No stranger to tight matchups throughout the history of their rivalry, Notre Dame and Maryland met Saturday in Atlanta in a battle that captured the attention of lacrosse fans across the country. A rematch of last season's national title bout, both top-ranked Notre Dame and No. 2 Maryland brought their best, as a slug fest developed right out of the gates. Photo by University of Notre Dame Athletics Looking to begin the 2025 campaign a perfect four-for-four, the Irish (3-0 overall), used an aggressive wave of speed to push the Terrapins (4-0) back on their heels in the early going. Only 80 seconds into the contest -- which was played at Bobby Dodd Stadium, home of the University of Georgia Tech's football team -- Jake Taylor started the scoring for the two-time defending national champions. Left on an island, the graduate student sent a quick-release, behind-the-back rocket between the pipes, putting the Irish up 1-0. Taylor, who registered two goals on four shots in last season's national title win over Maryland, entered the day with 10 goals on 19 shots this season. Looking to keep the tempo rolling, the white and gold fired off another score 43 seconds later when Chris Kavanagh buried a top-shelf beauty past Terps keeper Logan McNaney. Kavanagh's 10th of the season had the Irish up a quick 2-0. With the Irish leading 3-1 following Jordan Faison's second goal of the season, the Terps -- who have relied heavily on a defensive unit that has surrendered just over seven goals per game this season -- went to work on the offensive end late in the first half. After tying the game at three, Maryland's Daniel Kelly gave the black and red its first lead of the game by beating beat Irish netminder Thomas Ricciardelli with a dart between the legs. With 6:50 left in the half, Maryland led, 4-3. Not to be outdone, however, Taylor answered back for the Irish off a pretty feed from junior Max Busenkell with an even six minutes left before break. Moments later, Notre Dame would take back the lead, this time with Busenkell sending one in goal. Off an incredible feed from Will Angrick, who was in a seated position after getting blasted to the ground, the Garnet Valley, PA, native put the Irish out ahead, 5-4, a lead they'd take into halftime. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. While the first half bout, at least from a scoring edge, might have gone to the Irish, the second half belonged to the Terrapins. A string of three-straight goals, capped by Kelly's second of the game, put the four-time NCAA champions up 7-5 with just over four minutes remaining in a third quarter that was completely dominated by the Terps. Leading 8-6 through three frames, Maryland continued its confident play into the fourth quarter. Even after an acrobatic and physical goal by Kavanagh brought Notre Dame back to within a goal at 8-7 early in the fourth, the Terps -- who entered the game having lost their past three matchups in this series -- kept the physicality at a high level. Forcing the Irish into uncharacteristic turnovers throughout the game, the 2022 national champs stretched their lead to 10-7 with under 10 minutes to go in the game. Goals by Braden Erksa and Eric Spanos, coupled with the incredible play of McNaney in net, had the Terps in control of a game against an Irish team that had averaged 19 goals per game prior to the showdown in Atlanta. But as history as shown, the Irish don't go down quietly. With 6:53 remaining, Kavanagh popped in his third of the day to bring ND back to within two at 10-8. Moments later, the senior found the back of the net one more time, absorbing a blow and forcing a late-hit penalty on Maryland in the process, as Notre Dame had visions of knotting up the contest. Despite the sudden surge by the Irish, however, the Terps were able to settle back into their comfort zone at the six-minute mark of the fourth. Kelly's third of the game, this time off an assist by Jack McDonald, put his side out in front 11-9. The final 90 seconds of action was what you'd expect in a battle between the nation's two best teams. Faison's second of the game brought the Irish to within one at 11-10 with under 1:30 to go, and after yet another FO win by Will Lynch, the Irish had a late opportunity to even things up. With Kavanagh looking for his fifth goal of the game, the superstar senior had a great look, went low on goal, but was turned aside by McNaney. The graduate student's 16th save of the day was his biggest, as it sealed UMD's 11-10 triumph. The 11-10 loss for Notre Dame (3-1) was the first defeat over its last 18 games (regular and postseason combined) and first in the last four against Maryland (5-0). What’s Next for the Irish?   Notre Dame welcomes No. 17 Ohio State to Arlotta Stadium for a 2 p.m. ET start next Saturday, March 8 before traveling to Ann Arbor for a date with Michigan on March 15. The Irish hold a 16-5 all-time record against the Buckeyes, and a 6-1 mark against the Wolverines. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Notre Dame basketball week is already under way with its 15-point loss to Clemson Wednesday night. The Irish were without two of their top four scorers, as sophomore guard Braeden Shrewsberry is out for the season and senior guard Matt Allocco was also injured. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Despite the lopsided scoreboard, the Irish fought hard against the Tigers and never went away until the buzzer sounded. Sophomore guard Markus Burton finished with 30 points, five assists and four rebounds, while also knocking down two of his four attempted threes. While the expectations were already high for Burton, they rise even more with the loss of Shrewsberry for the season as Notre Dame travels to Wake Forest for its final road game of the season. They enter riding a two-game losing streak, with the most recent coming at home against Virginia. Now with just three games remaining, the Demon Deacons are sitting at 19-9 and hungry for a tournament appearance.   Wake Forest is led by senior guard Hunter Sallis, who has scored 20 or more points in four of his last five games. He’s now averaging 18.6 points per game on 47.3% shooting, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists.   Sallis’ right-hand man, senior guard Cam Hildreth from Worthing, England, is experiencing one of the hottest stretches of his career. He’s scored 20 or more points in five of Wake Forest’s last six games and is shooting 52.6% from three during that same span.   In the post, it will be senior forward Tre’Von Spillers who stands at 6’7” and is averaging 10.1 PPG with 7.7 RPG. The Deacons haven’t gotten the production out of Spillers during this two-game skid, as he’s shooting just 7-18 from the field while shooting 53.4% on the season. Should Wake Forest play through the month of March, Spillers is going to need to have big performances as the season concludes, starting against Notre Dame.   It was heartbreak for the Notre Dame women’s team this past Sunday, as the Irish traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina for their first loss since Nov. 30 to the hands of the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics They had won 19 straight games and were off to the best start in ACC play in nearly 10 years. Notre Dame is now ranked third in the country and will play its final two games in Purcell Pavilion against No. 24 Florida State and No. 25 Louisville, who has already suffered a loss to the Irish this season back on Feb. 2. Following back-to-back losses, Florida State has won three straight games including a ranked road win over Georgia Tech on Sunday. This was good enough to catapult the Seminoles into the top 25 as they stand at 22-6 and tied with Duke and Louisville for the fourth spot in the ACC.   The Seminoles have the highest scoring offense in the ACC averaging 89.4 PPG, but give up the second most points in the conference at 71.2 per game. That high-scoring offense is led by Ta’Niya Latson, a junior guard averaging the most points in the country with 26.2 PPG on 47.6% shooting, along with 4.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Latson has seven games this season where she’s scored 30 or more points, including a 40-point performance against Virginia Tech on Jan. 2. She has also scored 20 or more points in her last eight games, and 11 of her last 12.   Latson has missed the last three games for Florida State but is expected to go on Thursday against the Irish, giving us a matchup between the top two scorers in the nation.   With Latson out, senior forward Makayla Timpson has stepped up for the Seminoles, averaging 20.3 PPG over her last three games. Standing at 6’2”, Timpson is averaging 10.6 RPG on the season and has 14 games with 10 or more rebounds, including 16 against Georgia Tech on Sunday.   The combo of Latson and Timpson is going to give the Irish headaches, but ensuring you get out on shooters like O’Mariah Gordon is just as important. While Gordon has missed the last two games and is not confirmed to be playing, she did score 34 points in her most recent action against Miami on Feb. 16. Gordon is shooting 39.6% from three-point land and is averaging 3.7 attempts per game.   To win the ACC outright, the Irish are going to have to take care of business first against Florida State and then Louisville on Sunday in the regular season finale. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off The Irish already knocked off Louisville earlier in February as the Cardinals responded with four straight wins including two against ranked opponents on the road, and one ranked opponent at home. Following a home loss to No. 9 North Carolina, the Cardinals will take on Clemson on Thursday before traveling to South Bend for a date with the Irish on Sunday.   Louisville prides itself on defense, giving up an average of 67.9 PPG, however, that was not the case as Notre Dame scored 89 points and won by 18 in the first meeting. Tajianna Roberts, the 5’10” freshman phenom, had 17 points against the Irish and is averaging 15 PPG in her last seven games.   Senior forward Olivia Cochran, who is averaging 10.1 PPG on the season, was the second leading scorer for the Cardinals in their first matchup, finishing with 14 points on 6-11 shooting. Despite the solid performance against Notre Dame, Cochran is shooting just 9-28 in her last three games, averaging 9 PPG in that same timeframe.   The Cardinals will also look to senior Jayda Curry who has been in double figures in four straight games, averaging 19.5 PPG during that stretch. Against the Irish, she was scrappy on defense collecting a season-high five steals in her 26 minutes of action. She will put up plenty of shots, as the 5’6” guard is averaging 10.3 shots per game in her last three games.   While Notre Dame still sits atop of the ACC after the loss to North Carolina State, the Irish do not have an easy path to a conference championship. A high-power offense on Thursday followed by a scrappy defense on Sunday to close out the season is a daunting task. It will be a matter of grit and toughness for Notre Dame, especially on their home court.   The game against Florida State will tip off at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on the ACC Network. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

When Mike Brown was named the wide receiver coach before the 2024 season, he took over a position group that had become much maligned in the eyes of Notre Dame fans. Photo by The Irish Tribune For too long, it felt as if the Fighting Irish struggled to consistently have difference-makers on the outside, with extraneous factors such as coaching and consistent quarterback play also contributing to big vertical plays becoming a dormant part of the offense. In addition to the hiring of Brown, Notre Dame dipped into the transfer portal for some fresh faces in hopes of turning things around. Beaux Collins, Kris Mitchell, and Jayden Harrison all came to South Bend for their senior seasons, joining Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse who had both flashed potential in their freshman campaigns with the Irish the prior year. In Brown's first go as the leader of that group, the numbers do not jump off the paper, but it is undeniable that his wide receiver room showed up in some of the biggest moments of the season. There is more improvement to be made, but the groundwork laid in 2024 was the first step in returning Notre Dame's WRs to major threat status. Let's look at where the film shows some of the biggest jumps were made. Release: The ability to fight through contact at the line and quickly accelerate and stem. Beaux Collins takes a bit of a hesitation release here, which throws off the timing of the jam by the defensive back. Collins is able to quickly get a step on the corner and sell the vertical route which forces the defender to start to bail. Collins then sinks his hips and breaks off for a comeback creating plenty of separation. Staying in the same game versus Stanford, Kris Mitchell is facing press man from right outside the five-yard line. He does a great job of taking a fake jab step outside to win on his inside release, leading to an inaccurate jam by the DB, only being able to make contact on Mitchell's outside shoulder. Mitchell quickly stems his route and creates the space needed to secure the touchdown grab on the slant. In the Orange Bowl, Jaden Greathouse made one of the most memorable catches in Notre Dame history, and it was due to his initial release. After motioning Jordan Faison down, Greathouse is given a great deal of space to work with on his release. He uses his shiftiness at the line and takes a hard step inside which gets the DB off balance to the point that when Greathouse gets vertical towards the numbers, the cornerback is on the ground and there is nothing but green grass in front of him. This play is also a great example of YAC (Yards After Catch) as Greathouse is able to stop on a dime which allows the safety to go right past him so that he can take it the rest of the way to the house. Contested Catching: Showing concentration and the ability to catch through contact. Beaux Collins set the tone for the season with this catch vs Texas A&M in week one. The cornerback for A&M does a good job of staying in phase with Collins and never lets him create separation on the back shoulder throw. Collins is still able to adjust his frame and go up with strong hands to grab the ball with the DB draped all over him. He shows good body control, making sure to get a foot down and control the catch through the ground. It was a big-time play in a hostile environment and you can see the emotion from Collins after the play. Greathouse's touchdown in the Orange Bowl will be the play engraved in everyone's memory but this reception to set up the game-winning field goal was just as crucial. Greathouse shows good courage/concentration in this moment. Penn State decided to bring an all-out blitz on third down and play man behind it. Greathouse working from the slot, finds a soft spot to sit down right between two defenders. The cornerback flashes in the passing lane at the last second and gets a hand up but Greathouse is able to highpoint the ball and look it into his hands and does not worry about absorbing contact from the safety on the back end. It picks up a critical first down and helps set up the Mitch Jeter kick that sent the Irish to the National Championship. In the Championship itself, Greathouse continued his playoff hot streak and showed another case of being able to grab a contested ball when the stakes are high. During Notre Dame's furious comeback attempt late in the fourth quarter, Greathouse ran a slot fade for a touchdown. Greathouse was never able to fully stack the DB so it was a very tight window for Riley Leonard to drop it into. Greathouse fought through the early contact from the corner that drew a flag, tracked the ball over his shoulder, and brought it in with one hand with the corner hanging off of him. You will not find many better examples of a receiver making a contested catch than this one, and Greathouse could be due for a huge season next year. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Hands: Showing Dexterity, Concentration, and Ball Tracking Skills The most basic but important trait of being a successful wide receiver is having good hands. There are two examples on opposite ends of the spectrum that highlight this trait from this past year. Jayden Harrison is the point man of the bunch formation here and runs a corner route versus a Cover 2 look by FSU. Riley Leonard puts a little extra air on the pass and Harrison has to go up and high point the ball near the sideline. He does an excellent job of adjusting his frame and tracking, and although this is an inconspicuous play in a lower-stakes moment, it speaks to the different things every player brought to the position this past season. Where Harrison went high, Jordan Faison went low in the above play. Leonard is never able to step into his throw because of the contact by the defender so the pass is left woefully short. Faison maintains concentration while going to the ground, and gets his hands underneath the ball, ensuring there is no movement and no chance for the refs to call an incomplete pass. Faison had an outstanding playoff debut and this may have been his most impressive catch. Route Running/Awareness: The ability to win 1 on 1 matchups by getting in and out of breaks quickly with proper depth and leverages, as well as displaying the ability to find a void and settle when playing against Zone Coverage. Faison is 1 on 1 on the outside here and makes the most of his opportunity. He quickly eats up the cushion versus the off coverage without drifting towards the numbers which gives him more space to work with. Faison runs a textbook post-corner route, selling the post with a couple of hard steps inside, forcing the corner to flip his hips and commit. Once that happens, Faison shifts his weight back outside without breaking stride and gets his head around. The pass was delivered a little late and was a tad underthrown but Faison created so much separation on his initial break that it was still a relatively easy touchdown for him. We have seen Faison win against man, and here he is showing excellent feel against zone. With a defender dropping underneath Faison when he comes out of his break, Faison subtly begins to slide and uncover himself while keeping his eyes on Leonard who is rolling out at this point. He finds a soft area to sit down and Leonard is able to find him for the first down. Plays like this show the processing ability of Faison and what makes him such a reliable receiver. Above is another example of good awareness and understanding. Stanford runs a cornerback blitz, so the safety rotates over to fill the void left by the blitzer. Once Collins recognizes the safety bailing he knows it is nothing but open space and takes off vertically up the seam. The underneath defender that is supposed to take Collins has no chance as Collins blows by him off the line and it results in a huge gain that probably should have been a touchdown but Collins had to slow down and wait for the ball. Heading into 2025, wide receiver finally feels like a position to be excited about again. It feels like Jaden Greathouse is on the verge of a breakout season and Jordan Faison is as reliable as it gets from the slot position. Notre Dame went back to the portal and picked up Malachi Fields from Virginia who has back-to-back seasons of 800+ yards with less than stellar QB play, and Will Pauling from Wisconsin who is looking to get back to his 2023 form. In addition, one would assume that the change in quarterback in 2025 will lead to a more receiver-friendly offense. Riley Leonard will go down in Notre Dame history for helping lead Notre Dame to their first title appearance since 2012, but the use of his legs was such a focal point of the offense that the passing game at times took a back seat. If Mike Brown can continue to cultivate the talent he has at his disposal, then now would be a good time to buy stock in the Notre Dame passing attack for 2025 and beyond. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

With Notre Dame‘s playoff run and national championship appearance in the rearview, eight Irish players were invited to the NFL draft combine, and even more look to find their way onto a professional roster. As we await draft night, let’s take a look at the Notre Dame alumni currently active in the NFL. Photo by The Irish Tribune Notre Dame’s NFL footprint is among the biggest in college football. The Irish have 46 players across 11 draft classes and on 23 different teams. This article will cover the 2024, 2023, and 2022 draft classes, with part II covering the remaining players. 2024 Draft Class - 10 Players Joe Alt - Los Angeles Chargers - OT - Round 01: Pick 005 Alt was the highest draft pick for the Irish in 2024, going 5th overall to the LA Chargers. The high draft spot secured Alt a comfortable 4-year - $33.2 million rookie contract. He started 16/17 games and finished the season ranked 4th in pass blocking with a 94% win rate. Alt held down the RT spot for most of the season and is projected to stay one of the anchors of LA’s front five next season. Alt has already lived up to his draft spot and has established himself as one of the best young linemen in the league.  Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Blake Fisher - Houston Texans - OT - Round 02: Pick 059 Fisher was the ninth offensive tackle off the board in the 2024 draft, going to the Houston Texans in the second round with the 59th overall pick. Fisher didn’t play until week four, and after an injury to Tytus Howard, earned the starting spot against the Buffalo Bills. He had a solid start and played again the following week, getting the majority of snaps through weeks nine and 10, and finished the season strong, playing the last four games straight. Fisher made a noticeable impact in his rookie year, and as of the 2024 off-season, he is slated to be the Texans starting right tackle for 2025 alongside former Notre Dame lineman Jarrett Patterson. Marist Liufau - Dallas Cowboys - LB - Round 03: Pick 087 Liufau was drafted in the third round with the 87th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys. He quickly lived up to his high draft stock with a stellar rookie season that cemented him as a mainstay in the Cowboys linebacker room. He appeared in all 17 of the Cowboys' regular season games and racked up an impressive 50 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. Liufau has made an instant impact and will likely become a full-time starter before his rookie contract is up. Cam Hart - Los Angeles Chargers - CB - Round 05: Pick 140 Hart was drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Chargers with the 140th overall pick. He had a solid rookie season, appearing in 14 of LA’s 17 regular season games and an appearance in the AFC wildcard game against the Houston Texans. By season’s end, Hart had racked up 37 tackles, 0.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and 7 pass deflections. As of right now, Hart is second on the depth chart for the left CB slot.  JD Bertrand - Atlanta Falcons - ILB - 2024 - Round 05: Pick 143 Bertrand was drafted in the 5th round with the 143rd overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons. It was a homecoming for the ATL native, and he got to work quickly. Bertrand played the first eight games of the season before sustaining a concussion during the Falcons’ late October win over the Bucs, forcing him to miss the next four games. Thankfully, he was able to play the remaining five games to close out the regular season and finished with 23 tackles and 1 sack. He spent the majority of the season in a 2nd string backup role but maintained sizable rotation minutes before and after his injury. It looks like Bertrand will be a regular rotation piece in Atlanta’s linebacker core and should earn more playing time as 2025 goes on.  Audric Estime - Denver Broncos - RB - Round 05: Pick 147 Estime went to the Denver Broncos with the 147th overall pick in the 5th round of the 2024 NFL draft. He arrived at a loaded running backs room filled with Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Tyler Badie, all looking to earn reps in the backfield. Estime made his first NFL appearance in the season opener against the Seahawks after playing all the preseason games. Unfortunately, he sustained an ankle injury and was sidelined for the next four weeks. He made his next appearance against the Los Angeles Chargers and finished the season with 13 appearances. In those games, he collected 310 yards for 2 touchdowns and 5 receptions for 27 yards. Estime had a solid rookie season and solidified himself as the third-string running back behind Williams and McLaughlin. Despite having significantly fewer carries, Estime put up more impressive numbers when adjusted for snaps than the 1st or 2nd string backs, beginning discussions about who should be the starter. As of the 2024 off-season, Estime should be no lower than 3rd string on the depth chart and could very possibly vie for the 2nd string spot. Javontae Jean-Baptiste - Washington Commanders - DE - Round 07: Pick 222 Baptiste was drafted by the Washington Commanders late in the seventh round with the 222nd overall pick. He was signed to a traditional four-year rookie contract and had a solid first year with the team. He appeared in 12 games, starting just one, and secured his first and only career sack in week three. Javontae suffered an ankle injury in October but was reactivated for play in late November. He appeared in all three of the Commanders' postseason games, their wins over Tampa Bay and Detroit, and their loss to Philly in the NFC championship. Baptiste may only have a year under his belt, but he’s already contributing to a playoff team. He could carve out a nice career for himself in Washington before the end of his rookie contract. Spencer Shrader - Kansas City Chiefs - PK - CFA Shrader has had an interesting start to his NFL career and has covered quite a bit of ground. He went undrafted in 2024 but signed as a free agent to the Indianapolis Colts. He was waived in the off-season but signed to their practice squad before the season started. He made his first NFL appearance in week one against the Houston Texans, where he went 3/3 on extra point attempts. He was ultimately released in October before signing with the New York Jets practice squad. Shrader was called up once again, and this time, he made his Jets debut against the Arizona Cardinals, where he went 2/2 on field goals.  The Kansas City Chiefs lost starting kicker Harrison Butker and signed Shrader in November 2024. He made his Chiefs debut against the Buffalo Bills, where he went 3/3 on extra points before making his mark with a stellar performance in November against the Carolina Panthers. Shrader nailed 3/3 extra points and 3/3 field goals, including a game-winner as time expired. The following week, he was placed on injury reserve and did not make an appearance in the Super Bowl. Thomas Harper - Las Vegas Raiders - S - 2024 - CFA Harper wasn’t selected in the 2024 draft, but was picked up in free agency by the Los Angeles Chargers. He hung in on the Rams practice squad until his release in August but was picked up off waivers the following day by the Las Vegas Raiders. It was a stroke of luck for Harper, as the change of scenery earned him a spot in the rotation. He’d go on to play 15/17 games for the Raiders in 2024 and recorded 26 tackles, 0.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, two pass deflections, and 1 interception. It remains to be seen how Harper will fit into the 2025 Raiders, but it's a good sign that he was able to carve out a place for himself in just one season. Sam Hartman - Washington Commanders - QB -  FA Hartman went undrafted in 2024 but signed with the Washington Commanders as a free agent before the season began. Washington eventually waived Hartman, and he joined their practice squad but was promoted to the active roster after an injury to Marcus Mariota in September. The Commanders waived Hartman again, and he rejoined the practice squad before formally signing a future/reserve contract with Washington in July 2025. Hartman hasn’t seen the field yet, but depending on how the QB situation works out, he may or may not have a spot in 2025. 2023 Draft Class - 6 Players Michael Mayer - Las Vegas Raiders - TE - Round 02: Pick 035 Mayer was high across all the draft boards and was the 3rd overall TE picked, going to the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2nd round with the 35th overall pick. Mayer split reps with Austin Hooper and put up a quiet 27 catches for 304 yards and 2 touchdowns in just 14 games amidst a strange QB situation. 2024 was Mayer’s shot at the starting spot, but the Raiders drafted 2X Mackey award-winning, All-American TE from UGA, Brock Bowers. Bowers stole the job out from under him, and Mayer was forced to hold down the #2 spot for another season. Mayer missed four weeks between October and November for non-football-related reasons but still appeared in 11 games by the end of the year. He finished with 21 catches for 156 yards and zero touchdowns. It was a disappointing sophomore outing, but Mayer will have essentially the same situation next year. He’ll have to either beat out Bowers for the starting role, which seems unlikely, or excel at the backup position and draw interest from other teams looking for a starter. Isaiah Foskey - New Orleans Saints - DE - Round 02: Pick 040 Foskey was drafted in 2023 by the New Orleans Saints in the 2nd round with the 40th overall pick. He earned rotational minutes at DE and played in eight of the first nine games of the season before leaving the Saints vs. Bears game with a quadricep injury. It kept him sidelined for several weeks and threw a wrench into the flow he’d reached up to that point. Foskey could only suit up for two more games in 2023 and finished the season with 10 games played, 10 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and 1 pass deflection.  2024 was a bounce-back season for Foskey. He managed to stay healthy and appeared in all 17 regular season games for the Saints. He improved with 16 total tackles but was unable to record any sacks. While it may not have been Foskey’s breakout season, he was able to improve over his rookie year and is currently projected as the 2nd string DE for 2025. Jarrett Patterson - Houston Texans - OC/OG - Round 06: Pick 201 Patterson was drafted 201st overall in the 6th round of the 2023 NFL draft by the Houston Texans. He was named the starter for the 2023 season and played in his first eight games before going down with a fractured fibula. Thankfully, Patterson bounced back but lost his starting job at center to Juice Scruggs for 2024. Patterson only played in week 2 until Scruggs moved to LT and opened up the center role. Patterson held down the center spot and played eight games for the Texans to close out the regular season. Currently, Patterson is projected to maintain the starting center spot for 2025. Blake Grupe - New Orleans Saints - PK - FA Grupe signed with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent after going undrafted in 2023. He immediately became the starting kicker and had a stellar first season, going 40/40 on extra points and a respectable 30/37 on field goals after starting all 17 regular season games. Grupe Remained the starting kicker for the Saints in 2024, once again appearing in all 17 regular season games. While Grupe regressed slightly on extra points, going 31/33, he improved dramatically on field goals, hitting 27/31. That raised his field goal percentage from 81.1 in 2023 to 87.1 in 2024. All signs indicate Grupe holding onto his job with the Saints next season.  Brandon Aubrey - Dallas Cowboys - PK - FA Brandon Aubrey was a Notre Dame student and accomplished men’s soccer player for four years from 2013 to 2016 and has arguably the most interesting path to the NFL on this list. Aubrey was selected 21st overall in the first round of the 2017 MLS draft by Toronto FC. He moved to the USL in 2018, signing with Bethlehem Steel FC before being released at the end of the 2018 season. He then switched from soccer to football and began to train as a kicker with hopes of making a professional team. Aubrey was eventually drafted in 2022 by the USFL Birmingham Stallions. He played 10 games, going 22/24 on extra point attempts (91.7) and 18/22 on field goals(81.8%). In his very first season, the stallions went all the way to the USFL Championship game and beat the Philadelphia Stars 33-30. Aubrey capped off an incredible regular season with a Championship performance of 2/3 on field goals and 3/4 on extra point attempts. He remained with the Stallions for the 2023 season, finishing 14/15 on field goals (93.3%) and 35/35 on extra-point attempts. The Stallions once again made it to the Championship game and won their second championship in as many years, 28-12. The success of the Birmingham Stallions and Aubrey‘s stellar two-season performance earned him a contract with the Dallas Cowboys in July 2023. He won the starting kicking job outright and played in all 17 regular season games. In that time, Aubrey went 36/38 on field goals (94.7%) and 49/52 on extra points (94.2) for a total of 157 points.  The 2024 season was similarly successful for Aubrey, playing in all 17 games once again and putting up similar numbers. His field goal rate dropped to 40/47 (85.1%) but improved to 30/30 on extra points. By the end of the regular season, Aubrey was tied for 1st place amongst all NFL kickers in extra point percentage, led the league with the longest field goal of the season with a 65-yarder, and was tied for second amongst kickers with 150 points. While Aubrey didn’t play football for the Fighting Irish, it’s incredibly unique to see a Notre Dame alumni and collegiate athlete go professional in his sport, change his mind, and go professional in a different sport he’d never played before. In a matter of three years, Brandon and Aubrey went from watching NFL games to winning back-to-back USFL championships and earning a starting spot on an NFL roster. If only the Irish coaching staff had been watching soccer practice between 2013 and 2016. Chris Smith - Detroit Lions - DT - FA Smith went undrafted in 2023 but was picked up by the Detroit Lions as a free agent. He was cut and signed to the practice squad in late August before going through a cycle of three more releases and re-signings. By the end of 2023, Smith had not appeared in any NFL games for the Lions and had gone through a similar cycle of leaving and rejoining before being signed to active duty in September 2024. He appeared in his first game in week one against the Los Angeles Rams, going on to play four more regular season games, including the Lions’ postseason match-up with the Washington Commanders. It was an up-and-down season for Smith, but he finished strong and may have carved out a place for himself with the Lions in 2025.  2022 Draft Class - 4 Players Kyle Hamilton - Baltimore Ravens - S - Round 01: Pick 014 Kyle Hamilton is arguably one of the biggest NFL stars from Notre Dame. He was drafted 14th overall in round one of the 2022 draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Hamilton appeared in 16 games in his rookie season and put up impressive stats. He ended with 62 tackles, two sacks, one force fumble, and 5 pass deflections. The following year, he only appeared in 15 games but dramatically improved his numbers, racking up 81 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 13 pass deflections, and a whopping four interceptions. He once again improved across the board in 2024, playing in all 17 regular season games and both playoff matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills. As Hamilton enters his final year on his rookie contract, many believe he will reset the salary standard at the safety position. It’s obvious that Hamilton is a foundational mainstay in the Raven’s defense and will likely get a hefty contract that keeps him there for the foreseeable future. Kyren Williams - Los Angeles Rams - RB - Round 05: Pick 164 Williams was drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft with the 164th overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, Williams suffered a broken foot during June practice and was forced to undergo surgery, causing him to miss his first preseason slate. He made the starting roster for the season opener but suffered a high ankle sprain on his first kick return and was forced back onto injury reserves. Despite the injuries, Williams appeared in 10 games during the 2022 season, racking up 139 yards with a respectable 4-yard average and 9 pass receptions for 76 yards. It was an encouraging yet ultimately disappointing rookie season for Williams, but that feeling wouldn’t stick around for long.  The following year, Williams blew up. He started the season strong and only sustained a single injury during week six that kept him out for an extended period. By season's end, Williams appeared in 12 games, starting 11 of them and putting up a ridiculous 1,144 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. Not only that, but he caught 32 passes for 206 yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. Needless to say, Williams shocked not only his team but the whole NFL with his performance and made him a steal as a pick from the fifth round.  2024 was an even better year for Williams. He began the season as the starting running back and appeared in 16 of the Rams' 17 regular season games and their playoff games against the Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles. In the regular season alone, Williams racked up 1,299 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, along with 34 catches for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had four regular season games with 100+ rushing yards and a 5th in the playoffs against the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Williams managed to put up career-bests in yards and touchdowns as well as receptions. He ended the regular season ranked 3rd in carries, 7th in rushing yards, and 5th in rushing touchdowns across the NFL. In three short seasons, Williams has managed to become one of the NFL’s best running backs. Kevin Austin Jr. - New Orleans Saints - WR - FA Austin went undrafted in 2022 but was picked up as a free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was waived and signed to the practice squad before securing a formal future/reserve contract in January 2023. He remained on the team through the preseason but was waived before the regular season began. After a year with the Jags practice squad, Austin began 2024 by signing a contract with the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL. Austin appeared in 12 games for the Stallions and finished his first year with 253 yards and 2 touchdowns. After drawing NFL interest, Austin ended his contract with the Stallions to join the New Orleans Saints on a one-year deal. He was cut yet again in August of 2024 and signed with the practice squad before earning a promotion to the Saints active roster in December. By the end of the 2024 season, Austin played in eight games for NOLA and finished with 151 receiving yards and 9 rushing yards.  Kurt Hinish - Houston Texans - DT - 2022 -  FA Hinish went undrafted in 2022 but was signed as a free agent by the Houston Texans. He began the 2022 preseason as a backup but quickly earned first-team reps before the season started. As a rookie, he appeared in 15 games and finished with 23 tackles and 1 sack. In 2024, Hinish played 17 games, recording 22 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and one pass deflection. 2024 was a bit of a step back, as Hinish was sidelined for the season's first six games but finished strong with 10 starts. Despite his short window of availability, he managed to record 12 tackles. Hinish has performed well with the Texans defensive front and should have a healthier and longer 2025 season. Next Article In the next piece, we’ll cover the remaining 26 Irish players currently playing in the NFL and explore the course each has taken since leaving South Bend. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Mike Martin makes his way to South Bend after helping create some very talented teams for as a member of the Detroit Lions, filling the GM role for Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame football following the departure of Chad Bowden. Photo by The Irish Tribune The hiring process for Notre Dame's GM position had been a bit of a roller coaster for Freeman and the staff. It started with the former GM, Chad Bowden, who left somewhat surprisingly just a few days after the season had concluded. To make the loss worse, it was to Notre Dame's biggest rival, the USC Trojans. His departure marked the beginning of a long-winded hiring process that eventually led Notre Dame to Mike Martin. To begin the search, North Carolina's Patrick Suddes emerged as a target, but Notre Dame quickly pivoted to Texas Tech's James Blanchard. Blanchard had become a popular name when it came to recruiting, making him a prime target for Notre Dame, and a target the fanbase could get behind. The deal seemed to be on the brink of being done before Blanchard declined, leaving Notre Dame and its staff to continue the search again. That led to rumblings that Notre Dame was to pursue Auburn's director of recruiting, Kenyatta Watson, but nothing ever materialized. After all of this, Freeman finally found the man who would help him build the roster of Notre Dame football teams in the future, Mike Martin. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Martin has a long history in the NFL, but his football career started at the college level. From 1999 to 2002, he was a defensive back at Vanderbilt, where he was a finalist for the SEC scholar-athlete of the year. Directly following his college career, Martin took his first steps in the NFL as an intern with the Tennessee Titans for one year. He then landed his first prominent job in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His time with the Buccaneers lasted four seasons, working as a personnel assistant, a pro scout, and then a southeast region scout. Martin then moved on to the Houston Texans, where he would spend 11 years. He spent most of those 11 serving as a college scout before receiving a promotion going into his last year with the Texans. That promotion made him the assistant director of all college recruiting for the team. His path then led him to the Carolina Panthers, where he spent a short time as an area scout before eventually landing in Detroit. With the Detroit Lions, Martin worked as the director of scouting advancement for four seasons. In those four seasons, the Lions' roster saw a dramatic turnaround with the talent on the field. The Lions were considered to be one of the worst teams in the NFL for quite a while before Head Coach Dan Campbell and his staff arrived. They quickly flipped the script and built the Lions into one of the best teams in the NFL, going 27-7 in the last two seasons. Martin had a huge part to play in this revitalization. His role with the Lions was to improve the efficiency and accuracy of their scouting department. Martin's hard work was evident on the field as the Lions continuously hit with their draft picks and were excellent at signing key free agents. Now, Martin will bring all of the skills and experience he has gained in the NFL to South Bend. Martin brings a unique experience to Notre Dame that can be seen as a major advantage for Notre Dame going forward. Not only has he seen how pro teams evaluate and select players, but he also understands the business aspect of football, which has now become a part of the college game. His time with the Lions proves he is more than capable of building an impressive roster with a budget in place. I believe this is so valuable in modern college football. With NIL, teams only have so much money to go around, so having someone who understands that situation is critical. Overall, Martin is a home-run hire with all the right experience and skills to improve Notre Dame's already talented roster. This hire also indicates Freeman has no plans of slowing down. With Ja'Juan Seider's hire, and now this one, Freeman is making it known that Notre Dame is determined to keep its name at the top of college football. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Fighting Irish Hockey bounced back from an ugly Friday defeat with a big 6-1 win on Saturday in their trip to Madison against the Badgers. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Saturday’s tilt was highlighted by 18 penalty calls, nine against each team, leading to 63 total penalty minutes and three players ejected.  Notre Dame got on the board under five minutes into the game when Niko Jovanovic scored his first career collegiate goal to give the Irish an early 1-0 advantage. Axel Kumlin and Henry Nelson were credited with assists on the game's opening score. With 52 seconds remaining in the first period, Notre Dame was granted a power play opportunity following a roughing call against the Badgers. Justin Janicke converted this man advantage for the visitors with just five seconds left in the period to give the Irish a 2-0 lead heading into the second frame. Blake Biondi and Cole Knuble were given assists on Janicke’s 13th goal of the season. At the 13:55 mark in the second, Biondi got intertwined with a Badger, and both players were sent to the box, setting up two minutes of four-on-four action. With the extra space on the ice, Knuble connected on a backhander to put the Irish up 3-0 with 12:16 on the clock. Nelson and Kumlin, like the game’s first score, earned assists on this goal.  Wisconsin finally responded with 3:25 remaining in the period when Anthony Kehrer beat the Irish goalie, Owen Say, to cut the Badgers deficit down to two, 3-1. This score held for all of seven seconds as Notre Dame’s Danny Nelson responded immediately with a goal of his own to hand the Irish their three-score lead back. Brennan Ali and Michael Mastrodomenico were credited with assisting on the goal that gave the visitors a 4-1 lead with 3:18 left in the period. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off The first half of the third period was relatively quiet until Ian Murphy’s goal extended Notre Dame’s lead to 5-1 with 12:24 to play. Biondi and Janicke earned assists on this goal, marking the second point of the night for both of these leaders. Henry Nelson’s night ended early as he was assessed a game misconduct following a spearing call with 9:31 on the clock. Notre Dame played a stellar five minutes on the penalty kill, with Grant Silianoff adding a shorthanded, empty-net goal to secure the Irish’s 6-1 win with 4:44 remaining. Mastrodomenico added his second assist of the night on Silianoff’s six-on-four empty-netter. Irish Stars: Cole Knuble: 1 goal, 1 assist, +2 Justin Janicke: 1 goal, 1 assist, +2 Owen Say: 31 saves, 1 goal against Key Team Stats: Shots: UW (32) - ND (24) Power Play Success: ND (1-9) - UW (0-8) Penalty Minutes: ND (37) - UW (26) Faceoffs: UW (28) - ND (24) Blocked Shots: ND (19) - UW (10) Notre Dame ends their regular season at home next weekend against top-ranked Michigan State. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Irish Men’s Basketball returned to the win column in front of their home crowd on Saturday afternoon after a 76-72 victory over the Pitt Panthers. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics With Braeden Shrewsberry and Matt Allocco out with injuries, the Irish offense needed to find a way to put points on the board without their key guards. The first half was a back-and-forth affair as the teams could not separate by halftime. With 11:22 to play in the first, Pitt took their largest lead of the half following a Cameron Corhen jumper that gave the Panthers a 15-10 lead. Corhen led all first-half scorers with 14 points on 6/7 shooting from the field. Notre Dame’s Markus Burton buried a jumper with seven seconds on the clock to send the game into halftime tied 30-30. While Burton contributed nine points in the half, Tae Davis led the Irish offense with 12 points on 5-6 shooting from the field including a three.  Despite both sides struggling to hit from deep, combining for 4-14 from three, they both shot over 56% from the field. Additionally, both offenses turned the ball over eight times apiece as the Irish’s Sir Mohammed secured two steals in his 11 minutes played. This back-and-forth contest continued into the second half as it seemed neither side was capable of pulling away. That was until with 5:39 to play as Burton kickstarted an 8-0 Irish run that resulted in the home team owning an 11-point, 67-56 lead with under three minutes remaining in the game. Burton scored six of the Irish’s eight points on that game-defining run. However, the Panthers did not go away easily as they managed to cut the Irish lead down to three with 23 seconds left following a trio of clutch threes from Ishmael Leggett. With eight seconds on the clock, Pitt’s Brandin Cummings tipped in a missed three to cut the Irish lead all the way down to two, 74-72. Needing a foul, the Panthers sent Notre Dame’s J.R. Konieczny to the line and he was able to ice the game, draining both free throws to give the Irish a 76-72 victory. Notre Dame had four scorers with nine or more points in the second half, led by Cole Certa’s 12 points off of three made three-pointers on four attempts. Burton had 11 and Konieczny added 10 in the second half as the Irish outscored the Panthers 46-42 in the frame. Pitt’s Leggett led all second-half scorers with 15 points on 6/10 shooting from the field including his three late-game three-pointers. Both offenses played well, combining for just five total turnovers in the half but it was Pitt’s poor free throw shooting that gave Notre Dame the winning edge as they shot just 7-14 from the line. Irish Stars: Tae Davis: 21 points (8-11 FGs), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal, +3 Markus Burton: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, +6 Kebba Njie: 8 points (4-7 FGs), 7 rebounds, 1 steal, +4 Next, the Irish travel to Clemson on Wednesday to take on the 18th-ranked Tigers. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

While Notre Dame got plenty of contributions from the 2024 recruiting class, the Fighting Irish are expecting to see even more players see the field next season. These are the next breakout candidates heading into their sophomore season. Photo by The Irish Tribune During Notre Dame's run to the National Championship, the Irish got many key performances from their true freshman. Leonard Moore filled in seamlessly for the second half of the season when All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison had season-ending hip surgery. Moore replaced Morrison and earned Freshman All-American honors for the Fighting Irish. Anthonie Knapp was thrust into the spotlight for the entirety of the year after projected starting LT Charles Jagusah had a regular season-ending pectoral injury. The Irish also got key contributions from RB Aneyas Williams, LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, and DE Bryce Young. These players matured quickly during Notre Dame’s lengthy postseason run, and were forced to develop due to injuries at key positions. Yet, even while Notre Dame has received a significant impact from the class of 2024, there are still many stars that spent last year developing and adjusting to college football, that will surely make an impact in the 2025 season. Let's break down some candidates who are destined to make an impact during their sophomore season. CJ Carr It is almost impossible to have this discussion without mentioning CJ Carr's name. Carr, the highly touted quarterback prospect from Saline, Mich., will compete in an open quarterback battle with Steve Angeli and Kenny Minchey. Many are already penciling in Carr as the Irish's starting quarterback in Coral Gables next year, yet it should be an extremely fierce QB competition throughout spring and summer camp. Out of the three, Carr provides the highest upside for the Fighting Irish. His accuracy and mobility in the pocket are the strengths of his game, alongside his high IQ. With Carr being an early enrollee during Notre Dame's bowl week game in 2023, he has had plenty of time to work with quarterbacks' coach Gino Guidugli. Whether or not Carr earns the starting spot, his number might be called upon at any point in the season. Marcus Freeman was adamant about not taking a transfer portal quarterback in this cycle because of the belief he has in the QB room: much of that faith has been placed within the arm of CJ Carr. Micah Gilbert Even with the Irish bringing in Malachi Fields and Will Pauling from the transfer portal, Micah Gilbert has a chance to take a giant step forward this year for Notre Dame. An interesting note is that Fields will not enroll at Notre Dame until the summer, which leaves a hole on the outside that Gilbert will attempt to fill during spring ball. Gilbert has shown flashes of greatness during his time in South Bend. He was the leading receiver in the 2024 Blue vs Gold game, in which he had five catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Gilbert also saw playing time this season during the final moments of the games against Purdue, Stanford, and Navy. If Gilbert can establish himself as a reliable option for any of the quarterbacks, the sophomore from Charlotte, N.C., can make an impact in a young receiver room. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. Loghan Thomas Loghan Thomas might be an exception on this list because the freshman saw playing time in almost every game, yet he wasn't given enough snaps along the defensive line to show his true potential. Even though Bryce Young was the freshman DE who received the most snaps, Thomas proved that he could play from the time he enrolled at Notre Dame. He played in 15 games while netting seven tackles and 1.5 sacks. Thomas' speed is his greatest attribute, and he displayed that during the Louisville game last year. While Notre Dame is returning Boubacar Traore and Jordan Botelho from injury, Thomas' athletic ability is tough to keep off the field. With more snaps, Thomas can easily be a viable pass-rushing option for the Fighting Irish. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

It’s been a month since the 2024 college football season ended, and the off-season is already in full swing.  Photo by The Irish Tribune Just days after Notre Dame’s National Title appearance, a whirlwind of changes began. Coaches began departing, players entered the transfer portal, and many Irish fans became alarmed at the rapid pace of change and what the impact on the team’s future would be.  Let’s recap the latest changes, introduce the new additions, and take a look at what’s on the horizon for 2025.  Staff Changes It’s that time of year again. The coaching carousel is in full swing already, and the Irish won't benefit from low turnover this time around. Unfortunately, with success comes attention, and then comes big money. Having a talented staff means other teams will want your people, and as of mid-February, Freeman’s staff has sustained three massive departures due to inter-organizational poaching. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. Defensive Coordinator  The first domino to fall was recent Broyles award-winning defensive coordinator Al Golden. Shortly after the conclusion of the national championship game, news broke that Golden would be leaving South Bend to take over defensive coordinator duties with the Cincinnati Bengals. That’s when the Irish front office jumped into action and immediately started interviewing replacements. For some time, there was talk of Mike Mickens taking over as defensive coordinator before settling on Mickens becoming a co-defensive coordinator with whoever was brought on as DC. Not long after, news broke that Notre Dame would be hiring current NFL scout Chris Ash as their next defensive coordinator.  Ash didn’t appear on many shortlists for DC candidates, but he’s been coaching for over 25 years. Ash truly cut his teeth at Wisconsin, earning his first defensive coordinator job after years of defensive back assistant work. He then moved on to defensive coordinator at Arkansas before earning a trip to the big time with Urban Meyer and Ohio State in 2014. There, Ash won a national title and secured a head coaching spot at Rutgers in 2016. After a disappointing four-year stint with the Scarlet Knights, Ash spent two years with the Longhorns as a defensive analyst and, later, as the defensive coordinator in 2020. He reunited with Meyer in the NFL as a safeties coach on the Jaguars, followed by two years with the Raiders before spending 2024 back in Jacksonville as a scout. According to reports, Ash is a gritty and aggressive defensive leader with extensive position coaching experience, head coaching experience, NFL exposure, and an old-school coaching style. Keep in mind Ash is from the Urban Meyer coaching tree and is known as a no-nonsense disciplinarian. While respect and discipline aren’t necessarily issues at Notre Dame, one of the biggest questions surrounding Ash’s hire will be his fit amongst the new culture in South Bend. Luckily, it looks like Mickens should be heavily involved in the upcoming season’s defense and will be there to provide a sense of continuity between the 2024 holdovers and Ash. The loudest criticism surrounding Ash is mostly a matter of circumstance. While his résumé is extensive and varied, it’s been four years since he’s called any plays, much less worked on a college staff, and many question how his play calling has developed or changed over the last half-decade. It’s almost guaranteed that Ash’s defense won’t be a carbon copy of Golden’s squad, but how much of it will stay the same, and will the Irish be able to maintain what made them one of the nation's top defenses for the last two years?  General Manager In one of the more surprising moves of the off-season, Notre Dame’s general manager, Chad Bowden, was poached by archrival USC to become their new general manager of program operations. Many Irish fans were shocked that Bowden, considered at one point the cornerstone of Marcus Freeman‘s new front office, was not only leaving but heading to a rival. Things became clearer when it was announced that Bowden’s salary was more than tripled to $1 million a year and that he’d previously lived in Los Angeles. Then grumblings came to the surface that Freeman was growing discontent with Bowden’s lack of production on the recruiting trail, and Notre Dame’s 2025 recruiting class seems to bear that out. Ultimately, it looks like the Irish didn’t want to get into another bidding war for Bowden's services, and the program let him walk. As for USC, it seems more like a desperate attempt at re-creating Notre Dame’s recent success with hopes of salvaging what remains of Lincoln Riley’s time with the Trojans. In the vacuum left by Bowden’s wake, several candidates were interviewed and pursued, most notably Texas Tech's James Blanchard, who is responsible for the Red Raider's recent success in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail. Despite a trip to the Gug and meetings with top brass, a deal didn’t materialize, and Tech held onto their man. As per usual, there were speculations regarding a variety of Notre Dame alumni, most notably Brady Quinn, but nothing concrete materialized. That is until reports leaked that Marcus Freeman and the program were narrowing in on Detroit Lions Director of Scouting Advancement Mike Martin. It was then formally announced that Martin would be joining Notre Dame‘s staff as its new general manager for the 2025 season.  Martin brings with him more than 20 years of NFL experience across a variety of positions, including scout, assistant, and ultimately director of scouting advancement. After playing defensive back at Vanderbilt from 1999 to 2003, Martin got a coaching internship spot with the Tennessee Titans before moving on to the Houston Texans, where he started as a college scout until 2015, where he then became a national scout before being promoted to director of college scouting in 2017. After 11 years with the Texans, Martin worked as a scout for the Carolina Panthers before heading to Detroit in 2021 to work with Dan Campbell. Martin was instrumental in assembling the Detroit Lions' current roster that helped them tie the single-season franchise win record in 2023, going 12-5 before setting the record in 2024 with a 15-2 season.  Needless to say, Martin has a lengthy and successful track record of assessing and identifying talent, assembling and building a roster, and running a professional developmental organization at a high level. He brings NFL experience to a college football landscape amidst major structural change. Freeman was presented with a pretty significant loss, but by being proactive instead of reactive, responded with an objective upgrade. Bowden was one of the most unique components of Notre Dame’s recruiting machine, and finding a way to upgrade from that is a true accomplishment. If this hire works out, it’ll be an absolute home run for Freeman and the Irish. Running Backs Coach The latest Notre Dame staff member to be stolen away was none other than running backs coach Deland McCullough. Roughly 2 weeks ago, it was announced that McCullough would be leaving the team after accepting a position with Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders. He was one of Marcus Freeman‘s first hires in 2021 and was instrumental in the recruitment and development of Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Aneyas Williams, and Kedren Young. It seems that McCullough’s exit was largely dictated by his previously stated desire to become a head coach himself one day. On Tuesday, February 18th, Ja’Juan Seider of Penn State was officially named the new running backs coach for Notre Dame. Just over a month ago, Freeman and the Irish bested Seider and the Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl, and all of a sudden, he’s joined the team. It wasn’t just the fact that Notre Dame was the destination, but this was a major assistant coach from a blue chip program that just went to the college football playoff - and had one of the best running back rooms in the country with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Reports have claimed that coaches across the country were knocking on Notre Dame’s door looking for an interview instead of the other way around, signaling how attractive the running back room and program have become as of late. One of the biggest upsides to Seider’s addition is his recruiting chops. He was able to lure Singleton away from the Irish a few years back and has recruiting connections in states where the Irish have lagged behind. It’s entirely possible that this is both a coaching and recruiting upgrade. Once again, Freeman has found a way to take a disadvantageous situation and not only right the ship, but end up in an even better place.  Portal Departures Jaden Mickey - CB - Boise State Tyson Ford - DT - Cal Aiden Gobaira - DE - James Madison Ty Chan - OL - UConn Jayden Thomas - WR - UVA  Deion Colzie - WR - Miami (OH) Sam Pendleton - OL - Tennessee Rocco Spindler - OL - Nebraska Pat Coogan - OL - Indiana Mickey announced his departure from the program just four weeks into the season and has recently chosen Boise State over Cal as his landing spot. He would have been joined by backup Tyson Ford, who only appeared once for the Irish in his career, coming against Tennessee State in 2023. Both Aiden Gobaira and Ty Chan are departing for James Madison and Uconn, respectively. Wide receivers Jayden Thomas and Deion Colzie are both heading out the door after once again playing a limited role in the passing game. Thomas reeled in 18 balls for 167 yards and 2 touchdowns in 14 games this year, while Colzie grabbed 5 passes for 41 yards and 1 touchdown in 4 games. Thomas will be heading to UVA, and Colzie will suit up for Miami (OH). Losing two veterans at the same position is nothing to brag about, but the Irish shouldn’t feel this too hard. Neither Colzie nor Thomas ever played a significant role in Notre Dame’s offense, and between underclassmen chomping at the bit for playing time and portal additions, the wide receivers room will be even more crowded than it has been over the last two years. Notre Dame’s heaviest portal losses all came along the offensive line, with three starters moving on to their next destination. Senior Pat Coogan has officially transferred to Indiana after appearing in all 16 games this season and 13 appearances in 2023. Senior Rocco Spindler is heading to Nebraska, having appeared in 12 games in 2022, 10 games in 2023, and all 16 games in 2024. Lastly, sophomore Sam Pendleton has joined the Tennessee Volunteers despite starting 13 games in 2024 and 3 games as a true freshman in 2023. While the Irish have one of deepest offensive line groups in the country, losing three starters, even if they were due to injury, at any position is a tough loss to take. Portal Arrivals DeVonta Smith - DB - Alabama - 4 Star (TR) Malachi Fields - WR - UVA - 4 Star (TR) Will Pauling - WR - Wisconsin - 3 Star (TR) Ty Washington - TE - Arkansas - 3 Star (TR) Jared Dawson - DT - Louisville - 3 Star (TR) Noah Burnette - K - UNC - 3 Star (TR) Elijah Hughs - DT - USC - 3 Star (TR) Jalen Stroman - S - UVA - 3 Star (TR) As far as talent goes, Irish personnel management has already brought in quite a bit of talent through the transfer portal. 4-star DeVonta Smith is one of the highlights of the class, putting up 30 tackles, 5 pass deflections, and a forced fumble in 2024 with the Crimson Tide, and will be an excellent addition to a talented secondary. Fields is arguably the best receiver talent the Irish have seen in years, standing at 6’4", 220 lbs; the 4-star wideout put up 55 catches, 808 yards, and 5 touchdowns for the Cavaliers in 2024. With those numbers, Fields would have led the Irish receiving core in catches, yards, and touchdowns this season. He’ll be an immediate starter on the boundary for the Irish, while Will Pauling out of Wisconsin will compete for reps on the outside and reunite with his former coach, now Notre Dame’s WR coach Mike Brown. Pauling will be looking to recreate his stellar 2023 season, where he recorded 74 catches for 837 yards and 6 scores, all marks that would have led the Irish receivers this season. The Irish needed a kicker this offseason and once again appealed to a transfer for the job, securing 3-star starting kicker Noah Burnette out of UNC. Burnette had a nearly perfect 2023 season, going 19/20 on field goals and a perfect 43/43 on extra points, but regressed a bit in 2024. He finished 15/21 on field goals and 38/39 on extra points, but set his career long at 52 yards. For context, Mitch Jeter finished this season 13/21 from the field, 54/54 on extra points, and a 49-yard long. Burnette has an extra year of starting kicking experience over Jeter and should be a significant improvement if he replicates his 2023 performance. Overall, Freeman and the Irish have come out for the better between portal losses and additions and have shored up nearly all their obvious thin spots. If they are to add any more portal players before the start of the season, the focus should be adding another body on both the defensive and offensive lines to sure up both depth and increase competition. As we saw this year, the injury bug can have you starting your 3rd string linemen on either side of the ball in the blink of an eye. The Incoming 2025 Class Will Black - OL - 5 Star Madden Faraimo - LB - 4 Star Christopher Burgess Jr. - DL - 4 Star Dallas Golden - CB/S - 4 Star James Flanigan - TE - 4 Star Ja’Don Blair - S - 4 Star Mark Zackery IV - CB - 4 Star Owen Strebig - OL - 4 Star Anthony Sacca - LB/S - 4 Star Nolan James - ATH - 4 Star Cameron Herron - OL - 4 Star Antavious Richardson - CB/WR - 4 Star Blake Hebert - QB - 4 Star Eliijah Burress - WR - 4 Star Matty Augustine - OT - 4 Star The Irish have a lot to look forward to with the incoming 2025 freshman class. It’s highlighted by a lone 5-star prospect, OL Will Black, but is bolstered by 14 4-star prospects, depending on what recruiting service you use. It was enough to earn Notre Dame a respectable #12 in recruiting class rankings, but is representative of a somewhat concerning trend. Over the last few seasons, the Irish have steadily dropped in overall recruiting class rankings. For context, the highest number of 4-star commits within the top-25 recruiting classes was 20 for Texas A&M and Georgia, while the highest number of 5-star commits was 5 for both Texas and Georgia. At 1 5-star and 14 4-star players, Notre Dame isn’t all that far off. The biggest gap is only the very top of the top talent pool, and because of academic standards shrinking Notre Dame’s recruiting pool, the Irish will need to snag every 5-star talent going to Stanford, UCLA, Duke, Vanderbilt, and the like. While 12th is still an upper-tier class, the Irish need to get control of this before it gets away from them. Thankfully, it seems to be a top concern for Freeman and the program’s top brass, and apparently a large part of why GM Chad Bowden moved on. Notre Dame was growing concerned with their lack of recruiting success, and it’s reassuring to see them take action to bridge the growing gap. If this program is going to continue improving off the 2024 season’s success, they’re going to need multiple consecutive top-10 recruiting classes to stay competitive. That way, portal additions are just the gravy on top. The Quarterback Competition For the fifth straight season, the Fighting Irish are looking for a new quarterback to lead the team, having turned to the portal for outside help three of the last four years. With this opportunity, the Irish have a chance to keep its “one and done” cycle going or line up their first multi-year starter since Ian Book in 2019 and 2020. Depending on who wins the starting job, Notre Dame may very well define their 2025 season. Steve Angeli Angeli might be the front-runner for the starting spot, as he’s been with the team for four years and has been a consistent backup for the last two. In that time, he’s been the epitome of reliability and consistency. Angeli is a solid, above-average passer who’s stepped up in several key moments with composure and found a way to execute. With Leonard’s exit, Steve is by far the most experienced arm in Notre Dame‘s quarterback’s room, having amassed 772 yards on 58/80 through the air (72% completion), 10 TDs, and only 1 interception in just 14 appearances and 1 start. At the very least, Angeli has waited his turn and proved his ability enough to earn a legitimate shot at the starting job.  The biggest criticism levied against him is his lack of athleticism and his seemingly lower ceiling. He easily has the highest floor in the quarterback room, but he’s unproven against truly elite competition on a week-in and week-out basis, and there’s concern as to whether or not he can keep that level of play up over 12-16 games. Ultimately, it comes down to whether or not Freeman and the coaching staff believe that Angeli can step into the role and immediately help the Irish compete at the highest level possible. Say what you like about his ability, but Angeli may have the best shot at leading the 2025 Irish offense based on experience alone. Kenny Minchey Minchey is by far the most elite and complete athlete in this group. At the same time, he’s been dubbed a gunslinger by the quarterback staff and has a significantly higher ceiling than Angeli. If the Irish coaching staff decides to go with Minchey, they get a multi-year starter for the first time in recent memory. Depending on how long he stays, Minchey could be the starting quarterback for 2 to 3 years and give some consistency to a Notre Dame offense that has appealed to transfer quarterbacks as of late. It would seem, due to playing time, that Angeli has the favor of the coaching staff, but Minchey has had two consecutive years to sit, observe, and learn from the likes of Sam Hartman, Riley, Leonard, and his competition, Steve Angeli. He’d have to out-talent Angeli to truly make it an even playing field.  Minchey has far less collegiate action than Angeli, as he’s gone 1/1 through the air for 4 yards, and 2 carries for 12 yards and a touchdown in just one appearance. Kenny leads the QB room in athletic ability and mobility, along with a comparably high ceiling like Carr, but can struggle when it comes to passing accuracy. He very well might have the biggest arm of the three, but Angeli has the most control and Carr is more of a natural. Minchey will have to reign in his arm with enough control to make his dual-threat ability a true problem.  Minchey’s biggest knock is his lack of experience and general lack of game tape. In actuality, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a good chance at winning the job, only that there's so little to go on. Minchey could very well win this job, but he’ll have to do so in the spring and by a noticeable margin. He’ll have to outperform Angeli enough to make up for his lack of experience and show Freeman and Denbrock that he’s worth the long-term investment over the likes of CJ Carr. CJ Carr Carr has the highest ceiling in Notre Dame‘s entire quarterback room and is considered by many to be the future face of the program. Carr came out of high school ranked the #2 pocket passer in the country and was considered a five-star prospect on many recruitment boards. He’s not quite as athletic as Kenny Minchey, but is more agile than Steve Angeli. As far as his arm, CJ may not have quite the cannon that Minchey does, but he’s hands-down, the purest pocket passer of the three. While it remains to be game-tested, Carr’s arm is said to be the most accurate in the quarterback room. This mix of passing prowess and athletic flexibility makes him the perfect prototype quarterback for today’s game. Whether it’s running the read option or throwing on the run, Carr seems to strike the perfect middle ground between Angeli and Minchey’s games. He’ll be a redshirt freshman for the 2025 season after serving as an understudy this past year. Unfortunately, CJ wasn’t able to fully benefit from his early enrollment with the team or freshman year due to an elbow injury suffered in practice prior to the Louisville game. The elbow injury was to his throwing arm and severely limited his practice reps and pregame warm-up snaps, keeping him sidelined or a minimal participant in practice since September. Much like Minchey, Carr suffers from a lack of experience and, to date, has zero collegiate snaps under his belt. Furthering this lack of experience and familiarity with the system is his somewhat troubled post-injury experience. There seemed to be some initial miscommunication between Carr’s camp and the fighting Irish training staff regarding the correct path to take in recovery, and even some rumors the Irish were looking for another portal QB. Since then, it's been confirmed this will be a three-man battle for the starting spot, and Carr will have a shot to earn the job. Even if Carr manages to wow the staff and compete for the top spot, there’s a certain level of risk in putting him out on the field at Miami, followed by Texas A&M to start his career. That's not to say Carr wouldn’t be able to handle it, but there’s a pretty huge difference between playing a week 1 warmup opponent and two back-to-back top-25 teams.  This is the first true quarterback battle Freeman has had on his hands, and will be one of the more consequential decisions he’s faced thus far. Many didn’t think the Irish were ready for the run they made in 2024, so expectations for this season will be sky-high, and the quarterback who’s named starter could either get the Irish over that National Title hump or fail to recreate the success that’s become the new standard.  The 2025 Schedule Date Opponent Location Sunday - August 31st @ Miami (ACC/Rivalry) Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, FL Saturday - September 7th BYE Week #1 Saturday - September 13th Texas A&M (SEC) Notre Dame Stadium South Bend, Indiana Saturday - September 20th Purdue (BIG10/Rivalry) Notre Dame Stadium South Bend, Indiana Saturday - September 27th @ Arkansas (SEC) Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR Saturday - October 4th Boise State (Mountain West) Notre Dame Stadium South Bend, Indiana Saturday - October 11th NC State (ACC) Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN Saturday - October 18th USC (BIG10/Rivalry) Notre Dame Stadium South Bend, Indiana Saturday - October 25th BYE Week #2 November 1st @ Boston College (ACC/Rivalry) Alumni Stadium Chestnut Hill, MA November 8th Navy (AAC/Rivalry) Notre Dame Stadium South Bend, Indiana November 15th @ Pittsburgh (ACC/Rivalry) Acrisure Stadium Pittsburgh, PA November 22nd Syracuse (ACC) Notre Dame Stadium South Bend, Indiana November 29th @ Stanford (ACC/Rivalry) Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA Notre Dame’s official 2025 schedule has been released, and there are some standouts. The Irish will play 7 true home games in South Bend and only 5 true road games. This time around, the Irish won’t have to give up a real home game for a neutral site and will benefit from less travel and an extra weekend of home-field advantage. There are a few downsides, though, as Irish fans will have to wait until week 3 for the home opener, and the team will endure two long stretches of consecutive games; first, 6 consecutive matchups from September 13th through October 18th, ending with 4 straight through all of November to end the season. Due to Stanford’s entry into the ACC, the Irish will have 6 ACC opponents in 2025 and only 2 games against the BIG 10 (Purdue, USC). What this schedule does have going for it is a whopping 7 historical rivals (Miami, Purdue, USC, Boston College, Navy, Pitt, and Stanford). Most notably, this will be Notre Dame’s first time playing 2 SEC teams in the regular season since 1986, when the Irish played Alabama and LSU. Overall, it's a solid schedule with a high upside. USC will likely be better than they were in 2024, as well as TAMU, who should be settled in with 2nd year HC Mike Elko. Miami will likely take a step back after losing Cam Ward to the draft, but the Irish face them early enough in the year that they should benefit from an early win like they did against TAMU in 2024. The real meat of this schedule will determine how strong a strength of schedule the Irish earn. Just how well does Boise State respond after losing Ashton Jeanty? Will the ACC as a whole step their game up, or will they just fill out Notre Dame’s 2025 slate with mediocrity? Where Do We Go From Here? The offseason is not yet over, and there's plenty of time before the season begins for more changes to come. The Irish will kick off spring ball following their March 10th-14th spring break and will play the 94th annual Blue-Gold game on April 12th. Just days later, on April 16th, the 2025 spring transfer portal window will open, allowing 10 more days of player movement until officially closing on April 25th. This is when we could see the players departing after losing position battles while adding players to cover any last-minute needs. In the meantime, we'll keep you in the loop as spring ball gets closer and the 2025 regular season begins to take shape. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Entering the 2024 season, true freshman left tackle Anthonie Knapp was more or less an afterthought when Notre Dame media and fans alike began penciling in mock depth charts and trying to figure out how the offensive line would look to open the year. Photo by The Irish Tribune All those projections were thrown into disarray when the expected starter, Charles Jagusah, tore his pec early in fall camp. With an opening date on the road against Texas A&M looming, it seemed like the type of injury that could derail a season that hadn't even begun yet. Coming out of high school, there were plenty of people who felt Knapp would fit best as an interior lineman, in part due to his 6'4 stature. Yet, Marcus Freeman decided to hand him the keys as blindside protector out of the gate, and it paid off in a major way. Knapp was not a perfectly polished player and still has areas to improve on, but he solidified himself as the best freshman tackle in the country as the year progressed, and the sky is now the limit, whether he remains at tackle next season or slides to the interior at some point. We take a look back at some moments from his first year for the Fighting Irish, to highlight where he improved and what he can work on going forward. Opening the season in a hostile environment like Kyle Field, in primetime too, is a tough spot for a four-year starter, let alone someone getting the first snaps of their college career. Above is Knapp's second snap of the game. You can see he oversets on the inside jab move of the edge player, which allows the defender to get Knapp turned and beat him outside. Again in this play, Knapp will slightly overset, this time to the outside, which allows the edge player to get him off balance and spin back inside for the hit on Riley Leonard. One more example of Knapp oversetting is above. The nickel corner blitzes off the edge, Knapp jumps too far outside and allows the DB to knife in for the tackle for loss. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off As the game continued, Knapp began to get more comfortable and started to show off some of his strengths. Here he is 1 on 1 with one of the better pass rushers in the country in Nic Scourton. He shows excellent punch timing and play strength here as he is able to get his hands into Scourton's chest, anchor down, and pancake him. On what turned out to be one of the most important plays of the game, Knapp once again shows off some major play strength as well as some high football IQ. He feels Nic Scourton drop off the edge into a delayed stunt and picks up the looping 3-tech defensive tackle instead. Once engaged, he uses powerful hands to chop the defender's arms and knock him off balance. Leonard received a clean pocket and was able to make a huge completion because of it. For a true freshman, this is an elite rep. No offensive linemen is a viable option without being able to hold their own in the run game. In game one for Knapp, he passed that test on multiple occasions, none bigger than the above play which was the go-ahead touchdown for the biggest road win in Marcus Freeman's tenure at the time. Knapp works up to the second level and gets enough of the linebacker to spring Jeremiayh Love for the touchdown. I would like to see Knapp attack the outside shoulder of the defender just a little more to be able to turn him, but he still threw the most important block on this play. The Texas A&M game did not come without mistakes, but for a first-time starter, Knapp set the stage for what would be an ultra-impressive freshman season. Get the scoop before your friends with Tribune+ Fast forwarding to the Sugar Bowl, Knapp found himself once again matched up against an aggressive and dangerous defensive line with the Georgia Bulldogs taking the field. The difference is, at this point, Knapp had a full season of experience under his belt and it showed. Right out of the gate, you can see how much quicker and more effective his punch timing was. He is able to completely lock out and stonewall the edge player as Leonard rolls out in the opposite direction. As it happened a few times in the A&M game, Knapp slightly oversets to the outside on this play allowing the defender to rip inside. The difference is that Knapp shows good recovery speed here and can ride the defender enough to allow Leonard to roll out to his left to complete the pass. It is not a perfect rep by any means but it shows improvement from similar situations he faced earlier in the year. This play stood out because it showcases that he processes bad reps and learns from them. Here the defender makes a similar move to what had given Knapp some issues in previous clips in this article, with a quick jab step and outside rush. Unlike some of his other times facing this move, Knapp does a good job of not oversetting and staying square to the defender, showing good lateral agility as he mirrors him on the outside counter and completely neutralizes him on this play. Biggest Offseason Focuses for Improvement Knapp has very good athletic ability for the offensive line position. He needs to trust in this more going forward and be more patient with his pass sets. Oversetting bit him a few times in 2024 and if he stays at left tackle, he will continue to face some of the best rushers in the country week in and week out. I don't doubt Knapp's ability to be a mauler in the run game, but when it comes to short yardage situations, there are times where he will lunge with his head down and whiff on his man. He needs to keep his head up to maintain balance, and be more accurate with his punch at the point of attack. One of the biggest differences between the Marcus Freeman and Brian Kelly regimes is Freeman's willingness to trust young talent. With the exception of missing the National Championship due to injury, Anthonie Knapp held down the left tackle spot from start to finish, and considering the level of competition faced, and deep playoff run, he had one of the more impressive freshman seasons in recent Notre Dame memory. I think there is versatility in his skill set that has yet to be utilized and I think he is the rare type of player that could probably be effective at all five spots on the offensive line. As he continues to grow more and more into whatever role the coaching staff hangs on him, I think he will become more of a household name and a future star. Although the quarterback position will be up for grabs for most of the off-season. whoever wins the job can rest assured they will be well protected, and Anthonie Knapp is a major reason why. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

In just the blink of an eye, the end of February is upon us and March is just around the corner, marking the witching hour for college basketball. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Notre Dame women’s basketball will play its final two road games this week, first against the Miami Hurricanes on Thursday, followed by a date with the number 13 North Carolina State Wolfpack. The Hurricanes have been on a downward spiral since the non-conference schedule ended on Jan. 29, when they lost at home to North Carolina. Since starting 11-1, Miami has won just two of its last 13 games to move to 13-12 on the year, and 3-11 in ACC play. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. If you are at least somewhat familiar with TikTok and social media, you’re aware of the return of the Cavinder twins to the University of Miami. However, only one of the two twins, Haley, has been producing for the Hurricanes 14 games into conference play.   Haley Cavinder, a 5’6” senior guard, is having a terrific season, scoring 18.8 points per game on 47.2% shooting. She’s also grabbing 6.8 rebounds per game, and a team-leading 4.7 assists per game. Despite the lackluster season for the team, Cavinder has scored in double figures in all but one game this season and has scored 20 or more in five of her last six.   Down low, the Hurricanes are led by senior forward Cameron Williams. Williams, a native of Chicago, is in her first season with Miami after spending her first four years of college at the University of Michigan. This season, she is getting more playing time than before, logging 27.8 minutes per game. In that time, Williams is averaging 11.4 PPG on 56.7% shooting, while leading the team in rebounds with seven per game.   The Irish must be careful and not find themselves in a trap game, especially with how close the Hurricanes have played their last two opponents who are both in the top 25. They took on North Carolina State on the road where they lost by just two points, followed by a one-point home loss to number 23 Florida State. While Sunday’s game against North Carolina State is going to be one of the biggest of the season for the Irish, they must take care of business against Miami first.   For the 13th-best team in college basketball, North Carolina State had its nine-game winning streak snapped on the road against in-state rival North Carolina on Feb. 16 by a point. Now with a two-game lead in the conference, Notre Dame can lock up a regular season conference championship on Sunday against the Wolfpack.   It’ll be one of the best scoring teams the Irish have seen all season, as the Wolfpack average the fourth most points in the conference with 77 per game. They are captained by senior guard Aziaha James, averaging 17.8 PPG on 46.5% shooting and a 32.7% clip when she goes beyond the three-point line. James is also grabbing five rebounds per game and collecting a career-high 1.2 steals per game. Accompanying James in the NC State loaded backcourt is sophomore guard Zoe Brooks. Averaging 13.3 PPG, Brooks is one of four players averaging double figures this season for the Wolfpack and is doing it on an impressive 46% shooting clip. She has been in a bit of a slump over the last two games, scoring just 18 points on 33% shooting in that span.   6’0” senior guard Madison Hayes is fresh off a double-double against the Tar Heels, where she put up 13 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 2-3 from deep. It’s her fourth double-double of the season and the third straight game Hayes has knocked down two or more threes, shooting 8-17 from outside in that span.   It’ll be the toughest game the Irish have played since they knocked off UConn back on Dec. 12. With an ACC championship on the line for the Irish, however, there shouldn’t need to be a lot of motivation injected into the players.   As far as injecting motivation goes, the men’s side will play their first game since head coach Micah Shrewsberry’s stern postgame press conference back on Feb. 16 after a 15-point loss to Louisville.   Photo via Notre Dame Athletics                   It was the worst loss since Dec. 3 when they lost on the road against Georgia by 21 points, and it lit a fire under Shrewsberry. What’s been said has been said and it’s time to see how the players will react, as they take on SMU and Pittsburgh, both in Purcell Pavilion, this week.   It’ll start tonight against the Mustangs from SMU, who enter off an 11-point loss at home to Wake Forest. Prior to that, the Mustangs had won five straight and eight of their last nine, which has them at 10-4 in ACC play this season. It goes without saying that SMU is playing for a bit more than the Irish at this point in the season and will be chasing a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament over their final six games.   It’s one of the deepest rosters you will find in all of college basketball, with six players averaging double figures, bringing their team average to 82.1 PPG. Boopie Miller, a junior guard from Chicago, is in his first season with the Mustangs after spending his previous three with Central Michigan and Wake Forest.   Miller has made an adjustment over his last five games played – missing the game against the Demon Deacons – taking fewer shots than he had been all season. In his first 19 games of the season, Miller was averaging 12.4 shots per game and had single-digit field goal attempts in just five of those games. Compare that to Miller’s 7.4 shots per game in his last five games and he attempted 10 shots in just one of those.   Miller will be a game-time decision.   The shooting tandem of senior guards Chuck Harris and Kario Oquendo could be an issue for the Irish, as they are shooting 44.5% and 41.7% from three respectively. Outside of those two, senior forward Matt Cross has also proven to be a threat from deep, shooting three or more threes in his last eight games, and is making 39.2% of them on the year.   Following two four-game losing streaks for Pittsburgh, the Panthers have found themselves on the bubble and are looking for a big win against Notre Dame.   Despite entering Purcell Pavilion on a two-game winning streak, the Panthers have won just two road games since ACC play opened for them back on Dec. 7. They’re manned by a two-headed monster at guard in sophomore Jaland Lowe and senior Ish Leggett, with the two combining for 32.8 of the Panthers 77.3 PPG.   With the loss of senior guard Damian Dunn for the season, Pittsburgh has turned to senior forward Zack Austin from three-point land. He’s coming off a 3-4 shooting performance from deep in the win against Syracuse, where he finished with 19 points. Should the Irish escape with a win on Saturday, it will come down to not letting players like Austin get comfortable from deep. They will already have to worry about two elite scoring options in Lowe and Leggett, it’ll make it that much harder if they allow someone else to find a rhythm.   The basketball week will tip off at 7 p.m. tonight as the men’s squad welcomes the SMU Mustangs to South Bend. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

During Notre Dame's 15-point loss against Louisville this past Sunday, head coach Micah Shrewsberry noticed something that led to a fiery post-game press conference. Photo by The Irish Tribune “I sat there and watched more Louisville fans in here than Notre Dame people. And that’s embarrassing." said Shrewsberry. "That’s embarrassing for me because I’m the head coach here. And yes, I got us in this predicament.”   Notre Dame basketball has hit a wall. It has moved to 11-14 on the year and 5-9 in conference play which slates them in 13th place. Still, this past Sunday’s 15-point loss to Louisville was the Fighting Irish’s first double-digit loss since Dec. 31, when they lost on the road against Georgia Tech. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off.   At the same time, only two losses since that game against the Yellow Jackets have felt like the Irish were truly outmatched on the court. Those two games were on the road against number four Duke, where the Irish suffered a hard-fought eight-point loss, and this past Sunday at home against Louisville. It was that loss to the Cardinals that sparked a fiery press conference from head coach Micah Shrewsberry.   “I don’t care about anyone’s opinion,” said Shrewsberry. “I know who I am, I know I can coach basketball, and I know I’m turning this program around”   The results on the court say that Shrewsberry increased the Notre Dame win total from 11 in former head coach Mike Brey’s final year, to 13 a season ago. Then freshman phenom, now sophomore point guard Markus Burton won ACC Freshman of the Year, and the Irish were returning all but 9.6 points of scoring a game.   However, after starting 4-0 with a 21-point win over Georgetown, the Irish would lose at home to Elon on Nov. 22 by seven points. Then, on the trip to Las Vegas, Burton would go down with an injury in the opening matchup of the Players Era Festival against Rutgers on Nov. 26. It sparked a five-game losing streak that put the Irish under .500 before hitting ACC play. Most of those losses can be pinned on poor coaching, especially late in games. Against North Carolina on Jan. 4, the Irish were up three points with four seconds remaining in the game which led to a one-point loss. In the loss to North Carolina State just a few days later on Jan. 8, the Irish took a seven-point lead into the half and were up 65-61 with 2:06 remaining in the ball game. Notre Dame would not score for the rest of the game and lose by one. Syracuse, which is now the 14th-best team in the ACC, was down 17 points in the first half on their home court before storming back and outscoring the Irish by 17 in the second half to win by eight. Like that game, Notre Dame, with a chance to get above .500 on Feb. 1 against then 4-17 Miami, got outscored by the Hurricanes by 17 in the second half and lost by six. A week later on Feb. 8, the Irish would blow a 14-point lead to Virginia Tech and be outscored by nine in the second half to lose by two in Purcell Pavilion.   That is five games that could have gone in the Irish’s favor, they’d be sitting at 16-9 and 10-3 in ACC play, placing them in fifth.   The question is, if the issue is coaching, why should Notre Dame let Shrewsberry continue to be the head coach? While that is a valid question at this point, it’s important to understand that this is the middle of a complete and total teardown of a program. A program that won just two of their final 15 games in 2023 in Brey’s final year to finish 11-21.   Notre Dame would return one player, Matt Zona, a forward who averaged 1.7 points per game in his junior season.   The talent is simply not there yet. And the talent that is there is doing everything they’re supposed to be doing. Markus Burton is averaging 21.3 PPG and has raised his three-point percentage by 8.9%. Junior Tae Davis has raised his points per game by 6.5 and is scoring 15.7 PPG. He’s also scored in double figures in all but one game since losing to Rutgers. Despite his three-point percentage seeing a slight dip, sophomore Braden Shrewsberry has seen a 5.5 rise in his PPG to 13.7 due to his improvements inside the arc.   There is proof that Shrewsberry is developing his talent at a high level, there just isn’t enough talent there yet. But it’s coming.   Since taking over as head coach on Mar. 4, 2023, Shrewsberry has locked up four of Notre Dame’s top 15 recruits in school history, including its second-best of all time in four-star Jalen Haralson. He’s a part of the 2025 class that ranks 4th in the nation according to 247 Sports that includes three other four-star players. Ryder Frost, the number four player in the state of New Hampshire, Tommy Ahneman, the number one player in the state of Minnesota, and Brady Koehler, the number six player in the state of Indiana.   Not only are those four players going to be contributors to the team next season, but the Irish still have two four-stars in the 2024 class in Sir Mohammad and Cole Certa. On top of the young talent returning, the Irish can also return what would be veterans in Burton, Shrewsberry, and Davis. Burton is certainly a question mark, but both Shrewsberry and Davis seem likely to return.   Bringing talent in isn’t going to be a problem for Shrewsberry, it’s proving that he can win games late. Even though there is a talent disparity, it’s hard to ignore five losses that were close to going in Notre Dame’s favor.   “If you’re not with us because we’re losing and you don’t want to come watch us, fine,” said Shrewsberry. “Do it because of me then, but not these kids. They don’t deserve that.”   The press conference after the game should not be frowned upon by Irish fans. Instead, they should feel inspired that Notre Dame’s head coach is confident in not only himself as a coach, but the program. That he is willing to turn the blame on himself to fire his guys up in the locker room. That in all scenarios, he is going to stick up for his players. In just a year and a half, there has been a quick shift of some Notre Dame fans that have gone from excited about the program, to wanting to fire Shrewsberry on the spot. Remember, this is not a quick rebuild.   Looking down the stretch, the Fighting Irish’s schedule is in the middle. One inspiring point is four of the final six games will be played in South Bend, and all four are winnable games. On the road, however, they will face two tough teams that will be in the tournament in number 18 Clemson and Wake Forest. Let’s say the Irish go 4-2 in those games, which would put them at 15-16 on the year. If they win a conference tournament game they get back to .500 which is where the target line was for this season anyways. Is it going to be slightly underwhelming? Sure. But it’s year two, not four or five.   For the fans that have "given up" on the Shrewsberry tenure, however, he did have a message at the end of his presser:   “But don’t come back when we’re winning, because we’re turning this around man. You better believe that” said Shrewsberry. “Everybody that gave up on me, believe it. Write this date down and believe it because we’re going to get this thing rolling. I don’t care if you gave up on me or not.”                   There are far better days ahead for the Notre Dame basketball program. The number four recruiting class is coming, and they will join other talented players that Shrewsberry should retain. Not to mention, the Irish will also pick up a transfer or two that will play meaningful minutes. The rebuild was always going to be rough, but it’s important to give it time.   The Irish will take on SMU in Purcell Pavilion this Wednesday at 7 p.m. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun