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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

Notre Dame makes a massive statement, as Marcus Freeman and his staff have hired Ja'Juan Seider to replace Deland McCullough as Notre Dame's Running Backs Coach. Photo by The Irish Tribune It's no secret that the departure of Deland McCullough to the Las Vegas Raiders was a massive blow to Notre Dame, which came as the latest departure in a string of moves that included the losses of Defensive Coordinator Al Golden, and General Manager Chad Bowden. To put it quite honestly, Notre Dame had lost two integral pieces of their success over the past few seasons. Compounding this with the departure of McCullough must have felt like being kicked while they were down. While Notre Dame moved quickly to secure the services of Chris Ash as the new Defensive Coordinator, while simultaneously retaining Mike Mickens, they still found themselves in a tough spot after missing on their perceived top GM target in James Blanchard. It seems, however, that the Irish were not willing to sit idly by and wait for the right candidate to emerge to replace McCullough's services. Marcus Freeman wanted to go big game hunting - and quickly. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off.   Ja'Juan Seider, without hyperbole, might be the best at coaching running backs in the country. The Florida native played college football from 1995-1998 at West Virginia as a quarterback, before playing a final season for his home state in 1999 as a member of the HBCU Florida A&M Rattlers. Despite only seeing action in seven games throughout his college career, his love for the game was never in question, as his transition to coaching occurred shortly after in 2001 as the Running Backs coach for Glades Central High School; his alma mater. After two seasons, he would move on to become the Offensive Coordinator of another in-state high school, Palm Beach Lakes, before one more stint at Lake Worth High School as a Quarterback Coach. Seider would cut his teeth as a graduate assistant in his return to West Virginia in 2008, before earning his first role as a collegiate positional coach at Marshall (Running Backs) in 2010. He would hone his skills at the G5 level for three seasons, before his final return to Morgantown, where he would once again earn a promotion as the Running Backs Coach. He left for Florida for the same position in 2017, before landing at Penn State in 2018, where he's been ever since. During his time with the Nittany Lions, he was promoted from Running Backs Coach to Run Game Coordinator in 2020, and then to Assistant Head Coach/Co-Offensive Coordinator in 2021. Seider coached his first player to 1,000 rushing yards in 2013 at West Virginia despite their 4-8 record in Charles Sims. In 2015, he would coach Wendell Smallwood and the Mountaineers to an 8-5 record, with Smallwood recording a team-high 1,519 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. As a whole, the 2015 Mountaineers squad would finish the season with nearly 3,000 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns. After another 3,000-yard rushing performance from the offense in 2016, things didn't go as well at Florida. The 2017 Gators would finish 4-7, and the running backs would fail to eclipse 2,000 yards rushing before Seider would leave for Penn State. The script would completely flip for Seider in Happy Valley, however. In his first season, he coached well-known NFL RB Miles Sanders to a nearly 1,300-yard season and enjoyed a 9-4 record alongside James Franklin. After another successful season in 2019, the Nittany Lions hit a snag during the shortened 2020 season, before Seider's promotion in 2021. Seider played an integral role in the recruitment of both Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who would burst onto the scene for Penn State in 2022. In 2022, Singleton would total 1,061 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman, en route to another 11-2 season for Penn State. In 2023, Singleton and Allen would total 752 and 902 yards respectively during another 10-win season. Finally, in 2024, Seider's most successful season would come to fruition. Singleton and Allen would each eclipse the 1,000-yard mark during Penn State's magical 13-win season, ending in a loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. With both Singleton and Allen returning in 2025, it likely wasn't easy to pull Seider away from Penn State. This is a true testament to both Freeman and Bevacqua's commitment to excellence, as there likely aren't many coaches that can rival the success enjoyed by Seider throughout his career. This was one hell of a hire for Notre Dame. I would expect nothing short of a dominant season on the ground in 2025 for the Fighting Irish given Seider's coaching acumen. What a statement from Notre Dame. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The freshly-appointed number one team in the country, Notre Dame Women’s Basketball, defended their home court and their new ranking on Monday evening when they defeated the 11th-ranked Blue Devils 64-49. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Duke opened the game by bringing the pressure to the Irish early and often, allowing the Blue Devils to take a 19-16 lead following the first quarter. Duke’s Taina Mair led all scorers with nine points on 4-4 shooting including a three. Notre Dame’s offense was led by Hannah Hidalgo with six points and Maddy Westbeld with five on 2-3 shooting including a three. Irish leading rebounder, Liatu King, exited with around 3:00 minutes remaining in the quarter after taking a hard fall and the Irish struggled to get things going offensively in her absence. She would return in the second quarter. The back-and-forth contest continued into a low-scoring second quarter. Both offenses went ice-cold in the first 4:59 of the frame as Notre Dame outscored the Blue Devils just 1-0 in that span. The offenses did pick it up in the final five minutes of the half but it was the Irish’s 5-0 run in the final 2:17 of the quarter that put the home squad up 29-27 heading into the break. Sonia Citron led all second-quarter scorers with five points including a three.  While Duke held Notre Dame to their lowest first-half total of the season, their offense struggled too as they shot just 1-7 from three to open the game. However, the Blue Devils entered halftime outscoring the Irish 9-0 in points off turnovers and 7-2 in bench points. It was their 2:48 scoring drought to end the second quarter that allowed the Irish to hold a halftime advantage. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off An explosive Notre Dame third quarter ultimately gave the Irish the winning edge as they outscored Duke 21-8 in the frame. Four different Irish scorers scored four or more points in the quarter as Citron led the way with six points and two rebounds in eight minutes played. The Blue Devils offense struggled tremendously in the quarter, shooting just 2-11 from the field as Notre Dame opened the first 5:01 on a 17-2 run to extend their lead to 18. Duke ended the quarter on a 7-4 run as the Irish entered the final quarter leading 50-35. The fourth quarter was hard-fought from both sides, as they each added 14 points apiece in an effort that was too late from the Blue Devils. Duke cut the Irish lead to 12 midway through the quarter but Hidalgo’s six points were too much for the visitors to handle.  Notre Dame completely flipped the script in the second half to extend their winning streak to 18 games. Duke shot just 0-2 from three in the half and the Irish’s 11 forced turnovers handed Notre Dame the 64-49 victory. Irish Stars: Hannah Hidalgo: 19 points (6-6 FTs), 4 assists, 3 steals, +15 Sonia Citron: 15 points (4-4 FTs), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, +14 Maddy Westbeld: 11 points (4-5 FGs, 2-3 3FGs), 2 steals, 2 blocks, +18 Liatu King: 11 rebounds, 2 steals, +13 Key Team Stats: Field Goal Percentage: ND (40%) - Duke (38%) Three Point Percentage: ND (33%) - Duke (11%) Total Rebounds: ND (41) - Duke (28) Fastbreak Points: ND (14) - Duke (6) Steals: ND (11) - Duke (8) Coming this week, the Irish hit the road for a Thursday matchup in Miami with the ‘Canes before a Sunday battle with the 13th-ranked NC State Wolfpack in Raleigh. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Following a thumping of Cleveland State earlier in the week, the No. 1 ranked Notre Dame men's lacrosse team welcomed Marquette to South Bend on Saturday. The showdown with the visiting Golden Eagles was the final tune-up before the two-time defending national champions begin a run that will see them play eight teams currently ranked inside the Top 20 across their next nine games. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Coming off a dominant 24-6 win over Cleveland State to kickstart their run to a three-peat, the Irish (1-0) played host to a familiar non-conference opponent in the Marquette Golden Eagles (1-1) on Saturday inside the Arlotta Family Lacrosse Stadium in South Bend. To say this matchup has been one-sided would be an understatement. Entering the contest, Notre Dame was a perfect 12-0 against their Big East foes, with seven of those victories coming comfortably on their home turf. And, with the offense firing on all cylinders early in the season - thanks primarily to a seven-goal performance by Jake Taylor in the aforementioned opener earlier in the week - the Irish were oozing with confidence.   Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. Notre Dame would once again hit the ground running, with Fisher Finley registering the first goal of the contest at 12:40 in the first. Marquette, however, would respond in kind with two quick goals of their own to take a 2-1 advantage in just thirty seconds over Notre Dame. Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, this would be their only lead throughout the rest of the contest. Notre Dame would notch five straight goals after falling behind in the first, courtesy of Jake Taylor, Chris Kavanagh, Will Angrick, and Max Busenkell. In total, six different players would register a goal for Notre Dame in the first, as they carried an 8-3 advantage into the second. The Irish would make the most of their chances in the first, converting on 8 of their 13 shots on goal. The Irish would streak on to begin the second, scoring seven straight goals and carrying over momentum from the first. Angrick registered his third goal of the contest at the end of the first, followed by Devon McLane's first of the season. The Irish would waste little time, with Jeffery Ricciardelli scoring at 12:53 in the second. The Fighting Irish would add goals from Finley, Busenkell, Pokorny, and Seymour on the 7-0 run. With the game comfortably in hand at the half, the Irish would command a 13-5 lead, where their overwhelming talent would carry them to a controlling 22-9 victory. Nine players would register a multi-goal performance, with Angrick and Taylor each scoring a hat trick in the outing. The No. 1 ranked Fighting Irish have now won 16 straight games dating back to last season - the longest winning streak in program history.   What’s Next for the Irish? Notre Dame heads to the nation's capital for a date with No. 15 Georgetown on Saturday, Feb. 22. From there, a massive early-season showdown will take place in Atlanta. Traveling to Bobby Dodd Stadium - home of the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets football team - the top-ranked Irish will battle No. 6 Maryland as part of the Atlanta Lacrosse Invitation on Saturday, March 1. The game between the Irish and Terrapins will be a rematch of last season's national championship, which Notre Dame won, 15-5. The invitational, which will benefit Shootout for Soldiers, will also feature a matchup between Mercer and Drexel. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame Men's Basketball HC Micah Shrewsberry went off in his post-game interview after a loss to Louisville, storming out of the room after hitting a microphone. Photo by The Irish Tribune Here's the video below, the interview will play once you click on the video: Video courtesy of Len Clark It was arguably the most fiery interview given by a Notre Dame coach in a long time, possibly ever. Notre Dame fell against Louisville at home last night 75-60. In the interview, Micah Shrewsberry wasted no time letting his thoughts be heard. Coach Shrewsberry talked about several things. From how Louisville fans outnumbered Notre Dame fans in Notre Dame's arena, to how the issues with the team's performance fall on him, not the players. Shrewsberry also noted the work and effort the team has put in, referencing their previous game against Boston College, arriving home at five in the morning, then proceeding to go to class just hours later. Fans and media have mixed opinions about not only the team's overall performance but Micah Shrewsberry himself. One thing the former Penn State coach has been known for is his passion for winning and his fiery attitude, as shown this past Sunday. We'll be putting out more content regarding this, but I believe this is a flip-switch moment for this team if that video gives any indication. I believe one thing for certain, a ticked-off Micah Shrewsberry is a lot scarier to play against than a happy Micah Shrewsberry. Let us know your thoughts. Notre Dame hosts SMU this Wednesday Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo has helped Notre Dame become the second-ranked team in college basketball and elevated herself into the national spotlight. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics The No. 2 Notre Dame women's basketball team is must-see TV. The talented guard trio of Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles, and Sonia Citron have been the backbone to the Irish's 17-game winning streak that has vaulted Notre Dame up the polls to No. 2. While the wizardry of Miles and the defensive prowess of Citron have elevated their draft stock, the true star of the team lives within the fiery nature of the 5'6" guard from Merchantville, N.J.: Hannah Hidalgo. Last year, Hidalgo burst on the scene in her freshman campaign, scoring 31 points in her debut against the eventual national champion South Carolina Gamecocks, before establishing herself as a household name within the women's college basketball realm. Hidalgo cemented herself as one of the sport's best players in Notre Dame's 82-67 win against No. 8 UConn in Storrs, Conn. as Hidalgo's 34-point effort established Notre Dame's legitimacy in the 2023-24 season. With Olivia Miles being sidelined the entirety of last year, Hidalgo matured quickly as she led Notre Dame to a Sweet Sixteen run before losing to Oregon State. She was also awarded the 2024 Dawn Staley Award, which highlights the best guard in college basketball, over first-overall pick, Caitlin Clark. With the re-emergence of Miles, Maddy Westbeld, and the transfer portal acquisition of Liatu King, Niele Ivey's team is at full strength and destined for a deep run in this year's installment of March Madness. Yet, even with such a tremendous amount of talent, Hannah Hidalgo still finds a way to be a star on both ends of the court. This season, Hidalgo is currently averaging 25.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 4.1 steals per game. Her 25.2 points per game ranks second in the country, while she is currently tied for first in steals per game as well. While the stats clearly demonstrate how effective she is both offensively and defensively, it is the heart and passion that Hidalgo plays with that is so captivating to watch. Her fiery personality and emotion-filled performances bring out the best in her game, as she has averaged 27.7 points in games against AP Top 10 teams this season (USC, Texas, UConn). She has also outshined the game's brightest stars through these performances. She outplayed USC's star JuJu Watkins in the Irish's early season victory against USC in Los Angeles. She outlasted Madison Booker and the Texas Longhorns in the Irish's overtime victory in South Bend. Then, Hidalgo put together her best performance of the season against Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies as Hannah accounted for 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in a win over the No. 2 team. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. Much of the Fighting Irish's success this season is a testament to the team and the depth that Ivey has fostered at Notre Dame. If not for Hidalgo's excellence, Miles, Citron, Westbeld, and King would all be superstars, and headliner players at most Top 25 programs. Ivey's team is so well-coached and developed that the Irish should be locked into a first seed when Selection Sunday comes around next month. However, Notre Dame has not had a Naismith Women's College Player of the Year in 24 years, since Ruth Riley won the award in 2001. While Bueckers is shoed-in as the first overall pick in next year's draft and Watkins receives all of the national attention on the West Coast, it is hard to argue that there is a more impactful player on both ends of the court than the superstar Sophomore guard for the Irish. As Notre Dame gets ready to take on No. 13 Duke tomorrow at Purcell Pavilion before playing in front of ESPN College Gameday in Raleigh, N.C. on Sunday, Feb. 23 against No. 10 NC State, Hannah Hidalgo will be center-stage to showcase herself as the frontrunner for the Naismith award. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Irish Hockey came up just short in both meetings at Penn State this past weekend, extending their losing streak to four. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Friday: 3-5 Loss The story of the first period was six penalties called, including four on the Irish in what was a testy twenty minutes. Despite struggling to generate any offense, Notre Dame played well until the last four minutes of the frame. With 3:59 remaining, the Nittany Lions scored two goals in 41 seconds. They then added a power play goal with 10 seconds left in the period following a roughing penalty on Brennan Ali to extend their lead to three. While being on the penalty kill for nearly half the period, the Irish offense notched just four shots on goal in the frame. Notre Dame found their offense in the second period when Carter Slaggert found the back of the net just over five minutes into the frame. Hunter Strand and Grant Silianoff, who was playing in his 150th game with the Irish, were credited with assists.  Under four minutes later, Ali beat the Nittany Lions’ goalie to cut the Irish deficit to 2-3. Jimmy Jurcev and Ian Murphy earned assists on the confidence-boosting goal nearly midway through the period. With just three seconds remaining in the second period, the Irish gave up a shorthanded goal to Penn State’s Dane Dowiak, his second score of the game, to extend the Nittany Lions lead to 4-2 entering the final frame. The Irish answered right away in the third period when Blake Biondi netted a power play goal under a minute into the frame. Biondi’s 11th goal of the season made it a 3-4 game, and Justin Janicke and Paul Fischer were credited with assists. Unfortunately, Penn State owned the remainder of the period as they outshot the Irish 10-9 and added an empty-netter with 1:08 left to secure the Nittany Lions 5-3 victory.  Irish Star(s): Owen Say: 4 goals against, 32 saves Key Stats: Shots: PSU (37) - ND (27) Power Play Success: ND (1-4) - PSU (1-5) Penalty Minutes: ND (10) - PSU (8) Faceoffs Won: PSU (33) - ND (26) Blocked Shots: PSU (12) - ND (9) Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Saturday: 2-3 Loss Notre Dame failed to take advantage of a mistake-driven Nittany Lions squad in the first period. Penn State tallied just five shots in the frame; however, with 2:23 to play, Danny Dzhaniyev put the home squad on top 1-0 as he got one past Say. The Irish managed just seven shots in the period and failed to capitalize on two power play opportunities (the latter penalty continued into the second period).  The Irish flipped the script in the second period as Biondi added his second power play goal of the weekend following a game misconduct called against Penn St. This game-tying goal was assisted by Cole Knuble and Danny Nelson. Penn State responded with 4:55 remaining in the period as they claimed a 2-1 advantage following Nicholas DeGraves’ goal.  In the final period, Nelson matched Penn State’s game misconduct about six minutes into the frame when he was tossed for an illegal cross check. The Nittany Lions made the Irish pay for this as they netted one past Say less than 30 seconds after the penalty to extend their lead to 3-1.  With the Irish still shorthanded following Nelson’s major penalty, Janicke gave the visitors some life when he finished a nice pass from Knuble to cut their deficit to one with about ten minutes left in the contest. Along with Knuble, Michael Mastrodomenico was awarded an assist on Janicke’s second score of the year. Notre Dame failed to find another game-tying goal in the last ten minutes despite outshooting the Nittany Lions 16-8 in the period.  Irish Star(s): Cole Knuble: 2 assists, 3 shots, +1 Key Stats: Shots: ND (38) - PSU (28) Power Play Success: PSU (1-3) - ND (1-4) Penalty Minutes: PSU (21) - ND (19) Faceoffs Won: PSU (38) - ND (22) Blocked Shots: PSU (14) - ND (9) The Irish travel to Madison next weekend for a series with the Wisconsin Badgers. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Irish Men’s Basketball team ended their three-game skid with a 97-94 road victory in Chestnut Hill on Wednesday that required two extra periods. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics In the first half, Boston College shot the lights out, knocking down 7-12 three-point attempts from five different players. The Eagles’ well-rounded effort gave them a 41-35 advantage heading into the half. For Notre Dame, Markus Burton led the charge on offense with 10 points including a three in his 16 minutes played. Perhaps one reason for the Irish’s eventual win was their ability to stay away from fouling, as the Eagles missed their lone free throw attempt of the half. On the counter, Notre Dame shot 4-6 from the stripe, marking four huge points in a game that ended with the Irish winning by just three. The Irish finished the first half shooting 48.3% from the field and 37.5% from three. In addition to these subpar shooting splits, they were also outscored 16-8 in bench points; Boston College’s Fred Payne outscored the Irish bench himself as he poured in nine points on 3-4 shooting from deep in just nine minutes played off the bench. Boston College came out hot after the break, tying their largest lead of 14 points with 14:10 remaining in the game. The Irish comeback was led by Burton’s 14 second-half points on 6-8 shooting from the field. He scored the last four Irish points including two clutch free throws with 26 seconds to play to tie the game at 80 and ultimately force overtime. Behind Burton, Tae Davis contributed 12 points (4-7 FGs) and Braeden Shrewsberry added 11 including two threes in the second half. The Eagles’ offense was led by Chad Venning who scored 13 points on 6-9 shooting from the field. Notably, it was his foul on Burton that allowed the game to go to overtime. Burton and Venning traded buckets to open the first overtime to tie the game up at 82 with 3:33 remaining. Burton knocked down two free throws and then Kebba Njie went 1-2 from the stripe to give the Irish a three-point lead with 1:26 to play. Unfortunately, the Eagles’ Donald Hand Jr. buried a three on the next possession to bring the score to 85 apiece. Burton and Venning then exchanged missed jumpers to force a second overtime. Get the scoop before your friends with Tribune+ Both offenses came back to life in the second overtime as the sides began trading baskets to open the frame. It was Davis who added four points on back-to-back possessions and extended the Irish lead to five with 2:38 to play. The Eagles stormed back with a 6-0 run to put the home squad up 94-93 with 1:20 left. Following careless Boston College offensive possessions and missed Burton free throws, Njie put back a Burton missed layup to give the Irish a 95-94 lead with 16 seconds remaining. Burton made up for his prior missed free throws with two makes to ice the game with one second left in the contest, finally ending the Irish’s three-game skid. The Irish star finished with a new career-high 32 points as this win marked the largest comeback in Notre Dame’s Coach Shrewsberry era. Key Player Stats: Markus Burton: 32 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, +8, 46 minutes played Tae Davis: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, +3, 48 minutes played Kebba Njie: 7 points (3-4 FGs), 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, +6, 30 minutes played Key Team Stats: Field Goal Percentage: BC (54%) - ND (47%) Three Point Percentage: BC (48%) - ND (30%) Turnovers: BC (13) - ND (9)Total Rebounds: ND (40) - BC (34) Second Chance Points: ND (20) - BC (6) This Sunday, the Irish are set to host the Louisville Cardinals, one of the best teams in the ACC this year. We will see if Notre Dame can carry this double-overtime victory momentum into a date against a talented opponent this weekend. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

As Notre Dame continues its search for their next GM, the recruiting and evaluation side of things has not slowed down in the interim. I recently did a scouting report on WR Brayden Robinson, who was a Junior Day visitor. Now, we will look to the other side of the ball at a prospect who was also in attendance for that all-important recruiting event - Simeon Caldwell. Photograph by Christian Schultz (@schultz.media) Simeon Caldwell is a four-star LB/S out of Jacksonville, Florida who in addition to Notre Dame, has received major interest from some of the big names in college football such as Ohio State and Georgia. The 2026 standout visited South Bend on multiple occasions last season, and Junior Day was the latest attempt for the Fighting Irish to get him more comfortable with the coaching staff, especially amid some ongoing changes on the defensive side of the ball. He is a very versatile player, and the film matches the hype. I want to go through some of the critical factors and position-specific traits that make him special, and as always they will be graded on a scale of 1 (Poor) to 7 (Elite). Let's get into it! Athletic Ability: Very Good (6) Caldwell possesses very good acceleration and closing speed. He is a sideline to sideline player and can cover ground in a hurry from the backside of plays, which allows him to always be around the ball. He displays the type of movement skills and open-field awareness that make him a threat to take turnovers to the house. His athletic ability has also been on display on special teams. His ability to bend and flatten has led to him blocking multiple kicks, and he also returned a blocked kick for a touchdown. Although not generally lined up as a deep kick returner, Caldwell has been the recipient of some squib kicks as an up-man and has turned them into chunk plays. He also fits well on coverage units due to his speed and big-hit ability. Run Support: Elite (7) Caldwell is very comfortable playing up near the line of scrimmage. His mental processing is very good and he's able to key run plays quickly post snap. Caldwell does an excellent job of maintaining his leverage vs outside runs like jet sweeps and tosses, forcing the play back inside when he isn't making the tackle himself. He has good play strength and can stack and shed WRs and TEs at the point of attack when fitting the run. He consistently shows good pursuit, chasing down plays going away from him. My favorite thing about this part of his game is his ability to break down in space and be a sure tackler. Caldwell keeps his eyes up and runs through ball carriers. Whether Notre Dame plans on using him as a linebacker or a safety, he will be an asset when it comes to stopping the run. Coverage Ability: Good (5) This trait can easily be higher come the end of his senior year, but as of now, I just didn't see enough reps of him playing from a deep zone to be able to grade it as elite. What I did see was someone who possesses some good route recognition, and knows when to attach to a WR crossing his face. Caldwell shows enough coverage ability to be lined up in man in condensed areas like the red zone and has the ball skills to disrupt catches. He reads the QBs eyes in zone coverage and is never out of position. He is fluid in his drop and knows when to flip his hips and go. Caldwell also possesses the ability to turn overthrows into interceptions. This will be an area to watch, because if he can put more positive coverage reps on film, it will boost his stock greatly. Pass Rush/ Blitz: Good (5) Whether coming down into the box as a blitzing safety, or lining up as an outside linebacker, Caldwell's ability to rush the QB is an area of strength. He shows very good timing off the snap, which allows him to utilize his speed and blow by offensive tackles. He avoids chip blocks and takes a good angle to the QB consistently. Once he gets home, he wraps up and knows how to finish. Another day, another big time defensive recruit squarely on Notre Dame's radar. They continue to do an excellent job reloading, and not allowing positions of strength to take a step back talent-wise. Simeon Caldwell would be an excellent addition to help keep that element going and will be a big catch for whatever program lands him. Already a Top-5 2026 LB, I look forward to revisiting his senior film next season and seeing what areas of his game have improved even more. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun