In our last piece, Dan Devine secured the #5 spot on our list of Notre Dame’s greatest-ever head coaches. The battle for our #4 spot was close, but this coach narrowly beat Devine for a few key reasons. Let’s look at who earned our #4 spot. Photo by Notre Dame Athletics 4. Lou Holtz Unlike many of the coaches on our list, Lou Holtz’s relationship with Notre Dame didn’t begin on the field or attending classes on campus. Instead, he was a longtime admirer and fan of the program. His admiration grew when he began his coaching career, and the hallowed head coach position at the University of Notre Dame became his dream job. After making a name for himself coaching the Arkansas Razorbacks for 7 seasons, Holtz was offered the top spot at the University of Minnesota, which he accepted with only one stipulation. He requested a clause in the agreement that would release him immediately from his contract if Notre Dame, and only Notre Dame, came knocking.  Thankfully for everyone, they did, and Holtz was officially named the next head coach at Notre Dame for the 1986 season. He inherited a struggling program, desperate to return to the glory of years past but struggling to find its footing. Gerry Faust had just left South Bend after 5 dismal seasons, never eclipsing 7 wins, and twice posted a losing record. With everything stacked against him, Holtz arrived in South Bend with a new vision for the former powerhouse and immediately made his mark. He decided to remove the names on the back of player jerseys to foster a team-first mentality over the individual's accomplishments. Outside of a few postseason exceptions, Holtz’s nameless jerseys have remained a staple of the program’s tradition and were only the beginning of his contributions to its history.  The 1986 season was a baptism of sorts for Holtz, posting a rough 5-6 record. Despite the poor start, the season was encouraging, with 5/6 losses coming by single digits. These losses came against #3 Michigan (23-24), Michigan State (15-20), #2 Alabama (10-28), Pitt (9-10), #3 Penn State (19-24), and #8 LSU (19-21). In the final game of the season, Notre Dame stunned USC, mounting a 17-point come-from-behind 4th quarter victory, squeezing by the Trojans (38-37). While his first season was a losing one, the Irish fought several tough breaks, and Holtz managed to beat USC in his first go. Holtz’s second season was an improvement over a rough first outing, with the Irish going 8-1 through their first 9 games, beating #9 Michigan at the Big House, #17 Michigan State, USC, and #10 Alabama. Despite starting strong, the Irish dropped their final 3 games, falling to Penn State in a (20-21) heartbreaker, a crushing (0-24) loss against Miami to end the regular season, and a (10-35) loss in the Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M. While most were left reeling from the late season collapse, Holtz again saw promise and potential in his squad, and Irish fans were left to dry their tears with Tim Brown’s 1987 Heisman Trophy. After only 2 years in South Bend, 1988 was when everything finally clicked for Holtz and the Irish. Notre Dame began the season as the #13 team in the polls and an underdog in their opening game against #9 Michigan. The Irish struggled mightily on offense, failing to score a single touchdown and forced to lean on their defense and special teams. Their only points came from an 81-yard Ricky Watters punt return for a touchdown and 3 field goals from walk-on kicker Reggie Ho. Down 2 points and the game on the line, Notre Dame’s fate hung on the leg of Ho as he lined up for his 4th attempt of the day and only 1:13 left on the clock. Just as they had all day, the Irish special teams rose to the occasion and knocked a 4th kick through the uprights to steal the game (19-17). After narrowly escaping disaster, Holtz and his squad responded by handily dispatching Michigan State (20-3) before crushing Purdue (52-7) the week after. Now in full stride, the Irish added wins against Stanford (42-21) and Pitt (30-20) to bring their record to 5-0 as they stared down the barrel of their biggest challenge yet. On October 15th, Jimmy Johnson and the #1 Miami Hurricanes arrived in South Bend to face off against the #4 Fighting Irish. The reigning National Champions brought plenty of hype and cockiness with them, but instead of intimidating Holtz and his squad, it fueled them. Just before kickoff, simmering tensions boiled over when both teams encountered one another in the tunnel, leading to an all-out brawl that only ended when police intervened. Miami’s opening drive ended with a fumble, allowing the Irish to strike first on a 12-play 75-yard touchdown drive. The Hurricanes responded quickly with a touchdown of their own, but an 80-yard drive ending with a Tony Rice touchdown pass put the Irish up once again. Only 4 plays later, Irish Safety Pat Terrell snagged a tipped ball and returned it 60 yards for a score, extending the Irish lead to 14. The Hurricanes scored 2 quick touchdowns in the final minutes of the 2nd quarter and leveled the score at (21-21) just before the half. Notre Dame’s defense came up big on Miami’s first play of the 3rd quarter, forcing a fumble to give the Irish offense a short field. They capitalized with a rushing touchdown and later added a Reggie Ho field goal to extend their lead to 10 as the 4th quarter began. A Miami field goal cut Notre Dame’s lead to 7, and a quick defensive stop gave them the ball back about halfway through the 4th. After marching deep into Irish territory, Miami’s drive culminated in a 4th & 7 red zone situation. They initially converted on a pass over the middle but controversially fumbled the ball on Notre Dame’s 1-yard line, just a yard shy of tying the game and their 7th turnover of the day. Shortly after the momentum swing, Tony Rice was stripped on Notre Dame’s 14, giving the Hurricanes yet another chance to decide the game. This time, Miami would capitalize on the turnover with a 4th down touchdown pass, drawing within a point of the Irish. Instead of kicking the extra point to tie, head coach Jimmy Johnson decided to go for the death blow and try for a 2-point conversion. Once again, Pat Terrell saved the day, knocking down a last-ditch toss to the back corner of the end zone, sealing the win for the Irish and snapping Miami’s 36-game regular season win streak. The game became an instant classic, dubbed “Catholics vs Convicts”, and is still considered one of the greatest games in college football history. After knocking off the #1 team in the country, the Irish improved to #2 in the polls and would continue their campaign with wins over Airforce (41-13), Navy (22-7), Rice (54-11), and Penn State (21-3) before their final regular season game against their biggest rival. #1 Notre Dame entered its annual contest with #2 USC, looking to cap off their season with a statement. For the first time in the rivalry’s history, both sides entered the matchup undefeated, but with the game in LA, Notre Dame was considered the underdog. The Irish jumped out to an early lead with 2 first-quarter rushing touchdowns, with one coming via a 65-yard Tony Rice scramble that gave him his 9th rushing score of the season. The score made Rice the first QB since Irish legend Paul Hornung in 1956 to lead the team in rushing. The Irish defense piled on, scoring on a pick-six, and forced 4 USC turnovers to put the Trojans away (27-10). The 11-0 Irish earned a shot at the National Title, heading to the Fiesta Bowl to face #3 West Virginia. Both teams entered the matchup at their peak; the Mountaineers were the best team WVU had ever fielded, and the Irish brought a #1 ranking into a postseason bowl game for the first time ever. Notre Dame stunned the Mountaineers by scoring twice in the 1st quarter, once via an Anthony Johnson rush with a missed PAT, and the second on a 45-yard field goal. West Virginia only managed 2 FGs in the 2nd quarter, while the Irish padded the lead with another rushing score and a 30-yard dagger from Tony Rice to The Rocket, sending the game into halftime with a lopsided (23-6) score. The Mountaineers put up their first touchdown in the 3rd quarter, while Notre Dame added a field goal to bring the score to (26-13). Both sides traded touchdown passes and 2-point conversions in the 4th, but the Irish defense stepped up like they had all season, and put the game out of reach with a late interception in WVU’s end zone. Notre Dame held on to beat West Virginia (34-21). This win gave Lou Holtz his first National Championship, the program’s 11th, and its first since 1978. Holtz joined Leahy, Parseghian, and Devine by winning it all in his 3rd season in South Bend, and he was awarded the Coach of the Year by three different presenters. The 1988 team is considered one of the greatest of all time, going undefeated, beating 10/12 opposing teams by double digits, and taking down the #2, #4, #5, and #7 ranked teams at the end of the season.  Surprise came from both outside and within the program when they won in 1988, with most believing they were still a year or two away from their prime. By winning it all a year ahead of schedule and returning key starters Tony Rice, Raghib Ismail, Rickey Watters, Tony Brooks, Jeff Alm, Chris Zorich, and Pat Terrell, among others, Holtz and the program appeared on the cusp of a dynasty. The 1989 Irish looked just as good, if not better than their National Championship squad from the year before, winning 11 straight games and extending Notre Dame’s win streak to 23 straight, setting a school record in the process. They spent the entire season at #1 in the polls, padding their resume with wins against then #2 Michigan (24-19), #17 Air Force (41-27), #9 USC (28-24), #7 Pitt (45-7), and #17 Penn State (34-23). To this day, Holtz contends that the 1989 team was the most talented group he coached while at Notre Dame. Holtz approached the 1989 season finale against #7 Miami with both confidence and caution. The anemic Irish offense couldn’t muster a single offensive touchdown, with Miami holding their prolific rushing attack to only 178 yards and their passing game to 106. Ultimately, Notre Dame couldn’t overcome their offensive woes, and Miami played not just for the win, but to avenge its close 1-point loss the season before. The Irish fell (10-27), ending their win streak at 23, dropping them to #4 in the polls, and dashing any hopes of a chance to repeat as Champions. Newly minted #2 Miami went on to beat #7 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl (33-25), claiming their 3rd National Title in 6 years. The 11-1 Irish faced #1 Colorado in the Orange Bowl, easily handling the Buffs (21-6) and further confusing the National Title selectors. Notre Dame ended at #2 in the polls, behind #3 FSU and Colorado at #4. Despite losing to the Hurricanes, Notre Dame technically had the better loss against Miami than Miami themselves did, losing to 2-loss FSU. All things considered, the 1989 Irish just missed out on a 25-game win streak and Holtz’s 2nd Championship with the Irish. If they’d managed to duplicate their 1988 season, it would have been Notre Dame’s first back-to-back Title since Frank Leahy’s tenure. Miami ended their season at #1 with an 11-1 record, while the Irish finished 12-1 with the NCAA’s strongest regular season SOS and a win against the #1 team in the country, Colorado. Although the Hurricanes beat the Irish, there is something to be said about the fact that they wouldn’t have won the Title without Notre Dame taking down Colorado in dominant fashion. Despite not technically winning the Title, the Irish were named Champions by several polls - Berryman(QPRS), Eck Rating System, Rothman(FACT), Sagarin, S&P+, and ELO-CHESS. Holtz’s 1990 squad began the year at #1 yet again, beating #4 Michigan in the first game of the year, followed by another win against #24 Michigan State. Their first stumble came against unranked Stanford, losing at home (31-36) and dropping them to #8. After 5 straight wins, most notably against #2 Miami and #9 Tennessee, the newly #1 ranked Irish met #18 Penn State at home, sadly losing on a late field goal (21-24) and dropping them completely out of the National Championship chase. Now 8-2, the #7 Irish faced off against USC in LA, beating them in a close struggle (10-6). The road win pushed Notre Dame to the #5 team in the country, earning another shot against #1 Colorado, a rematch from the year prior. This time, Colorado was gunning for a National Title.  The game was a low-scoring affair, with no action in the 1st quarter, only a 22-yard Colorado field goal, and a 2-yard Ricky Watters rushing TD for Notre Dame in the 2nd. Crucially, the Buffs managed to block the Irish’s PAT, something that would come back to haunt them. The 3rd quarter was almost exactly the same as the 2nd, but in reverse, with the Irish knocking in a 24-yard FG and the Buffs scoring on a 1-yard run. Notre Dame’s missed PAT had them trailing by 1 when it should have been tied (10-10). With only about a minute left on the clock, Raghib “The Rocket” Ismael had a chance to spoil the Buffs’ National Title bid. Instead of safely punting the ball out of bounds, Colorado surprisingly punted straight to Ismael, and from the looks of it, greatness had struck. Ismael fielded the ball at the Irish 8 and was immediately hit by 3 Buffs players in quick succession, a sequence that would typically stop any punt return in its tracks. But like so many times before, there was nothing normal about what The Rocket could do. Defying reason, he managed to stay upright, hurling through the middle of Colorado's return defense while breaking another two tackles. As he bounced to the outside, only Buffs QB Darian Hagan stood in his way. The second he hit the 50, the Rocket turned on the afterburners and flew down the sideline - gone. Mayhem ensued, and the Irish celebrated their touchdown and come-from-behind win in the limelight - until they were interrupted. Following the end of the play and seemingly the game, referees announced over the PA system that there’d been “a flag on the play.” Shocked and gutted, Holtz and the Irish watched as a controversial “clipping” call reversed the greatest play of their season. Ultimately, the missed PAT and the ghost-like “clipping” call were too much to overcome, and the Irish fell to the Buffs (9-10). The win gave Colorado their one and only Championship, although their 1990 title is technically shared with Georgia Tech, who went 11-0-1 and beat Nebraska (45-21) in the Citrus Bowl. After the loss, the 9-3 Irish dropped to #6, and “The Rocket” placed second in Heisman Trophy voting, losing to BYU’s Ty Detmer. The 1991 Notre Dame squad began their season at #7 and split their first two games, beating Indiana handily (49-27) before losing to #3 Michigan (14-24). The Irish then won 7 straight games, bringing their record to 8-1. Despite the strong start,  #12 Pitt was the only ranked team they’d faced since Michigan, so #5 was the highest they could climb before their home matchup with #13 Tennessee. The Irish dominated the first half, hanging 31 quick points on the Volunteers, and entered the half up (31-14). Tennessee exploded in the second half, putting up 21 points to Notre Dame’s 3, narrowing the score to (34-35). With 4 seconds on the clock and no timeouts left for either side, the Irish lined up for a routine 27-yard field goal that would give them the win by 2. Everything looked normal, and the original broadcast announcer called the field goal good until the Tennessee sideline began celebrating, and the officials confirmed the miss. It turned out the Volunteers partially tipped the ball as it lifted off over the line of scrimmage, and the ball just missed the uprights. With this 1-point loss, the now 8-2 Irish dropped to #12 and out of the National Title race. The following week, Notre Dame traveled to #8 Penn State and lost (13-25), dropping to #18 in the polls. After closing the regular season with a win against Hawaii, the Irish earned a Sugar Bowl appearance against the #3 Florida Gators.  The Gators entered as 6.5-point favorites and jumped out to a (16-7) lead heading into halftime. The Irish then scored 10 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter to take a (17-16) lead heading into the 4th. After knocking in their 4th and 5th field goals of the day, the Gators regained the lead (22-17) in the 4th before encountering an unstoppable force. Fullback Jerome “The Bus” Bettis overpowered Florida’s defense and put up 3 touchdowns in the final 12 minutes of the game: a 3-yard plunge, a 49-yard dash, and the final dagger - a 39-yard touchdown. A last-ditch touchdown and failed 2-point conversion were all the Gators had left, and Bettis led the Irish to a (39-28) win behind 150 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns - all coming in the 4th quarter - earning him MVP honors for the performance. The Sugar Bowl win gave the 1991 Irish a final record of 10-3. The 1992 Irish began the year at #3 and crushed Northwestern 42-7 at Soldier Field. They encountered their first true test in week 2, a home matchup against the #6 Michigan Wolverines. In their first offensive touchdown, Irish RB Reggie Brooks took a pitch to the outside, broke a tackle, and, as he was nearing the end zone, was hit by a Wolverine player, knocking him out just before he fell over the line and into the end zone. The 20-yard scoring play was thus dubbed the “Unconscious Touchdown” and etched into Notre Dame lore as one of the most impressive and notable runs in school history. Michigan tossed a 27-yard touchdown late in the 2nd quarter, tying the game heading into halftime. The Wolverines knocked in a field goal to take a 3-point lead in the 3rd and capitalized on a Jerome Bettis fumble with a 30-yard pass to score, taking a 10-point lead in the 4th quarter. The Irish would go on to score behind the unrelenting Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, followed by a field goal of their own, tying the game (17-17) with just over 5 minutes left. Now, the controversy. The Wolverines were poised to score until the Irish defense stepped up and snagged their 3rd interception of the game, giving them the ball with 1:07 left and 1 timeout. The issue came when Holtz decided to call 2 running plays back-to-back, forcing Notre Dame QB Rick Mirer to toss a pass that fell incomplete. The 3-play series shed a whole minute off the clock, leaving the Irish with only 7 seconds left and their lone timeout unused. This left only enough time for a single play, nullifying Holtz’s remaining timeout. With their final play, Mirer was forced to toss a long ball to get within scoring distance, but it was broken up, ending the game in a disappointing tie. Irish fans were left reeling. This would be one of 3 ties the 1992 Michigan team would post, although they ultimately went 9-0-3. This dropped the Irish to #7, but they’d go on to win their next two games against Michigan State and Purdue, giving them a 3-0-1 record before their matchup with #18 Stanford. Sadly, the Irish would drop their home game against the Cardinal, sending them from #6 to #13. They recovered and won 6-straight games, highlighted by a dominant win against #9 Boston College (54-7), and an instant classic over #22 Penn State. While not considered a classic rival of Notre Dame, the Nittany Lions entered the final matchup in their series with the Irish leading the all-time series 8-7-1, giving the Irish a chance to even the series before it went on hiatus. It was a below-freezing November day in South Bend, with light flurries coming down and a full-on storm threatening. The Irish limped into the game, with QB Rick Mirer sick with a stomach bug and Jerome Bettis with a tweaked ankle. Penn State struck first, rushing for a TD, but had their extra point blocked, earning them only 6 points for their efforts. The Irish offense struggled to get the ball in the end zone, settling for 3 points each quarter and turning the ball over twice. PSU’s QB Kerry Collins put the Nittany Lions up (16-9) with 4:25 left in the 4th. A 4th FG wouldn’t help the struggling Irish offense, and a touchdown would only tie the score at 16: the Irish would need to score their first touchdown of the day and follow it with a 2-point conversion to win. After a 4-minute 61-yard drive, the Irish sat on the Penn State 3-yard line. It all came down to this - on 4th down with only 25 seconds left, down 7, Rick Mirer tossed a floater just over the line to Bettis for a touchdown, bringing the Irish within 1. Penn State knew what was coming, and Holtz lined his offense up for a 2-point conversion. As Mirer dropped back, his pocket began collapsing under the pressure, forcing him to scramble outside the pocket. While being chased by two defenders, nothing appeared open, yet he tossed a prayer off his back foot, holding the game’s fate in his hands. The ball sailed to the back corner of an empty end zone, only to be met by a diving Reggie Brooks, who reeled the ball in to put the Irish up (17-16) and steal the game from the Nittany Lions. The come-from-behind win would go down in Notre Dame history, dubbed the “Snow Bowl.” In their final game of the season, #5 Notre Dame beat #19 USC (31-23), finishing at 9-1-1, along with a Cotton Bowl invitation against Texas A&M. Despite missing out on a National Title bid, Holt’s squad responded to their postseason challenge, pummeling the Aggies (28-3). Jerome Bettis scored 3 of Notre Dame’s 4 touchdowns, and the Irish defense held A&M scoreless until late in the 4th quarter, when they kicked a 41-yard field goal. After the bowl win, the Irish finished at #4 in the polls, with a 10-1-1 record, only marred by the Michigan tie and Stanford loss. The Irish began 1993 at #7 and won a 7th straight season opener under Holtz, a (27-12) grinder against unranked Northwestern. Pollsters were left unimpressed and kicked the Irish down to #11 as they faced a road game against #3 Michigan. Starting QB Ron Powlus was sidelined with injury, but the Irish squeaked out a close one over the Wolverines (27-23). The win sent the Irish up to #4 in the country and began a 7-game win streak against unranked opponents (Michigan State, Purdue, Stanford, Pitt, BYU, USC, & Navy), ending up at #2 with a 9-0 record. While the middle of their schedule lacked competitiveness, the Irish earned style points, with their closest game being a (17-0) shutout at home against Purdue and a (44-0) home shutout over Pitt being their most dominant win. The Irish offense outscored opponents (279-67), while the defense didn’t allow a single team to score over 20 points. On November 13th, 1993, the undefeated #1 Florida State Seminoles arrived in South Bend, bringing the 1993 squad their biggest challenge of the year. The stakes for both teams could not have been higher, with legendary coaches Bobby Bowden and Lou Holtz battling for more than a blue-chip win and bragging rights: the winner of this game would almost assuredly go on to play undefeated #3 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl for the National Title. They were considered the two best teams in the country, but the Seminoles were favored by 7 points despite being on the road, and Holtz was looking to play spoiler. FSU struck first with a 12-yard pass from Charlie Ward, but the Irish responded shortly after on a 32-yard run by Adrian Jarrell. Notre Dame used the 2nd quarter to put some distance between themselves and the Seminoles, adding two more rushing touchdowns to move ahead (21-7) going into the half. The Irish scored first in the 3rd quarter, padding their lead with a field goal before the Seminoles scored again on Charlie Ward’s 2nd passing touchdown of the day, followed by an early 4th quarter field goal, to narrow things to (24-17). The Irish chewed another 4 minutes off the clock with their relentless ground game, going 80 yards for their 4th rushing touchdown of the day to go up (31-17). With time running out, the Seminoles drove deep into Irish territory, hoping to score and get the ball back on an onside kick. On 3rd and goal, Charlie Ward tossed what looked to be his 3rd touchdown pass to the near corner of the end zone, but Notre Dame’s stifling secondary knocked the ball loose to force a 4th and goal on the 20. With the game on the line, Ward threw another ball over the middle, but the Irish defense got their first, tipping it into the air. In a split second, the ball sailed towards the back of the end zone but was reeled in by the only Seminole near it for a touchdown.  Now down just 7, the Seminoles elected for the onside kick, hoping to keep the ball away from Notre Dame, but failed to recover. Unfortunately, the Irish offense couldn’t move the chains and run the clock out, forcing them to punt with under a minute left. With one last chance, the Seminoles got the ball down to Notre Dame’s 15-yard line with only 3 seconds left. Ward dropped back in the pocket but was forced to scramble left by the Irish pass rush, evading a game-ending sack before he threw a dart across his body that sailed toward the back of the end zone. The Irish secondary swarmed the ball, batting it to the ground and sealing the victory for Holtz and the Irish. The win went down in Notre Dame history and was dubbed the “Game of the Century” by the press. Now 10-0, all signs pointing to another National Championship appearance for Holtz and the Irish, with only one game left in their path—#17 Boston College. Despite their recent momentum, the Irish fell behind early against BC, stunned by a scoreless 1st quarter and 10 points from the Eagles' offense. Holtz’s offense got going in the 2nd quarter, scoring twice, but the defense gave up two scores, keeping them behind (14-24) at the half. Notre Dame’s struggles continued in the 3rd, giving up another touchdown and only managing to score one more field goal. Boston College extended its lead to 38-17 at the start of the 4th quarter, seemingly putting the game out of reach for Holtz’s squad. When all hope seemed lost, the Irish began to rally, scoring 3 straight unanswered touchdowns to take their first lead of the game (39-38). Boston College got the ball back with only a minute left, and all the Notre Dame defense needed to do was keep them out of field goal range, and they’d sneak out of there with a close win. After a slow start to the drive, the Eagles hit a stride, tossing short passes that moved them close to the 50-yard line. After two straight completions, the Eagles crossed the Irish 30, and it all came down to a 41-yard field goal. As the last 5 seconds ticked off the clock, Boston College kicker David Gordon split the uprights, ending Notre Dame’s comeback, along with their National Title hopes. (Author Note - Fun fact: I was in the womb at this heartbreaking loss - this was technically my very first Notre Dame game...) Now 10-1 and #4 in the polls, the Irish returned to the Cotton Bowl to face #7 Texas A&M once again. This year’s Cotton Bowl was a rematch of the Game the year before, which Notre Dame won (28-3). This time around, the Irish were looking to redeem their heartbreaking loss against Boston College that derailed their season, and the 10-1 Aggies were hoping to avenge their loss to #16 Oklahoma. Holtz was 4-2 in bowl games up to this point, and this would be his 3rd trip to the Cotton Bowl in 7 seasons, where he remained 1-1. Rick Mirer left South Bend for the NFL after the 1992 season, and new Irish QB Kevin McDougal was charged with running the offense. By the time of the Cotton Bowl, McDougal had thrown for over 1,500 yards but only for a disappointing 7 TDs. Lee Benton was tapped to replace both Reggie Brooks and Jerome Bettis but managed to run for over 1,000 yards on 6.4 yards per carry, 6 rushing touchdowns, and 1 receiving touchdown. The Irish were first to score, hitting on a 19-yard QB run from McDougal to cap off a 91-yard opening drive. A&M drove 79 yards and rushed for a touchdown shortly after, evening the score at (7-7). The Aggies controlled the 2nd quarter handily, draining 7 minutes off the clock with a 14-play drive culminating in a 15-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter to pull ahead of the Irish (14-7) heading into halftime. Holtz's squad came out of halftime with pressure, forcing a short punt from the Aggies to get the ball at midfield, leading to a 2-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game at 14. The Aggies put together another dominant drive, going 72 yards on 10 plays to score and take the lead yet again. The Irish responded quickly with a 65-yard drive of their own, putting up another rushing touchdown and tying the game again now (21-21). The 4th quarter was a defensive battle, with the Irish gaining the upper hand with an interception that stole much of A&M’s momentum. Notre Dame couldn’t capitalize on the turnover and was forced to punt, but quickly got the ball back at A&M’s 22 with only a few minutes left to play. They knocked in a 31-yard field goal with only 1:38 left on the clock to take a (24-21) lead. The game was sealed by an A&M fumble with just 0:24 seconds left, and the Irish walked away with a win and final record of 11-1. Lou Holtz made his case for Notre Dame to be named National Champions, but ultimately, FSU was given the title despite losing to the Irish. FSU’s close 4-point win over Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl (16-12) was apparently enough to give them the edge over the Irish. Notre Dame was named National Champion by the Matthews and NCF polls, technically making them Co-National Champions for the 2nd time in Holt’s tenure in South Bend, the other being the 1989 season. Unfortunately, the University does not acknowledge any Co-National Champion Titles, including these two. Once again, the Irish ended the season at #2 behind only FSU, and the Seminoles’ Charlie Ward won the Heisman Trophy, possibly giving the Seminoles the edge over Notre Dame with the National Title pollsters and voters. Holtz and his 1994 team were in a prime position to respond to the disappointment of the year prior. They began the season at #3, quickly dispatching Northwestern in the first week (42-15) to line up a huge game against #6 Michigan. Unfortunately, that familiar disappointment struck early as the Irish fell to the Wolverines at home (24-26) on a last-second field goal. Following the loss, the Irish would win 3 straight games, not knowing it would be the last time they’d string together consecutive wins that year. Holtz’s squad would drop 3 more games in the regular season, coming against Boston College, BYU, and Florida State, before tying USC (17-17) in the 1994 finale. Despite their poor 5-5-1 record, the Irish were controversially selected to face #4 Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl. The issue was, the Fiesta Bowl was a Tier-1 bowl, and the Irish weren’t even ranked. Due to Notre Dame having faced Colorado twice before and the immense fan base and media draw that comes along with the Fighting Irish, the Golden Domers got the nod. The game's result didn’t help soothe the controversy, as the Irish lost by double digits (24-41) to finish an embarrassing 6-5-1,  Holtz’s second-worst record while at Notre Dame. The 1995 season started with a whimper, as the #9 Irish lost their first game to unranked Northwestern in a heartbreaking (15-17) loss, dropping them to #25. The Irish followed with a win over #13 Texas but lost handily to #7 Ohio State (26-45), knocking them back to #23. Notre Dame then beat #15 Washington and #5 USC to bring their regular season record to 9-2 and earn a matchup against FSU in the Orange Bowl. The now #6 Irish were 11.5-point underdogs heading into the game, but ultimately, Bowden and the Seminoles would defeat Holtz and the Irish (26-31). The Irish ended the season 9-3, and Holtz’s bowl record with Notre Dame fell to 5-4. The 1996 team posted 2 wins before beating #6 Texas (27-24), earning them the #5 rank heading into their matchup against #4 Ohio State. The Buckeyes handed them their first loss of the year (16-29), dropping the Irish to #11. 3-1 Notre Dame beat #16 Washington (54-20) and moved up to #8 before an embarrassing overtime loss to Air Force in South Bend (17-20), dropping them to 4-2. Despite winning their next 4 games, the 8-2 Irish lost their final regular season game to USC in the second OT loss that year. This would, unfortunately, be Holtz’s last game as the Head Coach of Notre Dame, and the 8-3 Irish turned down an invite to the Independence Bowl against Auburn. Following the 1996 season, Holtz announced his retirement from the game, finishing his time at Notre Dame with a .765 win percentage, a 100-30-2 record, and 1 National Title. In 11 seasons with the Irish, Holtz took the program to 9 bowl games, winning 5 of them, and posted only 1 losing season. He coached Notre Dame’s last Heisman Trophy winner (Tim Brown), 3 College Football Hall of Fame inductees (Tim Brown, Raghib “The Rocket” Ismael, and Chris Zorich), 10 all-Americans, and sent more than 70 Irish players to the NFL.  The largest criticism of Holtz’s tenure in South Bend comes from the 1989 and 1993 seasons, not because his teams weren’t good enough to win it all, but because they were more than capable yet narrowly fell short of perfection. The pain of coming so close to adding 2 more Titles to Notre Dame’s collective 11 ironically works against Holtz. His closest competition for the #4 spot was Devine, as both coaches brought the program a Championship, but Holtz’s 100 wins, 11-year tenure, and Heisman winner give him the edge. Regardless of what “could have been,” Holtz holds a special place on this list. He inherited a downtrodden program struggling to find its footing after the disappointment of Gerry Faust’s tenure and remains the most modern example of Notre Dame’s success and potential. The Irish owe their last National Title and Heisman Trophy to Holtz, and his mark on the program’s legacy continues to this day. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, and the University unveiled a statue of his likeness on campus in the same year. Despite his age, coach Holtz remains ever-present in coverage of his beloved Fighting Irish and holds a special place in the heart of South Bend’s lore, forever stoking the fire of Notre Dame’s pride. Next Up In our next offering in this series, we’ll reveal who earned our #3 spot and examine their place in the annals of South Bend’s rich history. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

On Thursday evening in Green Bay, the first round of this year's edition of the NFL Draft will take place, and while it appears unlikely we will hear a Notre Dame name called on that day, expect a solid group of former Irish players to be selected on days two and three. Photo by The Irish Tribune Xavier Watts, Defensive Back Background: The 23-year-old ballhawk will be remembered in South Bend as one of the greatest safeties to don the Irish uniform. At 6-0, 203 pounds, Watts’ intelligence and good hands will be some of his biggest draws as a prospect. As we get closer to draft day, Watts has slowly crept up big boards across the country. Projected Round: Early 2nd  Possible Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars (36), Chicago Bears (39, 41), Indianapolis Colts (45) Best Fit: Bears; With no safeties under contract after 2025, Chicago will need to address this positional issue sooner rather than later. Current starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker have issues of their own relating to age and injuries, respectively. Allowing Watts to learn DC Dennis Allen’s defense as a backup behind Byard, Brisker, and Jonathan Owens for one season could ease the development of the safety into a future starter.  Benjamin Morrison, Defensive Back Background: The 21-year-old CB will enter the NFL coming off of hip surgery he underwent in October. At 6-0, 190 pounds, Morrison’s stock may have fallen since February, but he still projects as a future starter as he continues his recovery.  Projected Round: Mid-Late 2nd  Possible Teams: Miami Dolphins (48), Green Bay Packers (54), Buffalo Bills (56) Best Fit: Packers; The only proven wide CB under contract after 2025 in Green Bay is Jaire Alexander. Nate Hobbs is another CB under contract past this year, however, he primarily works in the slot. Similar to Watts, giving one season for Morrison to get his feet wet, working behind Alexander, Keisean Nixon, and Carrington Valentine, before moving into a full-time starting position may be the perfect setup for a successful future. Riley Leonard, Quarterback Background: The tough-nosed, dual-threat signal caller is unlikely to compete for a starting job anytime soon. However, any team interested in the 6-4, 216-pound QB will be hoping Leonard turns out as a long-term and reliable backup QB option. Recent seasons plagued by QB injuries have elevated the need for a solid backup, most notably in the 2023 playoffs, where the Steelers and Browns were forced to turn to other options, Mason Rudolph and Joe Flacco, respectively. Projected Round: 4th-5th Possible Teams: Las Vegas Raiders (108), Pittsburgh Steelers (123), New York Jets (145) Best Fit: Steelers; The current buzz around Pittsburgh is their current QB situation and if a deal with free agent Aaron Rodgers will come to fruition. With draft day approaching and no legitimate starter on the roster, people have mocked QBs to the Steelers in the early rounds. If that happens, this will likely not be Leonard’s drafted team. However, if a deal with Rodgers finalizes, that will allow Pittsburgh more freedom to explore other positions with their earlier selections. A deal with Rodgers likely will not extend 2-3 seasons due to age, leaving the future of the QB position in Pittsburgh uncertain. Enter Riley Leonard. With only Mason Rudolph under contract through 2026, Leonard could have a real chance to compete for the backup role on his rookie deal. With Skylar Thompson signed for this season, it would make sense to develop Leonard as a passer on the practice squad for a year before allowing him to compete for a depth chart role in 2026.  Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Jack Kiser, Linebacker Background: The all-time leader in games played at Notre Dame, Kiser projects as a depth LB who can provide impact on special teams early. In the right situation, it would not be surprising to see the experienced LB break out a couple of seasons into his career. Projected Round: 4th-5th Possible Teams: Cincinnati Bengals (119, 153), Buffalo Bills (132), Tennessee Titans (141) Best Fit: Bengals; How about a reunion with DC Al Golden? In Cincinnati’s defense, Kiser would likely be used as the Will or Mike LB. With Logan Wilson under contract through 2027, it is unlikely Kiser would jump him in the depth chart as the Mike anytime soon. There is less certainty at the Will position, as Germaine Pratt is currently set to hit free agency after this season, and the Bengals are limited in their current cap situation. Cincinnati added Oren Burks on a 2-year deal this free agency period, providing the Bengals with a decent option once Pratt’s tenure ends. The addition of Kiser could allow Cincinnati to build solid, future depth at the linebacker position centered around Wilson, and the Notre Dame legend could seriously compete for a starting spot come 2027.  Mitchell Evans, Tight End Background: Evans is slated to join a long list of Notre Dame TE alumni to be selected in the NFL Draft. At 6-5 and 260 pounds, the 22-year-old projects to be a backup with plus-blocking skills for his position.  Projected Round: 5th Possible Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars (142), Indianapolis Colts (151), Los Angeles Chargers (158) Best Fit: Colts; The current Indianapolis tight end room is filled with a plethora of average to below-average talent featuring Jelani Woods, Mo Alie-Cox, Andrew Ogletree, Will Mallory, Sean McKeon, and Albert Okwuegbunam. Of this group, Mallory is the only one signed past the 2025 season. For the same reasons, many have mocked Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland to the Colts with their first-round selection. The idea of pairing Warren/Loveland with Evans in the later rounds is not the worst given Indianapolis’ current situation, but it is probably unlikely. If the Colts wait on selecting a tight end and pick up Evans, he could become a real piece for their future starting in 2026 if he can develop his athleticism. R.J. Oben, Defensive End Background: The Duke transfer has six years of college football under his belt, making him one of the more experienced prospects in this draft. The soon-to-be 24-year-old projects as a depth option off the edge.  Projected Round: 5th-6th Possible Teams: Cincinnati Bengals (153, 193), Green Bay Packers (159, 198), Philadelphia Eagles (161, 164, 165, 168) Best Fit: Eagles; One of the best teams at developing defenders in the NFL is Philadelphia, making this a premier destination for Oben or any defender looking to improve their game. Following the losses of Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham this offseason, the Eagles will be seeking help to shore up the defensive line that played a vital role in securing a Super Bowl. If Oben can prove his worth, he could see time in a depth role behind the likes of Nolan Smith, Bryce Huff, and Jalyx Hunt. Rylie Mills, Defensive Line Background: Mills’s positive pass rushing skills will be the main draw for any team interested in the 6-5, 295-pound DL. If he can develop and get stronger, the versatile defender could make an impact in the NFL as an edge rusher with his length. Projected Round: 5th-6th Possible Teams: Minnesota Vikings (139, 187), San Francisco 49ers (147, 160), Miami Dolphins (150, 155) Best Fit: Vikings; DC Brian Flores makes things happen with his 3-4 defense, and Mills could eventually play a large role in this blitz-happy system. Unlike previous situations on this list, it is a bit difficult projecting Mills to crack the starting lineup anytime soon with key edge rushers locked up such as Jonathan Greenard and Dallas Turner. However, he could eventually earn a rotational role on a defense that is year-after-year highly regarded as one of the best in the league.  Beaux Collins, Wide Receiver Background: At 6’3 and 202 pounds, Collins undoubtedly has the size to be an NFL WR. Unfortunately, he had pass-dropping issues all season that could cost the former Clemson transfer from hearing his name called during the draft. With proper development and improved hands, Collins could go on to have a solid professional career. Projected Round: 7th Possible Teams: Houston Texans (236, 241), Green Bay Packers (237, 250), New Orleans Saints (248, 254) Best Fit: Packers; With Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks the only Green Bay receivers signed past this upcoming season, the need for offensive weapons is paramount for Coach Matt LaFleur. It is expected that the Packers will draft a wideout with one of their earlier selections, but the currently bleak future at the position may force Green Bay to take a chance on another weapon in the later rounds, like Collins. If he makes the roster, Collins can climb the depth chart quickly as the Packers currently lack a true star receiver.  Howard Cross III, Defensive Line Background: Someone is going to find a diamond in the rough with Cross. Despite a somewhat lackluster season this year, he has all the skills to compete at the next level. Cross’s father, Howard Cross Jr., was a late-round selection as a tight end when he was drafted and went on to have a 13-year career featuring 17 touchdowns and a Super Bowl victory. It would not be surprising to see Cross III have a similar career impact as a possible late-round selection himself. Projected Round: 7th Possible Teams: New York Giants (219, 246), Jacksonville Jaguars (221), Kansas City Chiefs (226, 251, 257) Best Fit: Giants; Like father, like son. Howard Cross Jr. was a 6th-round pick in 1989 by the New York Giants and was a part of the 1990 Super Bowl team. Cross III could have a chance to follow these footsteps 36 years later in an effort to shore up New York’s defensive line. The most notable piece of the Giants' current line is Dexter Lawrence, and it would be malpractice to let the 28-year-old leave town anytime soon. Behind Lawrence, the Giants currently feature a rotation of solid, but aging, interior linemen that will likely not be on the roster in 2027. Letting Cross develop and adapt to the NFL for a season or two is probably the correct decision. The Giants' situation fits this timeline, and Cross could eventually earn a rotational role on New York’s front. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Bubba Frazier is currently a 3-star, who is not even listed as a top 60 wide receiver on most recruiting sites. Although there is room for improvement, as there would be with any player in the country entering their senior season, Frazier's film exhibits a movable chess piece on offense that is sure to get Notre Dame fans excited. Photograph by Camera Guy Chris (@cameraguychriss) Recruiting services are a necessary evil in high school and college football. Mostly, they do a good job of at least painting the potential floor and ceiling for certain prospects, but when dealing with projections, there will always be misses on both sides of the spectrum. Plenty of recruits who get tagged with the attention-grabbing label of a 5-star flame out at the next level, never living up to their high school stardom. Just as often, players with lower ratings go on to dominate at Power 4 schools, i.e., Leonard Moore, who quickly rose from a 3-star prospect to one of the best cornerbacks in the nation as a freshman. Incoming C/O 2026 WR Bubba Frazier is probably going to fall in the latter category. I broke down some of his most important traits, and each one will be graded on a scale of 1 (Poor) to 7 (Elite). Let's get into it! Athletic Ability: Elite (7) Frazier's track background definitely presents itself on his tape. His change of direction and acceleration are elite. Even when defenders have the appropriate angle pursuing him laterally, Frazier is still able to get the corner and beat them up the sideline for huge yardage. Frazier is very shifty in the open field, which is why he also adds immense value on special teams as a return man. He can also be utilized on jet sweeps, tunnel screens, and as a scatback due to his explosiveness and being able to turn small openings into big gains. Hands: Good (5) Frazier does a good job of tracking over his shoulder without having to break stride. He is of a smaller stature, but that does not prevent him from going up over the top of defensive backs and catching through contact. I would not call Frazier a natural hands catcher, as he does tend to let passes get into his body, which has not resulted in many drops to this point, but is a dangerous habit to rely on. He will sometimes have to double catch a pass after a bobble, which seems to be more of a concentration issue than it is a hands problem. I think there is room for improvement in this area, but rule number one of playing receiver is do not drop the ball, and Frazier ultimately does not struggle in that area. Release/Route Running: Good (5) One thing I really like about Frazier when it comes to his release is the way he switches up his tempo. There are times that he will accelerate right off the line and quickly eat up any cushion vs off-coverage, but he will also mix in some hesitation releases, especially against man coverage, which keeps defensive backs off balance. He does a good job stemming his routes and getting the corner to lean before making his break. Frazier is very explosive coming out of his break, and there is very little wasted movement. Due to his size and build, I think if lined up out wide, there may be some struggles with press corners that have good technique, but because of how much he will be used in the slot and on motions, this is something that can be schemed around. Some of the depth he runs certain combination routes with needs to be adjusted, but that comes with more coaching. At times, he will get his eyes back to the QB too early, which prevents him from getting to his spot at full speed. The more Frazier develops as a route runner, the more his quickness becomes an even greater deadly attribute. Yards After Catch: Elite (7) Being able to catch a five-yard slant and take it through the teeth of the second and third level defenders untouched on the way to the end zone is all you need to know when it comes to Frazier's YAC ability. He gets upfield quickly after every catch, and displays some very good vision and anticipation in open space, knowing how to set up downfield blocks with subtle movements that usually result in game-changing plays. Frazier can elude defenders with ease, and does it from both the receiver position and out of the backfield. Frazier is not going to run through anybody for his broken tackles, but his agility and propensity for breaking defenders down usually have them grabbing at his ankles, which he has no problem running through. He is the epitome of a big play waiting to happen, and it won't be too long into his college career before he is making highlight plays. As Notre Dame continues to work towards washing away some of the recent unfortunate recruiting breaks at the receiver position, Bubba Frazier is exactly what the doctor ordered. A true Swiss-Army knife, Frazier is going to bring a lot of versatility to South Bend, and even if he does not break the two-deep right away, he will be in contention for kickoff return duties from the minute he steps on campus, where he has All-American upside. You can never have enough playmakers, and Wide Receivers Coach Mike Brown just helped land the ultimate one. He may "only" be a three-star in the eyes of some, but with each big play Frazier makes, that ranking becomes less of an indicator of future results and more of a mistake of past evaluations. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

With the spring portal opening up, Notre Dame is destined to lose some players to the portal because of the depth across the roster. While seeing promising players leave hurts, it is indicative of Notre Dame's biggest asset. Photo by The Irish Tribune When the portal first opened on Wednesday morning, the departure of Kennedy Urlacher could've been seen as a major cause of concern for Fighting Irish fans. An NFL legacy that showed great athleticism and instincts during his limited playing time last season, both on special teams and at safety during the 4th quarter in blowout games. Yet, even with Urlacher's immense promise, he would've entered this summer camp sitting as the fifth-best option at safety and looking at another year filled with special teams duty. For a prospect as skilled as Urlacher, burning another year on special teams ultimately wouldn't make any sense, leading to his entry in the portal, and eventual decision to transfer to Notre Dame's arch rival, USC. The same could be said about Steve Angeli. One of the heroes from Notre Dame's college football playoff run a year ago, and the most seasoned quarterback who was competing in the three-man battle. While losing these types of prospects may have sunk Notre Dame a couple years ago, the recruiting and reloading effort made by Marcus Freeman during his tenure has made this a move with very little impact on the Irish. Notre Dame's depth was on full display last season as the Irish had to deal with, what seemed to be, a never-ending list of injuries. Even when dealing with plenty of starters being lost for the year, the ability to plug-in-place the young talent acquired through high school recruiting resulted in and powered the Irish's national championship run. Now, three months removed from last season's championship game, Notre Dame's biggest strength last season has carried over into the 2025 season. Just look at it position-by-position: At quarterback, Freeman has even stated that there are three guys who have enough skill and talent to be the starting quarterback at Notre Dame. The ongoing battle that will be extended to summer ball has now shifted into a battle between Kenny Minchey and CJ Carr. At running back, the Irish host one of the deepest and talented rooms in the nation. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are both top 10 running backs across the country, only to be coupled by Aneyas Williams and Gi'Bran Payne who have both served as the third-down backs in 2023 and 2024. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off The offensive line lost three starters, all to Power 4 teams, from last season because of the depth and young talent that the program possessed. The defensive line has enough talent off the EDGE to rotate three solid groups. The linebacker room will rotate five guys in and out, as they did a season ago. And finally, the secondary is loaded with NFL talent, which is being curated by one of the best young minds in college football, Mike Mickens. Long story short, the entries into the portal might scare Notre Dame fans because of the prestige some of the prospects had coming out of high school. While it is disappointing to see them not live up to their full potential in a golden helmet, the reasoning behind them leaving the Irish is probably largely due to the fact of the number of talented players on the Irish's roster. This deep level of skill is what bridges the gap between Notre Dame and the rest of college football's elites. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

With the Blue and Gold game officially in the books, the takes on who should open the season as Notre Dame's starting quarterback are piling in from every corner of sports media. Photo by The Irish Tribune Steve Angeli, Kenny Minchey, and CJ Carr are all firmly entrenched in what is the most important position battle of the season by far, and all three possess different, but beneficial skill sets. There is only so much that can be extrapolated from a game that is centered around showcasing talent more than it is about true simulated gameplay, but I would say at this point, there is enough film on each player to start deciphering what the pecking order could look like come Labor Day. I am going to do a deep dive on each potential candidate for who might be under center for the Fighting Irish in 2025, and ultimately give my unbiased opinion on who that should be and why. Steve Angeli I feel that it is only right to start with the upperclassman who has the most experience under his belt. Some things are impossible to know, but it would be very easy to make the argument that Notre Dame would not have found themselves in the National Championship last season if not for Angeli's surgical second quarter drive in the Orange Bowl, which ultimately sparked the comeback. He also had a very efficient game in his lone start, which was the 2023 Sun Bowl vs Oregon State. Pros I think of the three quarterbacks, Angeli has the best footwork. He keeps a good base as he climbs the pocket and fairly consistently transfers his weight to his front hip on his release. I also believe he has the best ball placement. His short and intermediate game has high-level accuracy attached to it, and he usually puts the ball on the correct shoulder of the receiver, allowing for yards after the catch. His arm strength is good, but not elite, and he still has enough zip on the ball to fit it in versus tight coverage on the first and second levels of the field. His mental processing is solid, which isn't surprising considering he is the oldest of the bunch with the most in-game experience. He works through his progressions and knows when to dump it off short. His leadership is well-regarded, and as mentioned above, playing in some high-pressure situations gives him a unique perspective compared to the other two potential starters who have yet to have that experience. Cons Of the three quarterbacks, Angeli has the slowest release, with a bit of a longer delivery. I think his accuracy diminishes somewhat the further downfield he is pushing the ball, which limits the type of shots the offense can take regularly. Angeli has limited mobility, and although Mike Denbrock is looking put the ball in the air more than he did with Riley Leonard, not having that potential threat of the QB using his legs to keep defenses honest could be a detriment to the offense as a whole. Angeli is also prone to taking sacks, something we've seen more often than not during his limited playing time. Kenny Minchey Minchey, who started out as the dark horse in this race, is certainly starting to garner some confidence from those who are closely following this QB battle. The junior from Tennessee offers a multitude of ways to get the job done via air and ground, and if he had not suffered an injury during his senior year of high school, he probably would have been a more coveted prospect. Notre Dame was able to land him as a top 15 QB in his class, and after sitting behind a couple of transfer quarterbacks the last couple of seasons, he is finally ready to stake his claim as heir apparent. Pros Minchey has a very quick release and is decisive with where he goes with the ball. He possesses the arm strength to make throws at all levels of the field, and some of his deep shots look effortless. He displays good accuracy both in and out of the pocket, and when he does have to go on the move, he keeps his eyes downfield. Minchey is Kyler Murray-esque with his run style as opposed to the type of bruising scrambler Riley Leonard was, but is a true dual threat in every sense of the word, and Mike Denbrock has always thrived with those types of QBs. Cons Consistent ball placement will need to improve for Minchey, especially in the intermediate game. H needs some quicker footwork on his 5-7 step drops to avoid letting the pocket collapse and to give himself a chance to scan the whole field before having to get rid of the ball. Although Minchey is very comfortable working from outside the pocket, when he does stand in, his internal clock for sensing pressure needs to be a tick faster. You can tell he has some "gun-slinger" to his game, which isn't always a bad thing, but taking care of the ball is objective number one for an offense, so he will need to know when to take his shots. CJ Carr The hype train for Carr has been up and running for the better part of a year and a half, and it isn't just coming from inside Notre Dame fandom. College football analysts like Kirk Herbstreit have also touted Carr as the next big-time quarterback in South Bend, which has led many to believe it's a foregone conclusion that he would be taking over. Although he is yet to attempt a pass at the collegiate level, the potential for Carr is obvious, and he is not going to make it easy for Notre Dame's coaching staff to make a decision. Pros In my estimation, Carr has the best deep ball accuracy of the bunch, which he pairs with elite touch. He knows when to take some velocity off his ball and layer passes over second-level defenders. He has the arm strength to attack all areas of the field vertically and horizontally. His high-level post-snap recognition is very apparent, quickly diagnosing the defense and finding the soft spot to take advantage of. He is not the runner Kenny Minchey is, but he displays good movement skills within the pocket and is dangerous enough with his legs that defenses will have to respect it. He's had good situational awareness going back to his high school days, coming up big on 3rd and 4th downs and in the red zone, which is important. Cons Throwing with anticipation separates good from great QBs, and it's an area I think Carr is currently lacking in somewhat. He does not always trust his eyes, and will hang on to the ball until the receiver completely comes open, especially on out-breaking routes, which limits YAC and gives defenders the opportunity to jump routes. Carr does not always generate enough torque through his lower half mechanics, which will leave some passes hanging. Biggest X Factor: Mike Denbrock's Scheme. Anyone who watched Mike Denbrock as a play-caller for the first time last year would be left with an impression of him that does not truly reflect the entirety of his coaching career. Make no mistake about it, Denbrock wants to be able to stretch the field vertically. Riley Leonard led Notre Dame to places it has not been in quite some time, and the fans should view him accordingly because of that, but at the end of the day, there were some limitations with him as a passer. I think those limitations were identified early, and to Denbrock's credit, he crafted an offense perfectly suited for Leonard to run, and it yielded major results on the field. But even going back to his first stint as Notre Dame's offensive coordinator in 2014, he was pushing the ball deep and having success doing so. Fast forward to 2023, and he helped unlock LSU's Jayden Daniels' previously untapped potential and turned him into a Heisman-winning quarterback. He needs a QB that can also hit plays outside the numbers horizontally, which forces defenses into the unenviable decision of whether to keep people in the box to play the run or defend the entire field. The zone read, which was on full display last year for Notre Dame, is also another staple of what Denbrock likes to do. With everything that was discussed above, if I had to pull a name today and declare him the starter of the 2025 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, it would be Kenny Minchey . When it comes to Steve Angeli, I don't think his strengths match what it is that Mike Denbrock wants to do this upcoming season. He is a solid player, and I am sure he will get plenty of consideration from the coaching staff, but when it is all said and done, I just don't think he has the upside to raise this offense another notch from where they were a season ago. As far as CJ Carr, I think he is Minchey's biggest competition, and for very good reason. The arm talent, the deep throw proficiency, and high-level IQ make him worthy of being a starter. Where I think Minchey edges him is the decisiveness with which he delivers his throws. Where Carr will take an extra hitch to make sure the WR is getting separation, Minchey will be a half second quicker with that read, and a half second is all the time it takes for a good play to become a bad play. Minchey's value as a runner can not be understated as well. With Notre Dame potentially fielding the best running back rotation in the country, behind an offensive line that will be in the Joe Moore conversation by season's end, teams will have no choice but to keep extra defenders in the box or else run the risk of being grinded down quarter by quarter on the ground. With that type of extra attention being given to the run game, teams will have to mix in a lot more man coverage. Man coverage is always going to be more susceptible to being burned by a scrambling QB simply because all the defensive backs have their backs turned downfield, and can not help in run support. Minchey would maximize these situations for Notre Dame's offense, and it will help keep defenses off balance. Minchey also has the top-end arm strength to stretch the field and take advantage of his one-on-one matchups on the outside, with a receiving core that should be the best Notre Dame has fielded in years. Mike Denbrock will be able to roll the pocket with confidence knowing Minchey can make throws on the move, and defenders will have to account for every blade of grass, which is what made that 2023 LSU offense so potent. I see no reason why Minchey would not be able to pick up right where Riley Leonard left off last season, and have Notre Dame in the thick of another playoff run when the regular season concludes. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he is my choice for who runs out of the tunnel as starting QB in Miami on Labor Day. In the new College Football world of the ever-present transfer portal, I know some fans are worried that whoever it is that does not win the competition may jump ship and look for a starting opportunity elsewhere. And while that very well may end up being the case, in this type of situation, there is no way to make every player happy. As long as Notre Dame rolls out the best team possible, and the results on the field reflect that, there will be plenty more chances to reload at the position and build depth back up. Players, especially quarterbacks, want to play for winners, so as long as Marcus Freeman keeps the team in the hunt for a championship year in and year out, more signal callers will be more than happy to come compete for a job in South Bend. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame's Blue-Gold game took place on Saturday, offering fans their first look at the future of Notre Dame football. Let's look at some of the players that stood out on the offensive side of the ball. Photo by The Irish Tribune CJ Carr - Quarterback The biggest question coming into spring camp was the quarterback battle between Steve Angeli, Kenny Minchey, and CJ Carr. The spring game was the first time outsiders could finally see this battle unfold in live action. Carr had the biggest performance out of the three, undoubtedly. Angeli showed a lot of what was already known about him. He made smart decisions and executed the offense well at times. Minchey showed off his athleticism with a touchdown run, and was creative throwing on the run when he chose to do so. Even with Angeli's and Minchey's solid play, Carr stood out. Carr's arm talent was on full display all game, connecting with Jack Larsen for a perfect over-the-shoulder ball for 24 yards. Carr finished the game 14-19 for 170 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Carr was not only throwing the best passes, but he was efficient while doing so. He looked fully in command of the offense, an impressive quality for only a redshirt freshman. This one performance won't win him the starting position outright, but it is an important step in determining who will earn the starting job. The Entire Running Back Room The spring game made it clear to many that Notre Dame may have the best running back room in the entire country. On a day when the best returning back did not play, Irish RBs looked like a group full of playmakers. Jadarian Price looked bigger and more explosive than last year, particularly when he was able to get into the open field. He will once again be a huge weapon for this offense when Jeremiyah Love is off the field. Freshman Nolan James Jr. was impressive in his first Blue-Gold game as well. James Jr. showed off his capabilities in the passing game, catching three passes for 60 yards, including one catch for 37 yards. Kedren Young was also involved in the passing game, recording three catches for 37 yards. Young also looked good in the running game, using his big frame to gain yards. Young's ability to catch with his physical running style is something that will make him a valuable piece to this team. Aneyas Williams saw the most carries of anyone during the game, running the ball 12 times for 40 yards. This spring game showed how versatile and talented this group is. Without Love, it still looked like a group that was well-balanced, physical, and very much capable of affecting the passing game positively. If this game showed anything, it's that Notre Dame's running back room will remain dominant for the foreseeable future. Jack Larsen - Tight End With Mitchell Evans heading to the NFL, Notre Dame has a spot to fill at tight end. Eli Raridon seems to be the designated starter, but freshman Jack Larsen gave something for the coaches to think about heading into next year. Although he only had two catches, he had one of the best catches of the day with an over-the-shoulder reception delivered by CJ Carr. Larsen finished the game with two receptions for 41 yards, showing his ability to be a down-the-field option as a part of this offense. Larsen also proved he is a solid blocker in the run game, which gives him more opportunities to see the field. Larsen is still early in his development, but his spring game performance showed everyone there is a lot to like about the tight end room for the coming years. Elijah Burress - Wide Receiver The wide receiver position has been a weakness as of late for Notre Dame. The Blue-Gold game showed a glimpse of that problem finally being rectified. One reason for that is freshman wide receiver Elijah Burress. Burress is the son of Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Plaxico Burress. Burress's genes show through when he is on the field. He is a smooth route runner and very athletic. He was able to impact the game, scoring the first touchdown for the Blue team when Carr hit him on a bootleg and beat defenders to the pylon. Burress would also haul in another reception for 19 yards. The wide receiver room is crowded this year, but Burress is a prime example of the youthful athleticism and talent that make up the bulk of that room. The spring game was an impressive first glimpse of what is to come for Burress, as he continues to try to carve out of role on this team. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

For proponents of the narrative that Notre Dame is unable to go head-to-head with the Georgia and Alabama's of the world when it comes to recruiting defensive players, it has been a rough couple of weeks. Photo by The Irish Tribune Four-star defensive end Ebenezer Ewetade out of South Carolina was a huge addition to the 2026 class for Fighting Irish when he announced his commitment earlier this month. And as we found out this week, Marcus Freeman, Al Washington, and the rest of the Notre Dame brain trust were not yet finished. Rodney Dunham, a fellow four-star (five-star on some recruiting services) also declared he would be continuing his football career in South Bend, Indiana, which created quite a buzz among those who follow high school recruiting. The combination not only bolstered a 2026 class that is now widely considered among the top six in the country, but it gives Notre Dame the type of talent and depth along the defensive line that has not been seen in quite some time. As momentum built towards these elite prospects choosing the Blue and Gold, we began going through the tape to study their games. Now that it is official, we want to zero in on what fans can expect from the pair of defenders and why this is such a major deal. Ebenezer Ewetade Ewetade truly is an all-around balanced defensive end. He displays excellent hand usage, violent get-off, and a high motor. He plays with good leverage in the run game, which allows him to consistently set the edge. He knows how to disengage at the point of attack and is a strong tackler. Can close backside versus zone, and has a knack for punching the ball out and forcing fumbles. In pass-rush situations, he has very good upfield burst and does not stop moving his feet as he works to disengage from blocks. His athleticism shines through when it comes to his ability to bend and flatten off the edge when using an outside rush. As he develops more physically, I would love to see him mix in some power rushes and use his length to his advantage. After piling up ten sacks and 28 tackles for loss as a junior, his senior season will be even more dominant. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Rodney Dunham Dunham is everything you want in a pass rush specialist. Like Ewetade, he has rare bend ability, especially for being 6'5. He has elite upfield burst and there is not any wasted movement when he gets off the line. He has enough power and leg drive to split double teams off the edge and get home to the QB. He runs through chip blocks while maintaining his balance and it will be very hard for quarterbacks to get outside of him when they leave the pocket due to his change of direction and length. Dunham shows a high level of mental processing when it comes to diagnosing when the ball is coming out quickly and gets his hands up in passing lanes resulting in plenty of knockdowns. His pursuit effort is top-notch whether he is on the front or backside of plays. When it comes to stopping the run, Dunham comes off the line with power and uses his long arms to create space between himself and the offensive linemen before quickly slanting inside to make plays on interior runs. At the next level, Dunham will need to establish consistent violence with his hands to make sure he does not allow offensive tackles the opportunity to lock out and stonewall him. As he enters his senior season, something to look for is seeing if he can clean up some tackling mechanics that allow ball carriers to fall forward. Dunham is the prototypical blue-chip player and should vie for snaps very early in his college career. Even with some changes in the coaching staff and the front office, recruiting for Notre Dame seems to be catching fire at the exact right time. In order to be in title contention on a regular basis, landing these types of players is a must, and landing two in the same cycle establishes Notre Dame as a powerhouse both on the field and on the recruiting trail. With young talent all over the roster ready to explode this upcoming season, 2026 may end up being even more special. Marcus Freeman is building something sustainable, and that should make Notre Dame fans very excited. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

In a jam-packed Arlotta Stadium, Notre Dame men's lacrosse had an electric end to the third quarter to beat Virginia 12-7. Photo by The Irish Tribune On a Saturday with zero clouds in sight, a UV index of up to six (allowing me to start tanning), and a 5,000+ fan-packed Arlotta Stadium, today was a perfect day for #9 Notre Dame men's lacrosse to take on the Virginia Cavaliers. The winner of today's matchup would take the lead in the all-time series between the two schools. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off. The Irish jumped ahead first, going up 2-0 in the first few minutes of the game off the backs of Jake Taylor and Jalen Seymour with help from Chris Kavanagh and Devon McLane. As the first quarter progressed, Virginia quickly answered within less than two minutes with a goal of their own by Will Inderlied to put the Cavaliers down by only one. Nearly ten minutes would pass before Virginia eventually tied the game at two a piece with a goal from Truitt Sunderland, which was assisted by Ryan Colsey. The first quarter would end tied at 2-2. Virginia would open up the 2nd quarter scoring with a goal of their own within the first two minutes by Colsey on his own, who assisted the previous goal for Virginia, giving UVA its first lead of the day at 3-2. Chris Kavanagh would tie the game back up alongside Will Angrick within a couple of minutes, thanks to having an extra man advantage after a cross-checking penalty of Virginia's Hudson Hausmann. The rest of the half would be unscoreful with an additional Virginia cross-check penalty and Jordan Faison offside penalty sprinkled in. Halftime would commence with the game tied at 3-3. Notre Dame's Matt Jeffrey would give the Irish the lead back, 4-3, and at the 10:56 mark, with a goal of his own to open up the 3rd quarter. Virginia's John Schroter would be charged with a slashing infraction after Jeffrey's goal. A little over five minutes would pass until Virginia would end up responding with a Jack Walshe goal after Notre Dame's Will Angrick committed a holding penalty, giving UVA an extra man. A couple more minutes would pass until Notre Dame started to pull away with a four-goal performance in the last 3:30 of the 3rd quarter. Ben Ramsey (3:27), Chris Kavanagh (2:15), Jake Taylor (0:52), and Jalen Seymour (0:10) would all contribute unassisted goals in the final minutes of the quarter with no penalty help needed. The 3rd quarter ended with the Irish starting to pull away with a score of 8-4. The 4th quarter didn't look much better for Virginia. The Irish would pile on another three straight goals against the Cavaliers over nearly nine minutes (12:25-3:27), thanks to unassisted scores from Matt Jeffrey, Christian Alacqua (his first goal of the season), and Devon McLane. With the Irish owning the majority of the 4th quarter, Virginia finally responded with a three-goal stretch from Mikie Harmeyer and Thomas Mencke (who account for the last two of the three-goal stretch from UVA). Unfortunately for Virginia, their efforts were not going to be enough for the Irish as their dreams were cut short as Notre Dame's Jeffery Ricciardelli would notch his 11th goal of the season and put the last nail in the coffin for Virginia in the final 30 seconds of the game. The Irish would end up topping Virginia 12-7 to give Notre Dame the advantage in the series and put them at 2-1 in ACC play and a record improvement to 6-3 on the year. What’s Next for the Irish? Notre Dame will travel down to Chapel Hill to face #7 North Carolina this coming Saturday at noon on ESPNU before the Irish travel back home the following week to close out the regular season against Penn. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame fans gained a bit more clarity about the ongoing quarterback battle during the annual Blue-Gold game. Photo by The Irish Tribune SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- With Notre Dame deciphering its first quarterback battle in nearly a decade, the Blue-Gold game added insights to the ongoing battle. CJ Carr was by far the most impressive of the group, ending the day 14-19 for 170 yards, and two TDs. Carr found the most success throwing to his tight ends and running backs in open space. His two most spectacular throws were to tight ends Kevin Bauman and Jack Larsen, finding both of them downfield and dropping the ball in a bucket near the sideline. He also was able to find Kedren Young on a wheel route during his second drive, and he converted on a 3rd and 19 on a throw over the middle of the defense to Cam Williams. Carr capped off his first touchdown drive of the day with a two-yard score to true freshman Elijah Burress. Carr did throw the game's only interception, as Ben Minich cut inside Logan Saldate on a seam route down the field, but responded on the next series with a 27-yard frozen rope to Xavier Southall for his second passing touchdown of the day. Minchey would be slotted second in the quarterback rankings today. Minchey's best drive of the day was a three-play touchdown drive that was capped off by a four-yard rushing scamper. Minchey was able to create plays with his legs and show the ability to throw on the run. He ended the day 6-14 for 106 yards. Steve Angeli would be placed in the third slot today, yet him and Minchey could be interchangeable. In the first half of the day, Angeli didn't do anything that really jumped off the screen. He was able to move the ball downfield but couldn't convert any of his first half drives into scores, yet he did lead the Irish inside the ten-yard line. That drive ended with Luke Talich stuffing Aneyas Williams at the goal line on both 3rd and 4th down. Talich was the game's leading tackler, ending the game with nine total tackles, including one tackle for loss. However, in the second half, Angeli was able to run a surgical touchdown drive and found Scrap Richardson on a 16-yard touchdown. It was a drive against what was presumably Notre Dame's third-string defense, yet his ability to be accurate and confident in his reads was impressive. He ended the day 8-11 for 108 yards. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off As for other individual standouts, Karson Hobbs was the biggest difference-maker on the defense, especially when getting first team reps. He was able to breakup passes and make impressive tackles in space. Whether or not he will make an impact this season for the Fighting Irish, he will certainly be a key figure in the Notre Dame secondary for years to come. Along the defensive line, Bryce Young recorded a sack after beating Aamil Wagner, and Louisville transfer Jared Dawson was frequently in the backfield as well. For the offense, Jadarian Price displayed that same big-play ability from last season but looked even more decisive making his cuts along the line of scrimmage. Price was the leading rusher in this game with 44 yards, despite only receiving six carries. The leading receiver in this game was true freshman running back Nolan James Jr., who tallied 60 yards on three catches. Elijah Burress, who caught Carr's first touchdown of the day, was extremely impressive for an early enrollee, and finished the day with 21 yards on two catches, The tight end room, which is the thinnest it's been in recent memory, also did a good job flashing today. Eli Raridon is head and shoulders above the rest of the group, as he continues to improve his game and make a bigger impact getting yards after the catch. In the end, the Blue Gold game was an overall success in the sense of getting a bit more clarity as to how the Irish will look when opening in Miami next season, as well as no reported injuries. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Over the first four parts of this article series, we’ve examined the NFL careers of 41 recent Notre Dame alumni active in the NFL, across the 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018 draft classes. In this piece, we'll cover 5 more alums from the 2016, 2014, 2012, and 2008 draft classes  and see where they've ended up. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics 2016 Draft Class Ronnie Stanley - Baltimore Ravens - OT - 2016 - Round 01: Pick 006 Ronnie Stanley was the most sought-after offensive tackle in the 2016 draft and was quickly scooped up in the 1st round with the 6th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens. The top 10 spot earned him a completely guaranteed 4-year $20.48 million contract with a $13.09 million signing bonus. Stanley was named the starting left tackle by head coach John Harbaugh and played the first three games of the 2016 season before sustaining a foot injury. It sidelined him for 4 games, but he was still able to appear in 12 games and 833 snaps. His rookie year was both impressive and an adjustment. He was responsible for six penalties, gave up three sacks, and allowed 22 quarterback hurries. Despite this, Pro Football Focus named him the 17th-best tackle in the NFL and gave him the 3rd-highest grade among rookie offensive tackles. 2017 looked a lot like his rookie year, as Stanley began the season as the starting left tackle, but once again suffered an injury, this time a concussion against the Titans in week nine. Thankfully, he was only sidelined for a game and finished the season with 15 appearances and over 1000 snaps. Unlike his first season, Stanley halved his penalties, but once again surrendered 3 sacks and 23 quarterback hurries. It was enough to move him up to the 13th-best left tackle in the NFL, but his PFF grade declined slightly. The paragon of consistency, Stanley appeared in another 15 games with over 1000 snaps in 2018, only missing a single game with an ankle injury. His consistency and performance over his first 3 years led to the Ravens picking up his 5-year rookie option for 2019. It’s a good thing they did, as Stanley showed out and appeared in 14 games with only four penalties allowed. He was named to his first All-Pro team and earned a spot in the Pro Bowl. Stanley’s performance blocking for Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram led PFF to name Stanley “the best pass-blocking tackle in the NFL.“ This stellar season came at the right time and earned Stanley a new 5-year contract worth $112.8 million, officially making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league. Unfortunately, Stanley sustained a serious ankle injury in Baltimore’s week 8 game, ending his season prematurely. He only appeared in 6 games for the Ravens in 2020.  Unlike his previous injuries, this one was ugly. Stanley underwent multiple surgeries and several stints in rehabilitation to get back on the field and was only able to appear in one game in 2021. Despite missing roughly a season and a half, Stanley made his way back onto the field for the Ravens in 2022. He finished the season with 11 games played and just over 600 snaps, along with a playoff appearance in the Ravens' loss to the Bengals. It was a slow and steady climb back to his previous form, but Stanley managed to appear in 13 games and over 700 snaps for the Ravens in 2023. He did this while battling a knee injury that kept him out for four weeks. While not quite an entire season, it was Stanley's most appearances since his Pro Bowl 2019 season, and he appeared in both of Baltimore‘s postseason games. Stanley’s dedication and perseverance paid off, and he hit a career-high 17/17 games played and 1089 snaps in 2024. He helped the Ravens reach the wildcard round, where they beat the Steelers 28–14, but ultimately lost a nail-biter to the Bills 25–27. Stanley had an excellent start to his career but struggled with injuries for quite a while. Thankfully, he worked to reach his best possible form this past season and looks to continue in 2025. Sheldon Day - Washington Commanders - DT - 2016 - Round 04: Pick 103 Sheldon Day was picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 4th round of the 2016 NFL draft with the 103rd overall pick. He spent his first 2 seasons with the Jaguars, playing 16 games in 2016 and only 6 in 2017. By the end of his time in Jacksonville, Day had only played 126 snaps. After those six games in  2017, the Jaguars waived Day before he was claimed off waivers by the 49ers. He quickly worked his way into the defensive line rotation and played another 6 games of 2017 in San Francisco. Day was lucky enough to be a part of the Super Bowl LIV 49ers team, but unfortunately lost 20-31. They went on to play in San Francisco for two more years. He put up 11 tackles and two sacks over 12 games in 2018 and 15 tackles and 1 sack over 16 games in 2019. Although his production wasn’t remarkably high, he’d made double-digit appearances in his first four years in the league despite being on two different teams. Following the 2019 season, Day signed a 1-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately, he battled injuries and only appeared in four games for Indianapolis. With so little time to make an impact, his statistics were nothing to brag about, and the Colts waived him in mid-November of 2020.  Sheldon made his way onto the Cleveland Browns' practice squad shortly after his release from the Colts and managed to play in 7 games over 2021. His production increased, and he finished the season with a career high 21 tackles and 1 sack. Unfortunately, Day was unable to play at all during the 2022 season due to a back injury, but he was able to sign on with the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad. He was eventually signed to the active duty roster in late November and appeared in six games for the Vikings in 2023. It was an off year for Day, primarily due to ramping back up from injury and a deep Minnesota defensive line limiting his opportunities. Day moved on to his 6th NFL team in 8 years, signing with the Washington Commanders’ practice squad in the summer of 2024. He was called up to active duty on October 16 and went on to play 12 games for the Commanders, collecting a career-high 24 tackles. Day is one of only two remaining Notre Dame alumni from the 2016 NFL draft class still active in the NFL. While his journey thus far hasn’t necessarily been traditional, he’s more than displayed his ability to adapt to new situations and circumstances, and still find a way to steal sizable playing time. The Commanders offered Sheldon a 1-year contract to return to Washington. Currently, Day is listed as the 3rd string RDT and looks to make another respectable contribution in the 2025 season. 2014 Draft Class Zack Martin - Dallas Cowboys - OG - 2014 - Round 01: Pick 016 Zack Martin was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1st round of the 2014 NFL draft with the 16th overall pick. Martin made his impact quickly, being named the starting right guard on the first day of preseason camp, beating out a 2 year starter. In his very first year, Martin played in and started all 16 games for the Cowboys and became one of only four rookies named to the 2014 Pro Bowl. The Cowboys went 12-4 in his first season and made the playoffs. They beat the Lions 24-20 in the wildcard round, but lost to the Packers the next game 21-26. He was also the only rookie to earn All-Pro honors in 2014. From 2015–2017, Martin would start and play all 16 games and over 1000 snaps for the Cowboys, and earned both Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors each season. He helped take the Cowboys to the playoffs on the back of a 13-3 record, but once again lost to the Packers 31–34.  Just before the start of the 2018 season, Martin and the Cowboys agreed to a 6-year, $84 million contract that made him the highest-paid guard in the entire league. 2018 would be the first time Martin missed a single game in his career, going down with a knee injury that kept him out for 2 games. Regardless, he was still selected to both the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro team for the 5th time in 5 years.  2018 was the third time in Martin’s tenure that the Cowboys made it to the playoffs, this time on the back of a 10-6 season. They beat the Seahawks in a close 24-22 win in the wildcard round, but lost the following game to the Rams 22–30. 2019 saw Martin return to full form, playing in and starting all 16 games with over 1000 snaps. He again earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors while becoming one of only five offensive linemen to make it to the Pro Bowl in all six of their first six seasons. Due to injuries, Martin made his first NFL start at right tackle in week 11 of 2020, but suffered a calf strain that sidelined him for six games. It was the first time in his 7-year career that Martin had played less than 14 games for Dallas.  Martin was ruled out of the 2021 season opener after testing positive for COVID-19, but thankfully, it would be the only game he missed all year. He appeared in the remaining 16 games for Dallas and recorded another 1000+ snaps from scrimmage. The Cowboys finished 12-5 and earned their fourth postseason appearance in Martin’s career, but unfortunately fell to the 49ers 17–23 in the wildcard round. 2022 would be Martin’s best statistical year, starting and playing in all 17 games while posting a career high 1,143 snaps, only 1 penalty, and didn’t allow a single sack all season. It earned him All-Pro honors again and another Pro Bowl selection. Thankfully, the Cowboys made it back to the playoffs on the back of a 12-5 record, where they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-14 in the wildcard round but eventually lost to the 49ers 12-19. Martin suffered another ankle injury early in the 2023 season and only missed two games, appearing in 15 total with 908 snaps. The Cowboys made it to the playoffs once again, but were bounced by the Packers in the wildcard round, 32–48. 2024 was a difficult season for both the Cowboys and Martin. The 11th-year starter played 10 games for the Cowboys before undergoing season-ending ankle surgery. The Cowboys went 7–10 and missed the playoffs before Martin officially announced his retirement on February 20, 2025. After 11 seasons as one of the most decorated and talented offensive linemen, Martin was named an All-Pro 8 times, was selected for the Pro Bowl 9 times, and helped the Cowboys make the playoffs 6 times. Martin was the final remaining Notre Dame alumnus from the 2014 draft class. 2012 Draft Class Harrison Smith - Minnesota Vikings - S - 2012 - Round 01: Pick 029 Smith was drafted in the first round of the 2012 draft, going 29th to the Minnesota Vikings, and signed a 4-year, $7.13 million rookie contract. He entered training camp in competition with two other safeties but beat out both NFL vets to win the starting job. He went on to start all 16 of Minnesota’s games in 2012 and put up an impressive 104 tackles along with 3 interceptions, 2 of which he took back for touchdowns. The Vikings earned a spot in the playoffs but didn’t make it past their first game. His first-year performance was enough to earn him an all-rookie team spot and cemented his role as both the starting safety and the anchor of the Vikings’ secondary. Smith started his sophomore season on a similar trajectory but sustained a foot injury that sidelined him for 8 games. By the end of the season, Smith only played in 8 games but still managed to rack up 58 tackles and another 2 interceptions. The Vikings brought in new head coach Mike Zimmer for the 2014 season, and Smith once again started all 16 games for Minnesota. In one of his most productive seasons, Smith finished his 3rd year with 93 tackles, 3 sacks, 5 interceptions, 1 of which he returned for a score. Minnesota picked up Smith’s 5th-year rookie option, and he returned once more as the starter. 2015 was a bit of a down year for Smith statistically, only managing 13 appearances due to injury, but he finished with a respectable 66 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions. Despite these hurdles, he earned a spot in his first Pro Bowl as an alternate and entered the top-100 player rankings for the first time at #73. The Vikings made the playoffs once again but failed to make it past their first matchup. Before the start of the 2016 season, Smith and the Vikings agreed to a massive 5-year contract extension worth $51.25 million with a $10 million signing bonus. 2016 was another successful outing for Smith, and he finished the year with 14 games played, only missing two games late in the season with a high ankle sprain. He finished with 91 tackles and 2 sacks but didn’t record a single interception for the first time in his career. Smith was named to his 2nd straight Pro Bowl appearance and first starting spot, and was voted a top-100 player in the NFL once again. 2017 would be among the best seasons of Smith’s career. He appeared in all 16 of Minnesota’s games for the first time since 2014 and finished with 78 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 5 interceptions. While impressive at a glance, Smith’s analytical performance was even more elite. His 98.8 PFF grade was the highest in history for a safety and was the 3rd highest in the entire NFL. The Vikings finished with a 13-3 record and earned a spot in the playoffs. They beat the New Orleans Saints 29-24 but lost in the NFC Championship to the eventual Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles. Smith earned his 3rd straight Pro Bowl appearance, was named to the 1st team All-Pro roster, earned a DPOY nomination, and jumped up to the #46 spot in the NFL top-100 rankings. Smith started another 16 games in 2018 and finished the year with 84 tackles, 3 sacks, and 3 interceptions. Unfortunately, the Vikings missed the playoffs with an 8-7-1 record, but Smith was named to his 4th straight Pro Bowl and earned 2nd team All-Pro. 2019 saw Smith finish with 85 tackles, 1 sack, and 3 interceptions, while the Vikings ended at 10-6. It was enough to earn Smith his 5th straight Pro Bowl and a spot for Minnesota in the NFC wild-card round of the playoffs. The Vikings beat the Saints 26-20 in an overtime thriller that sent them to a divisional-round matchup with the 49ers. Smith played 16 games in both 2020 and 2021, but the Vikings missed the playoffs both years with losing records. Still, he managed to record a career-high in tackles with 114 in 2021 and tied his career-high in sacks with 3 in 2020 and interceptions with 5 in 2020. Smith’s 2021 campaign earned him his 6th and most recent Pro Bowl appearance. Although he only appeared in 14 games in 2022, Smith recorded 3 straight games with an interception from weeks 6-9, tied his career high in interceptions with 5, and collected 85 total tackles. The Vikings pulled a wild-card round matchup with the New York Giants but lost 24-31. The Vikings missed the 2023 playoffs after a disappointing 7-10 outing, but Smith showed out yet again. He finished with 93 tackles and tied a career-high with 3 sacks, but failed to record a single interception for only the second time in his professional career. The 2024 Vikings bounced back in 2024 with an impressive 13-4 record, and Smith put up 87 tackles, 1 sack, and 3 interceptions. Unfortunately, the Vikings were upset by the LA Rams 9-27  in the wild-card round. 2025 will be Smith’s 14th year in the NFL and the final year of his contract with the Vikings. In his 13 seasons, he’s made the Pro Bowl 6 times (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021), All-Pro honors 2 times (2017, 2018), and the playoffs 6 times (2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024). At 36 years old, it’s unclear what Smith’s next contract will look like, but his longevity and consistently elite performance make another extension likely, conceivably keeping him in Minnesota for his entire career. As of 2025, Smith is the only remaining Notre Dame player from the 2012 draft class actively playing in the NFL.  2008 Draft Class JJ Jansen - Carolina Panthers - LS - 2008 - CFA Jansen wasn’t picked in the 2008 NFL draft but signed with the Green Bay Packers for a short stint. Unfortunately, JJ spent the remainder of the 2008 season on injury reserve. He was traded to the Carolina Panthers in April 2009, where he immediately won the starting long-snapper job. He started all 16 games for the Panthers in 2009 and never looked back. Since then, Jansen has started at least 16 games for the Panthers through the 2011 season. Because of his consistency and dependability, the Panthers re-signed Jansen to a 4-year, $3.6 million contract prior to the 2012 season. He’d go on to earn a Pro Bowl appearance following the 2013 season and was a part of the Super Bowl 50 Panthers squad. Despite losing the game, Jansen’s career continued on its stellar trajectory.  In early 2016, Jansen signed a 5-year, $5.5 million contract to stay in Carolina after holding down the long-snapper position for 7 consecutive seasons without missing a single start. The Panthers re-signed Jansen to consecutive 1-year deals beginning in early 2021 until the present. The two most recently agreed on a one-year deal in February 2025, marking his 17th season in the league and with the franchise. Jansen has made his mark on the Carolina record books with the most career games played for the franchise with 260, a record he’s held since the 2022 season. He hasn’t missed a single regular-season game over his 16-year career. As of 2025, the 38-year-old is the only remaining Notre Dame alumnus from the 2008 NFL rookie class and the oldest Irish player left in the league. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

With the men’s basketball transfer portal in full swing featuring more than 1,000 entrants, Notre Dame has been looking to fill holes left by the exits of Tae Davis and J.R. Konieczny. Photo by The Irish Tribune Following the departure of Brian Snow, Director of Recruiting, on March 26, it has been a unique time for everyone involved with Notre Dame’s Men’s Basketball program. Despite the unfortunate timing, the portal does not slow down and the Irish need to make a splash. Below, we will highlight each portal entrant that Notre Dame has reportedly expressed interest in: Ante Brzovic Position: Forward-Center Height/Weight: 6-10, 225 pounds Former School(s): SE Oklahoma State (DII) → College of Charleston Transfer Ranking: 4-Star, 47th overall (On3 Industry) Eligibility: 1 year remaining* (currently suing the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility) Last Season Stats: 18.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1 bpg, 0.8 spg Notes: All-CAA First Team, led Charleston in points and rebounds Gabe Dynes Position: Center Height/Weight: 7-3, 225 pounds Former School(s): Youngstown State Transfer Ranking: 4-star, 167th overall (247) Eligibility: 2 years remaining Last Season Stats: 6.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.4 apg, 3.1 bpg, 0.3 spg Notes: led the country in total blocks (104), Horizon League All-Defensive Team Wes Enis Position: Guard Height/Weight: 6-2, 200 pounds Former School(s): Lincoln Memorial (DII) Transfer Ranking: 4-Star, 196th overall (On3 Industry) Eligibility: 2 years remaining Last Season Stats: 20.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.1 bpg Notes: South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Player of the Year & Defensive Player of the Year, 2023-24 SAC Freshman of the Year Carson Towt Position: Forward Height/Weight: 6-8, 235 pounds Former School(s): Northern Arizona Transfer Ranking: 3-Star (On3 Industry) Eligibility: 1 year remaining Last Season Stats: 13.3 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.4 bpg Notes: Second Team All-Conference & All-Defensive Team in the Big Sky, led the country in rebounds per game (12.4), the only player to total 400-plus points, 400-plus rebounds, and 100-plus assists, NAU’s all-time leading rebounder Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Khamari McGriff Position: Forward Height/Weight: 6-9, 210 pounds Former School(s): UNC Wilmington Transfer Ranking: 3-Star (On3 Industry) Eligibility: 1 year remaining Last Season Stats: 11.5 ppg, 4 rpg, 0.7 apg, 1.1 bpg, 0.4 spg Notes: One of the top 6th-men in the country, helped UNCW to an NCAA Tournament appearance Sam Brown Position: Guard Height/Weight: 6-3, 185 pounds Former School(s): Penn Transfer Ranking: 3-Star (On3 Industry) Eligibility: 2 years remaining Last Season Stats: 13.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 0.7 spg, 0.1 bpg Notes: Led the Ivy League in scoring during conference play (19.3 ppg), All-Ivy Second Team Jlynn Counter Position: Guard Height/Weight: 6-3, 195 pounds Former School(s): Northern Oklahoma College → IUPUI → Middle Tennessee State Transfer Ranking: 3-Star (On3 Industry) Eligibility: 1 year remaining Last Season Stats: 10.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1 spg, 0.4 bpg Notes: led IUPUI in scoring before transferring to MTSU Early Misses: Marquel Sutton - Omaha transfer Forward, Summit League Player of the Year, led Omaha to an NCAA Tournament appearance, has committed to LSU Jalen Jackson - Purdue Fort Wayne transfer Guard, All-Horizon League First Team, Fort Wayne native, has committed to Butler Conor Enright - DePaul transfer Guard, went to the NCAA Tournament with Drake in 2023 & 2024, has committed to Indiana  Izaiah Pasha - Delaware transfer Guard, Delaware’s Head Coach is Martin Inglesby (former ND player), left the Irish off his top-ten list Cooper Schweiger - Valparaiso transfer Forward, All-MVC Second Team, ‘23-’24 MVC Freshman of the Year, has committed to Wake Forest Nick Davidson - Nevada transfer Forward, All-Mountain West Second Team, included Notre Dame in his top-five, has committed to Clemson Alex Steen - Florida Southern (DII) transfer forward, two-time conference Defensive Player of the Year, reportedly received interest from 80-plus DI programs, has committed to Florida State Morez Johnson - Illinois transfer big man, left ND off his top-six list, has committed to Michigan Anthony Robinson - Virginia transfer big man with 3 years of eligibility remaining, has committed to Xavier Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Notre Dame Head Hockey Coach Brock Sheahan is prepared to begin his journey as the Irish’s new leader, making him the fifth coach in the program’s modern era. Photo by The Irish Tribune Who is Brock Sheahan? Coach Sheahan is a 40-year-old from Alberta, Canada who played as a defenseman for the Irish from 2004-2008. Following a five-year professional playing career, Sheahan remained involved in the game as a coach. He earned his first full-time head coaching role in the USHL with the Chicago Steel. After two seasons with the Steel, he accepted the head coaching position with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Sheahan then accepted a role with his alma mater, Notre Dame, as an Associate Head Coach on Jeff Jackson’s staff in 2023. Just one year later, he was named the ‘head coach-in-waiting’ after Jackson’s announcement he would be retiring following the 2024-25 season. This brings us to the present day, where on March 17 he was officially named the Head Coach at Notre Dame and he spoke with the media for the first time this week, on April 9, in his introductory press conference.  Playing Career Over a decade ago, Sheahan was a defenseman during his time on the ice. Before playing at Notre Dame, the young Canadian had a 28-point season across 48 games played in the AJHL with the Crowsnest Pass Timberwolves in 2003-04. Sheahan entered Notre Dame coming off his productive year in the AJHL, not knowing that the Irish were about to experience the worst season in the program’s modern era. Fortunately for the young defenseman, he would later experience the most successful season in program history. In the final season of the Dave Poulin era (2004-05), the Irish finished 5-27-6. As a freshman, Sheahan tallied four points in 36 games played. The 2005-06 season debuted the Jeff Jackson era; a man that Sheahan would eventually coach under in South Bend. The Irish witnessed an impressive one-year turnaround as they finished 13-19-4, eight more wins than the prior season. Sheahan had a solid year, totaling eight points in 36 games played as a sophomore. As hinted at earlier, Sheahan experienced the lowest-of-lows and highest-of-highs in his playing time at Notre Dame. The 2006-07 year was peak for Irish hockey as they finished 32-7-3, marking the most wins in program history. Sheahan helped Notre Dame win the CCHA regular-season and tournament championships. While the Irish came up short in the NCAA Tournament, losing in the regional final, it did mark the farthest Notre Dame had appeared in the tournament. As a junior in this historic season, Sheahan finished the year with eight points in 42 games played while posting a +21 plus/minus.  In Sheahan’s final year at Notre Dame (2007-08), he was named an alternate captain as the Irish looked to carry their success from the prior season. While the team did not have the conference-play success they sought, the Irish still finished 27-16-4 with an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Notre Dame caught fire in the tournament, making it to the National Championship before coming up short in the big game. During the Irish’s first-ever Frozen Four appearance, Sheahan tallied an assist in the 5-4 win versus Michigan. As arguably the team’s top defenseman, Sheahan finished the year with 13 points in 47 games played with a +21 plus/minus. After going undrafted in the NHL Draft, Sheahan embarked on a five-year professional career, with four seasons in the ECHL and one in Germany’s second league. After spending the 2008-09 season with the Wheeling Nailers, the defenseman joined the Cincinnati Cyclones. Sheahan was a part of the Cyclones’ 2009-10 ECHL Championship season. The following year with the Cyclones, Sheahan was named an alternate captain. After two seasons in Cincinnati, Sheahan headed overseas to play with SC Riessersee in Germany’s second league. Following just one season in Germany, Sheahan then returned to the ECHL with the Ontario Reign in 2012-13 for the final year of his playing career. Sheahan finished his professional career with 98 points in 331 games played. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Coaching Career Sheahan wasted no time setting up his future as a head coach as he re-joined the Notre Dame program as a volunteer assistant in the 2013-14 season, less than a year after ending his playing career.  After one year with his alma mater, Sheahan joined Holy Cross in 2014 as an Assistant Coach. He served as an assistant with the Crusaders from 2014-16, before being promoted to Associate Head Coach in 2016. He would spend two seasons in this role with Holy Cross. In 2018, Sheahan joined the Chicago Steel of the UCHL as an Associate Head Coach. He earned his first full-time head coaching role in 2020 with the Steel, where he would become the winningest coach in the organization’s history. Sheahan amassed a record of 108-30-12-3, winning regular-season titles in 2019 and 2021. He would lead the Steel to a UCHL Playoff Championship in 2021.  After his time with the Steel, Sheahan was named Head Coach of the Chicago Wolves, of the AHL, in 2022. Following just one 35-29-5 season with the Wolves, Sheahan decided to re-join his alma mater. Sheahan accepted an Associate Head Coach position on Jeff Jackon’s staff in 2023, ultimately leading the program to the position it is in today. A year after being dubbed the ‘head coach-in-waiting,’ the time has come as Head Coach Sheahan officially takes over in 2025-26. Introductory Press Conference Notre Dame Hockey fans and supporters officially welcomed Sheahan on April 9 at his introductory press conference. Attended by the likes of fellow Notre Dame Head Coaches including Marcus Freeman, Micah Shrewsberry, and Niele Ivey, AD Pete Bevacqua opened the conference by ushering in Sheahan to the Irish family with some gracious remarks.  The former Irish defenseman opened his presser by acknowledging that “the opportunity to lead Notre Dame Hockey is a dream come true.” 12 years ago, Sheahan and his wife had a conversation regarding ‘what’s next?’ for Brock’s life in hockey. It was during this conversation that Sheahan realized “I could be the next head coach at the University of Notre Dame,” he said in a joking but serious manner. The next year, Sheahan chased this dream, beginning as a volunteer assistant in South Bend rather than continuing his professional playing career in Europe. He hinted that it was a struggle early, having to rely on his wife at times to support the family as he made his way through the coaching ranks at Notre Dame and Holy Cross. When he eventually received the opportunity to coach professionally, Sheahan “loved” the game but always knew “there’s only one place I would come back and that was here (Notre Dame).”   Sheahan shared this passion for Notre Dame throughout the press conference. He stated, “I honestly believe this is the best place in the world to go to school, to develop as a person, and, in our case, to compete and develop as a hockey player.” He acknowledged those who helped build the foundation of this program before him, including coaches Jeff Jackson, Dave Poulin, Paul Pooley, and Andy Slaggert.  The new coach finished his presser by acknowledging the future of the program. He believes “you’ll (fans and supporters) love the product that’s on the ice in the future.” Repeatedly, Sheahan mentioned that he wants to play fast and knows this requires players who can compete, have good hockey sense, and, obviously, are fast. He does not believe this is a rebuild, stating “We have way more talent than people think in our locker room.” He also pointed to zero players entering the transfer portal as another reason for this belief.  When asked about goals for the program, Sheahan stated the need to “recruit and develop players that are the right fit for Notre Dame hockey.” He acknowledged that everyone wants to win, but “we will not chase wins…we will chase the process every day, we’ll get better every day and that’s what you’ll see from our program and our players.” Sheahan will be searching for this level of compete and consistency from all of his players as he begins his tenure as the Head Coach at Notre Dame. Time will tell if Brock Sheahan is the one who can bring National Championship-level success to South Bend. Though if anything is certain, it is this program will compete in everything they do with Sheahan's willingness to work behind the bench. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun