Written by: Jhett Garrett | Writer | Twitter/X: @JhettGarrett Photo by The Irish Tribune The Notre Dame Fighting Irish fell this past Saturday to the Syracuse Orange, 88-85. This road loss ends the three-game win streak the Irish was on, moving them to 10-17 on the year, and 5-11 in ACC play. It was a rough first half for the Irish as they found themselves down by as much as 29 points with 2:50 remaining in the period. In the first half alone, Notre Dame turned the ball over 11 times, allowing Syracuse to score 23 of their 49 first-half points off turnovers. “The 11 turnovers, they outrebounded us in the first half, and then our competitive spirit wasn’t there,” said Notre Dame Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry. The Orange won the boards 12-11 in the first half. The Irish ended the first half on a 9-0 run, cutting the lead down to 20 after a Julian Roper three. One important storyline in the first half was the lack of production from freshman Braden Shrewsberry. He finished the first half 0-1 from the field in 16 minutes of play. However, Shrewsberry, like the Notre Dame team as a whole, turned it up in the second half. He finished the game with 18 points on 6-9 shooting from beyond the arc and was a pivotal part of the Notre Dame comeback. scoring just 20 points in the first 17:29 of the game, the Irish scored 65 points in the final 22:31, with Shrewsberry and Markus Burton combining for 42 points in that span. In that same amount of time, the Orange as a team scored just 39 points. The guard play for the Irish was well beyond exceptional in this one, with both Shrewsberry and Burton continuing to play at a high level. After going just 2-7 from the field in the first half with eight points, Burton finished the game shooting 8-13 and 28 points. He also tacked on eight assists as well as one steal in the ball game, as well as four turnovers. It was yet another good game for the freshman guards, an important factor in the building of this program. Another young face for the Irish performed well in this one, as sophomore Tae Davis finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and five assists while shooting 5-8 from the field, and 1-1 from three-point range. It’s his ninth time scoring in double figures this season, and his second time in the last three games. Should he be able to continue to develop his three-point shot, he could be yet another dangerous piece for Notre Dame in the future. The Orange had four players finish in double figures, with Judah Mintz leading the way scoring 21. Chris Bell, who has been red hot in his last eight games, finished with 18, and both Maliq Brown and former Notre Dame player JJ Starling finished with 14. However, they were all held to nine or less in the second half. “Proud of our guys for their effort in the second half, but we just didn’t compete with the same fight in the first half,” said Coach Shrewsberry following the heartbreaking loss. As the Irish head into their final four games of the season, all of which will be tough matchups, they must ride this confidence. Continue to focus on what worked in the second half, and fine-tune that the rest of the way. They hit 10 threes, dominated the boards 19-13, outscored their opponent by 17, and gave up just 39 points to an offense that has threats at every position. That is the kind of team that can play with anyone they step on the floor with. “When it did show up that’s who we are and that’s who we have to be, and we have to play like that for 40 minutes,” said Coach Shrewsberry. It has been evident all season long that there is potential with this team, and with all the flashes they have shown thus far, the second half on the road against a tough Syracuse team might be the best sign. For the fans, continue to put your trust in Micah Shrewsberry and Co. As a coach, recruiter, role model, and person, he has the potential to be one of the top guys in the game. Just in year one he has already laid a foundation for what this program will be moving forward, and rebuilding a culture that was all but destroyed last season. Trust the recruiting, trust the coaching, and trust the players that are going to be brought in. Winning basketball will be played in South Bend quicker than most think. Notre Dame will start their final homestand of the season on Tuesday against Wake Forest at 9:00 P.M. on ACC Network. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Connor D'Aquila ⏐ Writer ⏐ Twitter/X: @ConnorDaquilaIT Photo by The Irish Tribune Notre Dame fans were overjoyed when Mike Denbrock was announced as the next offensive coordinator for the Irish back in December. Many were surprised to see him leave Brian Kelly and LSU, where he put together the most potent offense in the country and aided in Jayden Daniels’ Heisman season. He has proven himself to be one of the great offensive minds in college football and should bring a major change to the Notre Dame offense. This will be his third stint in South Bend, the most recent ending in 2016 when he left to take the offensive coordinator role at Cincinnati. It was at Cincinnati that he developed Desmond Ridder and brought the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff with over 400 offensive yards per game, Denbrock also coached alongside Marcus Freeman at Cinncinati, strengthing the relationship, which is one reason why Denbrock is back in blue and gold. Yesterday, we were able to hear Coach Denbrock speak publicly for the first time in his new role. After hearing what coach Denbrock had to say, Notre Dame fans should be estatic for the upcoming 2024 season. From the Press Conference First and foremost, the biggest takeaway from Denbrock’s time on the podium was his love for Notre Dame. The 60-year-old spoke about his love for the school and desire to work for Marcus Freeman. “This is a place that I’ve always felt my heart was. It’s where I’ve always wanted to be,” said Denbrock when discussing the decision to leave Baton Rouge. He reiterated that it was not an easy decision, but ultimately, it was “the right decision.” His words speak volumes to the potential he sees in Freeman and Notre Dame, especially when considering how desirable of a situation he had at LSU. This is also someone who has worked with Brian Kelly since the 1980s at Grand Valley State, a D2 football program. Leaving him is only more of a testament to the faith he has in the program being built in South Bend. He also mentioned the proximity to family, which certainly helped Notre Dame’s pitch, but this press conference made it clear that he believes a national championship is on the table for this program, something that seems to become more imaginable each day we get closer to kickoff in College Station. The other major takeaway from yesterday was the numerous changes to the offense we should expect to see. While the Irish have had success, they have not had the flashiest or most exciting offense in recent years, and that should begin to change. Denbrock cited a shift to a more “spread” style offense. This means we can expect to see more shotgun formations with a fair amount of 11 personnel (1 running back and 1 tight end) as opposed to the multi-tight end sets we have seen frequently. With a slue of receivers joining through the transfer portal and the strong arm of Riley Leonard, this should lead to increased production on the outside. At the end of the day, he believes this change will “allow our athletes to get out in space and make some explosive plays.” So far, he has been happy with the installation process, referencing the intelligence of coaches and players at ND. The true execution of his system will not be perfected until the summer, but it appears they are off to a good start. A Look Back at His Career Combining Denbrock’s comments at the press conference with an analysis of his past offenses, a pretty clear picture emerges of what we should expect. Historically, he has tended toward big plays with a lot of shots down field in the passing game. At Notre Dame, this led to two-straight 1,000 yard seasons for Will Fuller, the second of which included over 20 yards per reception. Riley Leonard should be a perfect fit in the system given his balance of mobility and arm strength. Coach Denbrock emphasized that the RPO game will be a staple of next year’s offense, and we have seen running quarterbacks thrive in the system. Jayden Daniels, Desmond Ridder, and even DeShone Kizer all went for over 500 yards rushing in a season in under Denbrock. In the press conference, he also emphasized that he sees the spreading of the offense as a means to open up space for the running backs and allow for more explosive plays from them. With athletes like Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price in the backfield, this should allow for breakout seasons between the two. A long time disciple of Brian Kelly, expect some of the concepts from his tenure to return, but this is an opportunity for Denbrock to really take control and turn the Irish into an explosive team.  Everything we heard yesterday should be viewed positively by ND fans and the commitment of the staff to this program is noticeable. New linebackers coach Max Bullough took the podium and made similar comments about how special this program and school is and how much it means for him to be here. Without seeing the on-field production, it seems that Freeman and the administration have made some great hires this offseason that should take the team to new heights. Denbrock is a proven veteran in the coaching space, who made it evident that he loves Notre Dame. By paying the big-time money for him and retaining Coach Golden, both sides of the ball will be led by some of the best minds in the game. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Cade Harper | Writer | Twitter/X : @CadeHarperIT Photo by Notre Dame Athletics Notre Dame's opening weekend was successful to say the least. The Irish swept the Rice Owls in dominant fashion from Friday - Sunday. Notre Dame opens up the season 3-0 under Stiffler and head into their next series against Florida International with some heavy momentum. One thing these men in gold helmets did this weekend in Houston was fight. Came from behind not only once, but twice on Saturday in their comeback win, and then come from behind again the following Sunday after being down 7-3. They scored a total of 11 runs in the final two innings of each game combined, all runs giving Notre Dame the lead and a win in all games. Irish found ways to score runs not only by hits but by walks, wild pitches, errors from Rice, and even hit by pitches. The only thing to monitor after this weekend would be to limit the strikeouts. Notre Dame struck out 28 times this weekend. However, Notre Dame's at-bat's have been nothing short of productive as they have really put a toll on Rice pitchers as far as increasing the length of the at-bats and giving them high pitch counts causing them to turn to their bullpen inning after inning. The only rough day was Sunday it felt like. Grad transfers in the bullpen and at the plate have done their job extremely well thus far. 3B Simon Baumgardt recorded 4 RBI's on 3 hits, two of them being home runs, and walked twice. RF Tito Flores got 4 hits along with an impressive 6 RBI's with help from a game sealing grand slam on Sunday. OF David Glancy had himself a weekend getting 5 runs on the scorecard, 2 home runs as well, 4 RBI's, and walked 4 times. Jack Penney led Sunday getting on base 4 times due to walks, and scoring twice in the process. Notre Dame's plate discipline played a factor in getting on base tallying up runs this weekend. Onto the bullpen, Matt Bedford, a Senior who only started twice last season, had a rough start to Sunday letting up an early 3 runs on 4 hits walking two batters. Nate Hardman recorded two saves. The bullpen recorded a total of 17 strikeouts this weekend. Expect to see more pitchers and position players to make their debuts in the next series which will be again on the road vs Florida International, who is also 3-0 to start the year. This match-up will be a long 4 game series: Friday, February 23 - Monday, February 26. First pitch on Friday is set for 6:30 PM EST. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by: Jhett Garrett ⏐ Writer ⏐ Twitter/X: @JhettGarrett Photo by The Irish Tribune Despite a more than rough season for Micah Shrewsberry and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-16, 5-10 in ACC Play), they are riding a three-game win streak heading into a tough game on the road against Syracuse. With consecutive wins coming against Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and on the road versus Louisville, the Irish have a chance to match their season win total from last season against the Orange. The Orange on the other hand, have had an up-and-down last seven games, sitting at 3-4, with a point differential of -35. They come in off a road win against NC State behind sophomore Chris Bell’s 26-point showing. Bell, a 6’7 forward from Concord, California is averaging 18.2 points per game in his last five games, scoring 13 or more points in four of those five games, while shooting 53% from the field. Despite this, he is still the third leading scorer on the Syracuse squad behind Judah Mintz, and former Notre Dame player JJ Starling. JJ Starling was a five-star recruit out of high school, and the number one recruit in all of New York. He was recruited by former Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey and committed to the Irish back in October of 2021. Two and a half years later, Starling will be playing on the other side of the ball, as an opponent for Notre Dame. In his sophomore season, Starling is averaging 13.7 points per game on 46.2% shooting from the field, including 11 consecutive double-digit scoring games. In those 11 games, he has put up 22 or more points in three games, and two or more threes in eight of those games. He is beginning to hit his stride as a player for the Orange and will be a definite threat in the matchup. Judah Mintz, the leading scorer for Syracuse with an average of 18.2 points per game, comes into this one as the number one option. While Starling and Bell have been putting up better averages over the last span of games, Mintz has been the most consistent player for the Orange all season. There have only been two games this entire season that Mintz hasn’t been in double figures and 12 games with 20 or more points. And despite his high number of shots, he is still shooting 43% from the field. Similar to Notre Dame’s previous matchup with Mike James, Mintz will attack the rim at a high level and get his shots inside the arc. While Syracuse has three viable options on the offensive side of the ball, the Notre Dame defense has been something to behold the last three games. Opponents are only averaging 57 points per game, including holding Louisville to just 50 points. With Syracuse averaging 76 points per game this season, the defense is going to have to continue to step up once more in this one. In the preview article for the Louisville game, I said that it was a great opportunity for Braden Shrewsberry to get back on track for this Fighting Irish squad. He did just that, putting up 23 points, on 8-13 shooting, and 7-11 from three. He also turned the ball over zero times in the game, which is something that Notre Dame continues to improve on every game. If the Irish want to extend their win streak, they will have to rely on Shrewsberry hitting his shots and getting in a groove early. While Syracuse is eyeing a double bye for the ACC Tournament, Notre Dame is taking things game-by-game trying to build on a rebuilding season. Topping last year’s forgettable season is number one on the bulletin board for Micah Shrewsberry and Co., and while they already have, they have a chance to statistically “tie it” on Saturday. This is a huge step in the right direction for building this program back up, and once again becoming a player in the ACC. Give this time, and the Irish will be the ones playing for a double-bye at the end of February. Tip-off from JMA Wireless Dome will take place at Noon, with the game airing on ESPN. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by: Jhett Garrett ⏐ Writer ⏐ Twitter/X: @JhettGarrett Photo by Notre Dame Athletics Coming off a sweep this past weekend against Rice, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish baseball squad travels to Miami, Florida for a weekend series with the Florida International Panthers. The Panthers (3-1) are coming into this one following a loss this past Tuesday to Bethune-Cookman, however, picked up a sweep of their own last weekend against Long Island. The Irish are off to their best start to a season since 2010, and picked up their first road, non-conference three-game sweep since 2020 last weekend. It was thanks to the great at-bats that Notre Dame was working, totaling 27 walks on the weekend, and seven batters hit by pitches. Despite this, the Irish struggled to ever get the bats going, finishing the series with a team batting average of .213. A name to look out for in this series is infielder Simon Baumgardt. The graduate senior from Evergreen, Colorado went 3-12 against Rice, including two massive home runs along with four runs batted in. Despite striking out six times on the weekend, Baumgardt had an immediate impact for Notre Dame. He did a phenomenal job of putting the bat on the ball, with a slugging percentage of .750, and with his extreme power from the right side of the box, you can expect those outs will start translating to hits. He has a great opportunity to do so this weekend. Fellow graduate student David Glancy is another power bat in the lineup that can transform this Irish offense. He also launched two big flies this past weekend, while also getting walked three times. It’s his first season with Notre Dame after spending four seasons at St. John’s, and he is already proving that he can be one of the better power bats in the ACC. While you would like to see Glancy get on base a little more against FIU, he like Baumgardt had a lot of loud outs. The hitting situation should not be a concern at this stage in the season. This early in the year, it is hard to tell what you have in the pitching rotation due to the lack of innings guys are getting. However, even in limited innings, it is hard to not be impressed with the performance that Caden Spivey put together last Friday against Rice. Just a sophomore, Spivey only gave up three hits and a lone run scored, leading the Irish to their first victory of the season. While the probable starters for the weekend have not yet been released, you can assume that Spivey will get one of the nods, potentially game one on Friday. There is a lot of room for improvement, however, as Jackson Dennies and Matt Bedford didn’t have the starts that they were both anticipating. Between the two, they gave up a combined nine hits, seven runs, five walks, and a home run a piece in 6.1 innings pitched. While it is still early in the season, you still want to see these numbers improve from your starters, and there is a great opportunity to do so this weekend. It is very realistic for the Irish to be sitting at 6-1, or even 7-0 heading into the month of March. Game times for the weekend are as follows: Friday – 6:30 P.M. (ESPN +) Saturday – 2:00 P.M., 6:00 P.M. (No Broadcast) Sunday – Noon (ESPN +) Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Liam Farrell｜Senior Staff Writer｜Twitter/X: @LiamFarrell_IT Via The Irish Tribune From the outside, the new 12-team playoff format for college football looks to be favorable for big name schools like Notre Dame. However, with Notre Dame being one of the sole Independent teams, the rewards are not as plentiful. First, let's look at the pros. It will be significantly easier for Notre Dame to make the playoff every year. The 12-team format obviously opens more spots for teams to make the playoff, but it also makes the pressure of going undefeated during the regular season go away. The two times the Fighting Irish made the college football playoff, they had undefeated regular seasons. By taking away the pressure of going undefeated, it allows for a bit of a safety blanket, even if the Irish lose a game early in the year. This past season, even if the Irish escaped with wins at Louisville and Clemson, I'm not sure their one-loss resume with the heartbreaker against Ohio State would even let them into the playoff over one-loss conference champions. This debate about Notre Dame's strength of schedule and lack of conference championship games will also start to be diminished. The conference champion tie-ins are automatic bids within this new playoff format, and this will no longer be a criterion to hold over the heads of the conference-less Fighting Irish. Another pro that the 12-team playoff format brings is that Notre Dame has the ability to host a home playoff game. I could already picture a snowy day in December with a packed Notre Dame Stadium shaking all South Bend. This home atmosphere is what college football should all be about. Now, let's shift to the cons. The Irish cannot receive a first-round bye. The four bye games are tied with the top 4 conference championship winning teams. While I listed this as a pro earlier as it pertained to the Irish not competing for certain spots, it forces Notre Dame to play more postseason games. Even though the Irish have the potential to play more postseason games, their regular season isn't shortened. During this extended season, it is imperative to stay healthy throughout the year. This is partly why the Irish went out and signed one of the top physical minds in the business, Loren Landow, during the offseason. To make these college athletes play an extended postseason on top of the same number of regular season games puts their health at risk. In the postseason dynamic seen today, many top players sit out of their bowl games because they don't want to risk getting injured and hurting their draft stock. It should be interesting to see if the extended number of playoff teams ends this trend. In summary, the new 12-team playoff format for college football presents both advantages and drawbacks for Notre Dame. While it offers increased opportunities for playoff contention and the potential for hosting home games, it also eliminates the possibility of a first-round bye and raises concerns about player health with an extended postseason. The format shift prompts a reevaluation of Notre Dame’s strategic approach and underscores the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics.   Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Jhett Garrett ⏐ Writer ⏐ Twitter/X: @JhettGarrett Photo by The Irish Tribune The Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel to Louisville this coming Wednesday for a matchup with the Cardinals (8-18, 3-12 in the ACC). The Irish currently hold a two-game win streak, with wins against Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, both of which were home games. While both programs are in less-than-desirable positions at this point in the season, both sides have already made significant improvements in comparison to last season. With the Irish’s last win over Georgia Tech, they have already surpassed their ACC win total from a season ago with four, while the Cardinals have already doubled their overall win total from a year ago. Both sides are looking to further build on these improvements as we make our way into March. Notre Dame is looking to snap their four-game losing streak on the road, with their last road win coming on January 9th against Georgia Tech. It is their lone road ACC win since they knocked off Clemson back in February of 2022, however, they have a massive opportunity to pick up yet another. On the other hand, Louisville is riding a two-game losing streak falling to Boston College and Pittsburgh, both on the road. However, the Cardinals have been victorious in their previous two home games, knocking off Georgia Tech and Florida State. The Cardinals are led by sophomore guard Mike James, who is averaging 13.5 points per game on 40.3% shooting. He has scored in double figures in each of the last five games for Louisville, which is largely in part to James’ ability to get to the free-throw line. In his last five games, James has shot 40 free throws and knocked down 31 of those, which has him at a 78% clip in that span. It is going to be vital for the Notre Dame guards to keep James on the perimeter and make him shoot from deep. Markus Burton seems like the right man for the job when it comes to defending James, as he is coming off a five-steal game against Georgia Tech last Wednesday, giving him 11 steals in the last two games. He has had two or more steals in 12 games this season and is averaging two per game. Couple that with 34 points and 13 assists during the current two-game winning streak, while only turning the ball over a combined three times in that same span, and Burton is beginning to blossom into an incredible asset for Notre Dame. Braden Shrewsberry is another player to watch for the Irish, as he tries to get back on track after an impressive month of January. He has been slumping in the last five games for the Irish, as he is averaging 10.4 points per game on 25% shooting in that span. This includes a three-point performance against Georgia Tech in their latest game, where Shrewsberry shot 1-11 from the field, and 1-8 from three. While cold streaks like this are expected from a freshman, it will certainly favor the Irish if he can get back on track against the Cardinals. This game will come down to staying out of foul trouble if you’re Notre Dame. Louisville averages 17.6 free throws made per game based on their high-isolation offense. They rank 321st overall in assists per game (11.1), 224th overall in field goal percentage (43.9%), and 197th in points per game (73.4). The Notre Dame defense has been the backbone of this rebuilding team this season, and it can be expected that it will once again be their go-to on the road. Tipoff will be at 7:00 p.m. EST, and will be streamed live on ESPNU. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Liam Gaudet ⏐ Senior Editor ⏐ Twitter/X: @LiamGaudetIT Photo by The Irish Tribune Notre Dame (14-14-2) kicked off their BIG 10 home series against the eighth ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers on Friday night at the Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, as the Irish looked to bounce back from a three game conference skid. The Irish, who were 8-10-2 in conference play at the time, entered their third straight series against a conference opponent who was ranked within the top 10 nationally and chalk-full of NHL talent. Game 1 - Friday, February 16th (7:30 PM EST) Notre Dame was able to stave off attacks from the Gophers early into the first frame, as Rhett Pitlick found himself alone on a breakaway within five minutes of the game. The shot and subsequent rebound were steered away by Mike Richter Award semi-finalist Ryan Bischel, who stopped all 11 shots he faced in the first period. A few moments later, a shot from the point was able to squeak through Bischel by way of a deflection, before coming to rest at the edge of the crease before being cleared in a chaotic sequence by the Irish defense. Once Notre Dame began to settle in, there was no looking back. The Irish counter attack sprung an odd-man rush 11 minutes in, which saw Carter Slaggert notch his third goal of the campaign, as he jammed in a slow rolling puck past Justin Close courtesy of a Danny Nelson rebound. Notre Dame would carry that 1-0 lead into first intermission despite being outshot 11-8 thanks to stellar play from Bischel and the opportunistic play of Ali, Nelson and Slaggert. Notre Dame wasted no time building on the momentum, as less than two minutes into the second period, Jake Boltmann delivered a beautiful pass from the corner directly on the tape of Cole Knuble at the far post who buried his eighth of the year to make it 2-0. The Irish were having a much easier time entering the offensive zone, and didn't necessarily need to rely too heavily on the counter attack in the second frame. Knuble would double down seven minutes later, deflecting a low shot from the point by Danny Nelson, the 2023 New York Islanders second round draft pick, who added his second assist in the contest. Team captain Landon Slaggert would add his team-leading 18th just three minutes later on a rebound from the point, which would chase Minnesota netminder Justin Close after giving up his fourth goal on fourteen shots. The Golden Gophers would show signs of life, however, as a 2-on-1 turned into a 2-on-0 when Zach Plucinski fell to the ice, which allowed Aaron Huglen to cut the lead to 4-1. The comeback hopes were dashed quickly, as freshman phenom Danny Nelson would cap-off his three point night with an elegant steal at the Gopher blue line, gliding into a 2-on-1 where he would keep the puck and bury a snap shot short side on Nathan Airey. The Irish would lead 5-1 heading into the second intermission. Notre Dame would protect the lead in the third, adding a final powerplay goal in the dying minutes of the game courtesy of Drew Bavaro. The Irish would finish the game 1-2 on the powerplay, while being outshot 32-28. Needless to say, a dominant second period lifted Notre Dame to their first conference victory since February 2nd. Game 2 - Saturday, February 17th (6:00 PM EST) Much like the first game, Notre Dame found themselves behind the 8-ball early into the first period, as Minnesota was able to keep the Irish attack at bay for the majority of the first period. The Irish could only manage to muster four shots, but held their own in the defensive end to keep the game scoreless after one. There wasn't a whole lot to write home about in the first, as it seemed that both teams were looking to get their legs underneath of them, while playing cautiously in hopes to avoid making the first mistake. The offense would come alive in the second period for both teams, starting with a particularly odd goal from behind the net for the Golden Gophers. A centering pass from Connor Kurth below the net would bank off of Zach Plucinski's skate and into the net, giving the Gophers the go-ahead tally less than two minutes in. To that point in the series, Ryan Bischel had only allowed one goal on his last 45 shots from Minnesota. Irish nerves were quelled shortly after, as junior Justin Janicke would enter the offensive zone with speed, flying around the net and tucking in a wraparound with Close out of position to tie the game. This, again, came as a direct result of the Irish counterattack, stemming from a block in the defensive zone courtesy of Tyler Carpenter. Another Notre Dame counterattack goal would ensue shortly after, as a turnover at the red line forced by Brady Bjork would be shuffled ahead to Jayden Davis who unleashed a howitzer off the post and into the net from the top of the circle for his second goal of the season to put the Irish back in front. That would also register as Bjork's first career point for Notre Dame, which would come at a critical time. Unfortunately for the Irish, they would be caught on the next shift by another odd-man rush leading to a tying goal just 18 second later. The game would remain tied, forcing overtime in Compton. Just 1:18 into the sudden death frame, Minnesota's X-factor Jimmy Snuggerud would wire a shot past Bischel through a screen, ending the hopes of a series sweep for the Irish. Notre Dame was outshot 39-26 in the game, and did not receive any powerplay opportunities. Despite the loss, Coach Jeff Jackson seemed pleased with the effort his team put forth in this series. "We played one of the hottest teams in the country, a top-10 team, toe to toe all weekend." Jackson said following the defeat. "Disappointing finish, but a good weekend for the most part. Pleased with the guys who battled as hard as they could. They obviously elevated, but we held in there and found a way to at least get a point out of the game, and that gives us the season series against Minnesota too." When asked about the contributions from the younger players on the roster, Jackson would provide some insight into the programs future as well. "Well, it's two different things tonight. You feel for the older guys, but the younger guys are our future, and they're certainly an impactful group. Hopefully they continue to develop over the rest of the year and they become the leaders moving into next year." Notre Dame will finish up the season next weekend against the Michigan Wolverines. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Connor D'Aquila ⏐ Writer ⏐ Twitter/X: @ConnorDaquilaIT Photo via X/@elijahburress Just a few short months ago, I wrote an article detailing the uptick in legacy recruiting we were seeing from the Notre Dame staff. Between James Flanigan and Bryce Young, it was hard to ignore the sons of former Irish stars becoming priorities for the coaching staff - and for good reason. Today, this has escalated even further, with the emphasis remaining squarely on players with elite football talent in their DNA, but not necessarily those whose fathers have played for the Irish. Since publishing that article, Ivan Taylor and Elijah Burress, sons of Ike Taylor and Plaxico Burress respectively, have committed to the Irish, and Jerome Bettis Jr. remains a top target. Do not get it twisted, however, these players are elite talents who just happen to have well-known fathers. Taylor is a bona fide star and was a major pickup for Notre Dame, while Burress is a more underrated player who many think will see a major ranking jump in the coming year. Prioritizing these players makes sense for a coach like Freeman, who has an NFL background and likely sees value in the training and mentorship these players have received from a young age. Let's take a look at these NFL legacy commits and what they bring to the table. Ivan Taylor This is a recruitment that has become slightly more uncertain in recent days with the departure of safeties coach Chris O’Leary. Most signs point to the star safety staying true to his commitment, but the departure of a positional coach will always bring uncertainty. Mike Mickens is also the best replacement Irish fans could ask for and should add some confidence in their ability to keep him. Nonetheless, as it stands, Taylor is the top-ranked player in Notre Dame’s 2025 class with a four-star and number 61 overall ranking by the 247Sports Composite. Out of West Orange High School in Florida, he plays in the state’s top division with some of the best talent in the country. Ivan has also made an impact on varsity since his freshman year, an impressive achievement for any player. Understandably, Notre Dame had some stiff competition in this recruitment, but the ability to excel academically and athletically prevailed, as his father understood the temporary nature of football. This is always a major part of Notre Dame’s pitch, but it seems to resonate well with the recruits whose parents understand the difficulty of a long career in football. The “four for forty” pitch helped the Irish land a player who flashes impressive athleticism and an eye for the game that is hard to teach. Notre Dame fans should be over the moon about this pickup, should Taylor stay true to his pledge come signing day. Elijah Burress Burress brings a unique skill set to the Irish offense. In 2023, he hauled in 434 yards and five touchdowns at DePaul Catholic, which is impressive, but not the numbers we have seen from some other top recruits. After watching his film and examining the skillset, however, it is clear why the ND staff fell in love with Burress. While still raw and a bit undersized, his athleticism and knowledge of the game is elite and should translate well with time and a college strength program. Ranked 520 overall on the 247 Sports Composite, Notre Dame got in at the right time and moved quickly with his recruitment. They did not offer until January 11th but got him out for a visit soon after, and he was committed by February 10th. This is another case where his family knew the importance of an education and Notre Dame quickly stood out on that front. Making such quick work of the recruitment is also a good sign for receivers coach Mike Brown and what he will be able to accomplish moving forward. At the end of the day, this is a player who lacks size at the moment, but has incredible athleticism and potential. His mother was also a track and field athlete at Penn State, which is just another good sign for his athletic development. Whether it is a concerted effort by Coach Freeman or Notre Dame’s message resonating with ex-NFL players, it is undeniable that we have seen an increase in NFL last names committing to the Irish. Not only does it add great storylines, but it also brings players who are ready for the next level and have been taught well from a young age. We can only hope this will continue, and it appears it will with Jerome Bettis Jr. still on deck for the 2025 class. Adding pieces with Bettis, Taylor, and even Urlacher (2024 safety commit) DNA should never be viewed as a negative for Notre Dame.  Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Connor D'Aquila ⏐ Writer ⏐ Twitter/X: @ConnorDaquilaIT Photo by The Irish Tribune In a vital move to secure the future of the Irish coaching staff, Notre Dame inked Al Golden to a four-year extension recently, a Notre Dame spokesperson confirmed to The Irish Tribune . First reported by John Brice of FootballScoop ; It was reported that DC Al Golden had signed a four-year extension with Notre Dame that is of similar value to that of OC Mike Denbrock (A four-year guarenteed contract worth up to $9 Million), making both Golden and Denbrock's respective contracts some of the richest in all of college football by coordinator standards. A source with insight into the financial aspect of the athletics program told The Irish Tribune that Notre Dame "Wrote a blank check" to Al Golden. While that is much more a figure of speech than it is a reality, it implies that Notre Dame is serious about bringing in and retaining top coaching talent to bring a national title to South Bend, at whatever cost that may entail. There was much speculation about Golden's future with the program after his name was linked to a few head coaching opportunities in the college space, and many felt he would jump to the NFL if given the opportunity. The worries are no longer, however, as Golden will be with the team for the foreseeable future. Performance aside, keeping some stability on this staff is very important as the Irish look to make a push for a CFP birth next year, and want to keep key recruits. After losing Chris O’Leary earlier in the week, this news should quell the nerves of fans across the country. The loss of Gerad Parker will mean a transitional period for the offense will likely be in the fold, but Mike Denbrock is about as good a replacement as Notre Dame could ask for.  Beyond the aspect of consistency, Golden has proven himself to be an incredible defensive coordinator during his time in South Bend, and it would be hard to make a hire that truly replaces his value. First year results were mixed, as it felt the defense failed to show up in the biggest moments, but given the performance of the offense, and accompanying time spent on field, it is easy to forgive. In year two, however, it became clear that Golden’s schemes were gaining traction with the players, and execution advanced substantially. From a statistical perspective, in 2023, Notre Dame was ranked fifth in total defense, seventh in scoring defense, twelfth in turnovers, and eighth in defensive touchdowns. Time and again, the defense proved to be game-changing in big matchups, highlighted against USC in the drubbing of an elite offense headlined by a Heisman winning quarterback. There was initial criticism over Golden’s recruiting, but that appears to have turned around as 2024 and 2025 look to be top classes nationally. Any way you cut it, having Golden’s defensive mind on the staff for the foreseeable future is a major positive for the Irish, and should keep the group at the top of college football. It is also great to see the administration willing to pay for someone like Golden, and the interest he has received from other teams serves as a testament to his value. The Denbrock-Golden duo should be one of the best coordinator tandems in the nation heading into the 2024 season.  Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Owen O'Connor ⏐ Writer ⏐ Twitter/X: @Ocon54 Photo by The Irish Tribune The Irish offense has some big shoes to fill when it comes to replacing production in the run game. Former starting running back Audric Estime was a clear staple of the offensive gameplan going into most games last season, and has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest Irish running backs in recent memory in terms of production and athleticism. He managed to account for 18 of the teams 28 rushing touchdowns, and was responsible for 55% of the total rushing yards in 2023, despite splitting carriers with some of the names we will be discussing shortly. Estime averaged an absurd 6.4 yards-per carry in 2023, the most by a leading tailback since Josh Adams posted 6.8 in 2017. The second-team All-American had announced that he would be declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft, and will likely be the biggest loss on the offensive side of the ball outside of projected top-10 pick Joe Alt. Luckily for Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman's insatiable appetite on the recruiting trail has set Notre Dame up well for the future. There is definitely an argument to be made that the Irish haven't seen this amount of depth within the offense in quite some time, so without further delay, these players will be the reason why production on the ground will continue to trend upward into the future. Jeremiyah Love Love was a highly touted 4-star recruit who signed with Notre Dame under Marcus Freeman's first recruiting class as head coach. The Class-6 football State Champion averaged an impressive 10.4 yards-per-carry and had 14 touchdowns his senior year for Christian Brothers College, and like he showcased this season, can accelerate at a phenomenal rate. He was also a track state champion in the 100 meter dash for his track team. This year, the freshman running back from St. Louis made an early impression with 86 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries in the first 2 games. Jeremiyah Love brings home run speed to the running back room that can revitalize a stalling offense. Expect to see new offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock giving Love opportunities in space, as this is where he can do the most damage (see his Sun Bowl touchdown). After a strong start to his college career, we'll see if he can be the difference maker on the ground in a far more prominent role for Notre Dame in 2024. His speed and agility will likely be the reason that we see his potential come to fruition this fall. Jadarian Price Just like Love, Jadarian Price was a consensus 4-star recruit, but is one year older and has a much broader frame. As one of the rotational running backs for the Irish, Jadarian Price saw moderate action throughout the season both as a tailback and on special teams. Price was turning heads from the second that Notre Dame fans caught a glimpse of him during the 2022 Blue & Game, where he housed a screen pass from Steve Angeli, outrunning a plethora of upper-class defenders as a freshman. Unfortunately for Price and the rest of the offense, he missed the entirety of the 2022 season due to a ruptured achilles tendon in the offseason which forced him to redshirt. Price returned in 2023 with all four years of eligibility still intact, and contributed successfully. The highlight of his season, of course, came against Southern Cal, where he returned a kickoff 99 yards to seal a victory over the then-undefeated Trojans. Price saw 24 less carries than Love during the season, but managed to deliver overall promising numbers thanks to his bowl game performance versus Oregon State. In the bowl game, Price averaged 8.2 yards-per-carry without the help of Notre Dame's starting offensive tackles, and totaled 106 yards on just 13 carries. Even though Love was statistically more impressive through most of the regular season, Jadarian Price's bowl game performance should instill confidence that he can be an every-down back in a similar role to Estime in 2024. Riley Leonard The new Irish signal caller might surprise some readers here, but Leonard brings many tools that can improve overall offensive production. The star transfer from Duke is bringing a dual-threat style to the quarterback position that can create more opportunities for this offense in 2024. His combination of size, mobility, and arm strength is something this offense hasn't seen since Brandon Wimbush was the starting quarterback for the Irish to kick off the 2018 season, and should be a welcomed addition to an offense that seemed to be sorrily missing a dual-threat element. Riley Leonard averaged 6.1 yards-per-carry last season for Duke with 352 yards in seven games. Leonard is coming off a high ankle surgery, but should still be able to open up the Irish offensive playbook and cause defenses fits come this fall. The Notre Dame offense will have a lot of fresh faces this season after many departed for the NFL draft. Coach Marcus Freeman has shown confidence in his players by giving opportunities to underclassmen such as Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love, who will look to build on incredibly opening campaigns. We'll see who is ready to fill a much needed role for the Irish during the Spring game on April 20th. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Liam Farrell｜Senior Staff Writer｜Twitter/X: @LiamFarrell_IT Photo by The Irish Tribune SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Irish defensive newcomers introduced themselves to the media for the first time earlier today. Jordan Clark, son of NFL Pro-Bowler and analyst Ryan Clark, was a key transfer portal acquisition for Marcus Freeman this offseason. Clark was brought in to solidify an already stacked Notre Dame secondary that returns Bronco Nagurski Trophy winner, Xavier Watts, and All-American corner, Benjamin Morrison. "We don't need any defensive back talent," Clark joked when answering how Notre Dame pitched themselves to him. "I came here because I wanted to progress and grow," Clark stated. The track record of Notre Dame safeties surely enticed and was a key factor in Clark pledging his commitment to the Irish. Kyle Hamilton, Harrison Smith, and Julian Love are the most recent, yet prime examples of Fighting Irish safeties having success at the next level. Other players to greet the media were highly touted freshmen, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Bryce Young. Both Viliamu-Asa and Young were 5-star prospects by at least one online recruiting service and are expected to make an impact during the 2024 season. "Wherever they need me. I'll go out there and give it my all and show the coaches I can play," Viliamu-Asa stated. Viliamu-Asa, while extremely humble and soft-spoken during interviews, wrecks unimaginable havoc between the white lines. During his senior season, he totaled 114 total tackles, with 56 solo tackles, and 13 tackles for loss. Viliamu-Asa played and excelled against the premier talents seen in the Trinity League, which speaks to the possibility to make an early impact for the Fighting Irish. For Young, physicality will serve as the main factor in seeing playing time for the upcoming season. "I'm around 250 [pounds], but I want to get to 255 or 260 by spring," said Young. Young had one of the biggest jumps in the recruiting rankings after a dominant senior season. Packing on weight to his 6-foot 5-inch frame led to a lot of Young's success. As an outside rusher, he prides himself on the combination of his size and speed. During his senior season, Young led Charlotte Christian with 14 sacks, and added 18 tackles for loss. He also excelled during the post season prospect practices, specifically at the All-American Bowl this past January. If Young can continue to pack on weight to his tall frame, the Charlotte, N.C. rusher will have a fruitful career with the Fighting Irish. The additions of Clark, Viliamu-Asa, and Young are crucial in bolstering the talent on Notre Dame’s defense. Their diverse skillsets and impressive physical abilities will help contribute to the Fighting Irish’s success in the 2024 season and beyond.