre Dame Head Hockey Coach Jeff Jackson’s career behind the Irish bench has come to an end following a hard-fought 1-0 defeat at Michigan State in the Big Ten Semifinal on Saturday. Photo by The Irish Tribune The first period was quiet but the Spartans were silently imposing their will in the frame. Notre Dame Goalie Owen Say had an incredible first 20 minutes, tallying 17 saves, ultimately keeping the Irish in the contest. The Irish managed nine shots in the period, two of which occurred on a power play opportunity 14:51 into the frame following a Spartan cross-check. The teams took a scoreless game into the second period. The Owen Say show continued in the second frame, adding another 19 saves to his clean sheet. This period took a little more effort from Say and the Irish defense as they killed several MSU power play opportunities. Carter Slaggert picked up a hooking penalty 5:37 into the frame. Then, Hunter Strand was sent to the box for a hooking call 10:33 into the period. Luckily, this penalty was offset just seven seconds later after MSU was assessed a hooking minor themselves. 13:46 into the frame, Zach Plucinski was the third Irish player to pick up a penalty following his interference minor. Strand then added his second hooking call in eight minutes with about 1:30 to play. The Irish and Spartans headed into the final frame scoreless after forty minutes as Say's incredible performance continued. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Unfortunately, just 19 seconds into the final period, MSU converted on the power play opportunity from Strand’s hooking penalty. Isaac Howard netted one past Say to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. The rest of the period was hard fought from both sides as offense became a premium as the Spartans outshot the Irish 10-4 in the frame. Notre Dame’s inability to control the puck late did not allow the Irish to pull Say for the extra attacker until 44 seconds were remaining in the game. The Spartans hung on to their 1-0 advantage to eliminate Notre Dame from the Big Ten Tournament, ending the Irish season and Head Coach Jeff Jackson’s career.  Irish Star Owen Say: 45 saves, 1 goal against Key Team Stats: Shots: MSU (46) - ND (18) Power Play Success: MSU (1-4) - ND (0-2) Faceoffs: MSU (33) - ND (13) Blocked Shots: ND (15) - MSU (8) Notre Dame will open the 2025-26 season with Brock Sheahan ‘08 calling the shots behind the bench, making him the fifth head coach in program history. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The NFL free agency is underway, and rosters are being shaken up throughout the league. Let's take a look at where former Notre Dame players have landed to ensure fans do not miss them on Sundays. Photo by The Irish Tribune Aaron Banks: Signs with the Green Bay Packers The former Notre Dame guard has recently signed with the Packers after spending three seasons with the 49ers, including one Super Bowl appearance. Banks' new contract is representative of his skills as a player, signing a four-year deal worth $77 million. Banks is one in a long line of fantastic offensive linemen that have come through Notre Dame. Banks arrived in South Bend in 2017, but it was not until 2018 that he saw playing time. From that point on, Banks did not miss a single game, cementing himself as an integral part of the Irish offense for multiple years. With stellar play, Banks became an All-American offensive lineman, ranking as one of the very best in the country. His incredible college career was awarded when he was selected 48th overall by the 49ers. Ronnie Stanley: Resigns with the Baltimore Ravens Speaking of great Notre Dame offensive linemen, Ronnie Stanley also signed a new deal this offseason to stay with the Ravens. Stanley's deal will keep him there for the next three years, setting him up to make $60 million during that time. Stanley has spent his entire career in Baltimore, where he has had a very strong career. Throughout his nine-year career, Stanley has earned two Pro Bowl appearances and one all-pro first team selection. From 2013 to 2015, Stanley was featured in every game at Notre Dame. In 2015, he set himself apart as one of the top prospects in college football. He was awarded for this dominant season by being voted in as a consensus All-American. This led to Stanley being selected by the Ravens' 6th overall pick in the draft. Harrison Smith: Resigns with the Minnesota Vikings After speculation that he might retire, Harrison Smith has signed a new extension that will keep him with the Vikings for at least one more year. The deal ensures that Smith will be playing in his 14th season with the Vikings, giving him a chance to reach the 200 game mark. Smith has been a staple in the NFL for over a decade now, as one of the best safeties the game has to offer. During his long career, he has been selected to six Pro Bowl games, and one first team All-Pro. Before the Vikings, Smith also flourished during his time at Notre Dame. At Notre Dame, he played in every game for three seasons, where he logged 219 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 18 pass breakups, and seven interceptions (all coming in his senior year). The Vikings then selected him with the 29th pick in 2012. Liam Eichenberg: Resigns with the Miami Dolphins Liam Eichenberg's pro career has been difficult to say the least, but he has signed a one-year deal to stay in Miami. The Dolphins selected him in the second round with high hopes that he could be a valuable addition to their offensive line. Instead, his four-year career has featured multiple position changes, with Eichenberg seemingly struggling to find a fit at any position. This extension does show that the Dolphins still have faith that his career can turn around, fulfilling the high expectations when he was drafted. Before his struggles in the NFL, Eichenberg was a very important and impactful player at Notre Dame from 2017 to 2021. Eichenberg played only five games as a freshman, but played in every game from that point on. His strong play earned him a spot on the All-American first team in his senior year. That year, he was a part of the Notre Dame team that played their way to the playoff semifinals against Alabama. Jerry Tillery: Signs with the Kansas City Chiefs Jerry Tillery's most recent deal lands him with the Chiefs, the fourth team he has played on since his arrival to the NFL. The deal only keeps Tillery in Kansas City for one year, so Tillery will have a lot to prove this upcoming season. In 2019, Tillery was drafted in the first round by the Chargers, where he spent the next four seasons. After those four seasons, Tillery moved on to Las Vegas to play for the Raiders but struggled to make a real impact on the field. Last season, he played for the Vikings, seeing the field in every game of the season. Now, he signs with the Chiefs to play alongside the league's best, Chris Jones. Before his time in the pros, Tillery was a physical and dominant force in Notre Dame's defense. Not only was Tillery productive at Notre Dame, he was also incredibly dependable. Tillery played in every game of the season starting in his freshman year, going all the way to the last game of his senior year. Within that timespan, he recorded 135 tackles, four forced fumbles, 13.5 sacks, and 24.5 tackles for loss. Durham Smythe: Signs with the Chicago Bears After seven years with the Miami Dolphins, Durham Smythe makes his first move in his career to the Chicago Bears to play for their new head coach, Ben Johnson. Smythe has been a consistent and dependable tight end for his entire career with the Dolphins. Smythe is seen more as a backup tight end and has been for most of his career. Now, in Chicago, he will be backing up another former Fighting Irish, Cole Kmet. At Notre Dame, Smythe's stats are not draw-dropping or anything like that. What it did show was him playing the same role he plays in the NFL at a high level. Smythe was used as a second tight end and an effective blocker at Notre Dame, where he brought in 28 receptions for 381 yards and six touchdowns. After his college career, he was selected in the fourth round by the Miami Dolphins. Spencer Shrader: Signs with the Indianapolis Colts The former Notre Dame kicker had an interesting rookie year in 2024, playing for three teams in four games. In 2024, Shrader kicked for the Colts, the New York Jets, and the Kansas City Chiefs. Although Shrader was only used as a replacement kicker, he took advantage of the opportunities he got, going 5/5 on field goals and 9/9 on extra points. That strong tape was surely part of the reason Shrader was able to land a deal this offseason. Notre Dame's kickers have mostly been made up of transfers in recent memory, one of them being Spencer Shrader. In his one season at Notre Dame, Shrader struggled some, only making 15 out of his 22 attempts. With that being said, Shrader seems to be finding his footing in the NFL with a chance to win a starting position going into the 2025 season. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

After dropping two-straight one-goal contests to No. 1 Maryland and No. 9 Ohio State, the No. 8-ranked Notre Dame men's lacrosse team bounced back in a major way Saturday in Ann Arbor. Led by the stellar play of Chris Kavanagh and shutdown net-minding by goalie Thomas Ricciardelli, the Irish returned to their winning ways with a much-needed road victory. Photo by University of Notre Dame Athletics Looking for the program's seventh win in eight tries all-time against Michigan, the Irish started hot Saturday afternoon, controlling possession and the tempo of the contest right from the opening face off. The visiting Golden Domers registered three of the first four goals of the game en route to grabbing a comfortable lead through the first 15 minutes of play. Will Angrick's eighth of the season began the scoring for the Irish one minute in, and even though the Wolverines would respond two minutes later to even the affair at 1-1, the Irish offense was simply too much for a Michigan defensive unit that struggled to keep the blue and white out of the offensive zone. From the 10:41 mark of the first period to the 8:46 mark in the second, Notre Dame reeled off six unanswered goals -- including two apiece from Devon McLane (fifth and sixth of the season) and Kavanagh (16th and 17th) -- to take a commanding 7-1 advantage. Though the home squad would grab two straight goals shorty after from Jack Jenkins and Nick Roode, CK's third goal of the game with 3:06 remaining in the half helped the Irish take an 8-3 lead into the break. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. The Wolverines opened the second half by picking up the first goal to pull within 8-4, but shortly after, the Irish began their best stretch of play on the season. Jake Taylor's second goal of the game at 7:05 in the third quarter began a run of nine straight scores for the Irish, an offensive blitz that extended well into the fourth quarter. Tallies from Max Busenkell (fifth of the season), Jordan Faison (sixth), Jalen Seymour (sixth), Matt Jeffrey (first), Will Maheras (fifth), and Brock Behrman (second), along with additional goals by Angrick and Kavanagh, enabled ND to blow the game wide open. With less than 10 minutes remaining, the two-time defending national champions found themselves comfortably in control, 17-4. Notre Dame would add to its total down the stretch en route to picking up an impressive 19-7 victory, and, more importantly, bringing an end to its aforementioned two-game skid. In the win, Ricciardelli stopped 10 of the 16 shots he faced, while Will Lynch was dominant in the circle, collecting 13 of the 16 face-offs he took on the day. The Irish also outshot the Wolverines, 48-30, including 29-19 in shots on goal. What’s Next for the Irish? Notre Dame will host No. 7-ranked Duke at Arlotta Stadium on Saturday, March 29. The game will begin at 1 p.m. ET with coverage anchored by ESPNU. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Rob Hunt provided a plethora of injury updates that will dictate the outlook of spring practice for the Fighting Irish. Art by The Irish Tribune Head football athletic trainer Rob Hunt gave an update about the availability of Notre Dame's roster for upcoming spring practices. With the elongated college football season that had the Fighting Irish playing from August to mid-January, the training and recovery process is something that will be a work-in-progress. Many starters last year who played numerous snaps will be on somewhat of a "pitch count", in which they will be taking reps and participating without being a full-go. This list of players includes: Adon Shuler, Aamil Wagner, Bryce Young, Christian Gray, Drayk Bowen, Jaden Greathouse, Jaylen Sneed, Josh Burnham and Leonard Moore. There are players that will have "modified activity" which includes: Anthonie Knapp, Will Pauling, and Billy Schrauth. The notable players that are out for spring are: Jordan Botelho, Ashton Craig, Cooper Flanagan, Boubacar Traore, and Jalen Stroman. While all the returning players from the Fighting Irish's team last year were expected, the Virginia Tech transfer, Stroman, still recovering from his clavicle injury from last season opens some doors for new players to step-in. Amid these injuries and limited snaps, let's look for some players to stand out during spring practice. Safeties: Luke Talich and Kennedy Urlacher With Stroman's injury taking the transfer portal acquisition out of spring ball entirely, the Irish will have an open competition to see who can play alongside Adon Shuler next season. Even with Shuler on limited snaps during spring, safeties Luke Talich and Kennedy Urlacher are primed to make a move up the depth chart. Being stuck behind All-American Xavier Watts and Shuler last year, Talich and Urlacher didn't receive many playing opportunities; yet, when they did get their chance, both players made the most of it. Talich's shining moment from last season was his 79-yard pick six against Florida State that put the cherry on top of a 52-3 rout of the Seminoles. Urlacher's greatest moments came against Purdue last season, as the true freshman was flying across the field and demonstrating his freakish athletic ability. With the safety position basically being vacant during spring practice, I'd expect these two players to distinguish themselves in the prime opportunity. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Wide Receivers: Cam Williams and Micah Gilbert The next two prospects that have an opportunity to etch their way into playing time are Cam Williams and Micah Gilbert. Let's start with Williams, who was the higher rated prospect in the class of 2024, but saw a harder time adjusting to the college level. With Will Pauling limited during spring ball due to a right fifth metatarsal injury and Jordan Faison playing on the lacrosse team, Williams has an opportunity to get increased snaps during the spring. In a similar manner, UVA transfer Malachi Fields is coming during the summer which leaves the boundary receiver position wide open. Insert Micah Gilbert. Gilbert has shown flashes of greatness, especially last spring as an early enrollee as he was the leading receiving in Notre Dame's Blue-Gold game. He also saw playing time this season and demonstrated the ability to create separation in his sparing minutes. With both young receivers showing immense promise and the receiving room being stretched thin, Williams and Gilbert have the chance to prove they are reliable options come next season. Offensive Lineman: Guerby Lambert Marcus Freeman always states that the strength and identity of Notre Dame football starts in the trenches. There is no better example of unit strength than the Irish's offensive line. Even with the departures of Pat Coogan, Sam Pendleton, and Rocco Spindler, the Irish are primed to have a Joe Moore Award caliber offensive line next season. The only question is: What will the line look like? Will Charles Jagusah remain at left tackle as he was intended to last season? Will he move inside to guard where he was the highest ranked player on the offensive line in the Orange Bowl game against Penn State? Joe Rudolph has all spring and summer camp to figure out the answer. In my opinion, there are three locks for the offensive line as it stands right now. Wagner, Jagusah, and Schrauth are all Day One prospects for the NFL Draft. They will be 3/5 of your starting line. Now, it's a numbers game. How will Ashton Craig come back from his knee injury? Will Anthonie Knapp seamlessly transition into the interior offensive line? The biggest question mark lies within the development of Guerby Lambert. Lambert, from a physical sense, looks to be the next "great" in the offensive line room. Could he have so impressive of a spring that the coaches cannot deny but give him the opportunity? That is the biggest question. If so, then you have Jagusah transitioning into a guard, and then have Knapp and Craig fight for the center position. The Fighting Irish have an embarrassment of riches along the line, and it should be interesting to see how the positions play out. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Fighting Irish Men’s Basketball season has come to a close after a 76-56 defeat in the ACC Tournament Second Round at the hands of North Carolina. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics It appeared Notre Dame’s tank had run out following three-straight wins by one possession to begin this game with the Tar Heels. Less than five minutes into the contest, UNC held a 17-5 lead after Jae’lyn Withers knocked down his third three-pointer of the half. After a pair of free throws and another three-pointer, UNC extended their lead to 14, 22-8, with 10:46 left in the half. Notre Dame cut the deficit in half with a 7-0 run led by Markus Burton with 8:54 on the clock, bringing the score to 22-15. From 7:43-2:58, the Tar Heels got hot and went on a 16-3 run, giving the opposition a 41-20 lead. Withers and former Notre Dame player, Ven-Allen Lubin, combined for 12 of the Tar Heels' points on this game-defining run. The Irish were able to close the half on a 9-2 run, including a last-second three from Matt Allocco, to cut the UNC lead to 43-29 at the break. Withers led all first-half scorers with 15 points on 5-6 shooting from three. Allocco paced the Irish offense with nine points on 3-4 shooting from deep. Tae Davis also contributed seven points for the Irish in 18 minutes played. The Tar Heels found their rhythm early, shooting 9-17 from three to help balloon their 14-point halftime lead.  Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off The second half was more of the same as UNC made it clear they would not give up their lead. A 5-0 run led by Lubin pushed the Tar Heels' lead to 48-31, 1:35 into the half. Both teams traded baskets as the Irish could not string together a run, until a Nikita Konstantynovskyi layup with 6:39 remaining made the score 65-47. A 6-0 run from UNC pushed their lead to a game-high 24 points, 71-47, with 3:57 to play. The Irish played hard the final few minutes but were all out of gas as they saw their season end in a 76-56 defeat in the ACC Tournament Second Round.  Lubin led all second-half scorers with nine points on 4-7 shooting from the field as seven different Tar Heels got on the board during the frame. Burton led the Irish offense with six points in 16 minutes played as eight different Notre Dame players recorded a point in the half as the benches were emptied before the final whistle. Fortunately for the Irish, UNC’s three-ball cooled off in the second half, however, they still shot 50% from the field as they outpaced Notre Dame all game. This loss concludes Notre Dame’s season (15-18) as they look ahead to year three of the Micah Shrewsberry era featuring a seat that may be getting warm. Irish Stars: Markus Burton: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals Nikita Konstantynovskyi: 8 points (4-6 FGs), 9 rebounds, 20 minutes played Key Team Stats: Field Goal Percentage: UNC (48%) - ND (32%) Three Point Percentage: UNC (46%) - ND (30%) Free Throw Percentage: ND (59%) - UNC (58%) Turnovers: UNC (8) - ND (6) Rebounds: UNC (42) - ND (34) Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame men’s basketball picked up a win over the Pittsburgh Panthers on Tuesday, 55-54. Following a game against California on Mar. 8 that went into four overtimes and saw 222 total points between the two teams, the Irish came out victorious in a slugfest with the Panthers and will now turn their attention to the North Carolina Tar Heels on Wednesday. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics   The Irish will need sophomore guard Markus Burton to be more secure with the ball in his hands against North Carolina, who scores the second most points in the ACC, with the Tar Heels averaging 81.7 points per game.   Burton averaged 2.7 turnovers per game on the season and had six against the Panthers. It was the third time this season that Burton has turned the ball over six times in a game and the ninth time this season he has had four or more. One of those nine games came against the Tar Heels on Jan. 4, a game that the Irish lost at home on a four-point play from sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau. Tae Davis, a junior forward who led the Irish in scoring against the Panthers with 11 points on 3-10 shooting, must assert himself on the interior at a higher level than he did in the first round of the ACC Tournament. While he iced the game with a free throw with 0.5 seconds remaining on the clock, Notre Dame will need Davis to knock down more shots at the rim.   While the two leading scorers for the Irish were less than great in round one, going a combined 7-24 from the field, Notre Dame saw key performances from two seniors in Matt Allocco and Nikita Konstantynovskyi.   Allocco, a guard playing in his first power four conference tournament, knocked down three of the Irish’s four shots from deep as they finished 4-20 as a team. His nine points and five rebounds, coupled with forward Konstantynovskyi’s 10 points and nine rebounds, were pivotal in Notre Dame moving on. Konstantynovskyi and Allocco are going to be pivotal for the Irish offense which isn’t going to get away with scoring 55 points again against the Tar Heels, who went 20-12 this past season.   North Carolina is led by the third all-time leading scorer in ACC history, fifth-year senior RJ Davis. While he has seen a dip in his scoring, Davis is still averaging 17.3 PPG on 40.5% shooting. He finished with 20 points on 7-15 from the field against Duke in the Tar Heels final game of the regular season on Mar. 8, while knocking down four threes, the second most of Davis’s season. Much like Pittsburgh’s Jaland Lowe, Davis is going to take a lot of shots, averaging 13.7 on the season. Ian Jackson, a freshman guard from the Bronx, has been dynamite in his first season in Chapel Hill, averaging 13.3 PPG on an impressive 47.9% clip. He will be their top shooter from outside, with Jackson knocking down five threes on three separate occasions this season, most recently against Virginia Tech on Mar. 4 where he finished with 19 points on 6-10 shooting. He’s averaging 4.4 threes per game outside, and is the only player on the Tar Heel roster averaging at least two threes per game and shooting over 40% from outside, as Jackson is just over that mark at 40.9%.   Junior guard Seth Trimble is second on North Carolina in minutes per game with 29.2 and has been the glue guy on defense. He leads the team in steals per game with 1.4 and has six in his last three games. Trimble can also be pesky down low averaging 5.2 rebounds per game and has been in double digits three times this season. The Irish must emphasize keeping the Tar Heels out of the paint to ensure they only get one chance per possession.   Should they pull off an upset just 142 miles away from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Irish will take on Wake Forest on Thursday. The game against the Tar Heels will tip off at 2:30 p.m. and will be broadcast ESPN from Charlotte, North Carolina. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame’s season will live on for, at least, one more day as they sent home Pitt on Tuesday in a 55-54 victory that came down to the very last second.  Photo via Notre Dame Athletics The Irish owned the first ten minutes of the game, holding a ten-point lead with 9:49 remaining in the half. Notre Dame opened the contest on a 6-0 run led by Nikita Konstantynovskyi and held the Panthers scoreless for the first 3:35. After a Konstantynovskyi hookshot extended the Irish lead to ten, 20-10, Pitt finished the half on a 12-5 run to cut their deficit to 25-22 at halftime. No one scored in the final two minutes of this half as Notre Dame maintained their advantage. Pitt’s Jaland Lowe led all first-half scorers with nine points. The Irish were paced by Konstantynovskyi and Matt Allocco, who each contributed six points in the half.  The first twenty minutes were a tough watch as both teams struggled offensively. They each shot well under 40% from the field and 20% from three in the half. Notre Dame’s ability to out-rebound the Panthers, led by the duo of Konstantynovskyi and Allocco, and secure those second-chance points were keys to their first-half lead. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Notre Dame and Pitt traded baskets in the first three minutes out of the break, with a Konstantynovskyi layup extending the Irish lead to 31-26. Pitt then compiled a 6-0 run from a trio of Panthers to put them on top 32-31 with 14:06 on the clock. Pitt’s Zack Austin one-upped a Markus Burton layup with a three to give the Panthers a two-point, 35-33, lead with 13:21 remaining. Following a Sir Mohammed layup that tied the game up, Pitt scored four unanswered to push their lead to four, 39-35 with 10:50 to play. Following some back-and-forth, the Irish found four unanswered points of their own, tying the game at 41 with 8:33 left in the half. Following another pair of traded baskets, Pitt’s Lowe went on a 4-0 run, again pushing the Panthers lead back to four, 47-43, with 3:54 to play. The Irish responded with a 5-0 run to retake the lead, 48-47, with 2:52 left. Both sides then traded some points before Pitt’s Brandin Cummings buried a three with 1:09 remaining to put the Panthers up 54-52. With 49 seconds left, Konstantynovskyi tapped in his own miss to re-tie the game. With the ball and a tie game in the last possession, Burton missed a pull-up jumper but Tae Davis found the offensive rebound and was fouled on the put-back attempt with under one second remaining. At the line, Davis knocked down the game-winner to secure the Irish’s 55-54 ACC Tournament First Round win.  In the second half, Pitt’s Cameron Corhen led all scorers with 10 points on 5-5 shooting from the field. Davis led the Irish offense with nine points in the half, including the game-winning free throw. Burton struggled from the field but still contributed eight points in the half. Both teams shot better in this half compared to the first, but it was clear the deep-ball was not falling today, with the sides combining 3-14 from three in the second half. The Irish’s dominance in the paint was again a key in this half as they outrebounded the Panthers once more.  Irish Stars: Tae Davis: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal Nikita Konstantynovskyi: 10 points (4-4 FGs, 2-2 FTs), 9 rebounds, 1 block Markus Burton: 10 points (2-2 FTs), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals Julian Roper II: 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, +6 Key Team Stats: Field Goal Percentage: ND (40%) - Pitt (36%) Three Point Percentage: ND (20%) - Pitt (18%) Free Throw Percentage: ND (90%) - Pitt (89%) Turnovers: ND (17) - Pitt (11) Rebounds: ND (37) - Pitt (31) Notre Dame’s ACC Tournament journey continues Wednesday against the five-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels at 2:30 local time. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun