Over the first three parts of this article series, we examined the NFL careers of 34 recent Notre Dame alumni currently active in the NFL across the 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020 draft classes. In this piece, we'll cover 7 more alums from the 2019 and 2018 draft classes and see where they've ended up. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics 2019 Draft Class Drue Tranquill - Kansas City Chiefs - LB - 2019 - Round 04: Pick 130 Tranquill was selected in the 4th round of the 2019 NFL draft with the 130th overall pick by the Los Angeles Chargers. He joined fellow Notre Dame teammate Jerry Tillery, who the Chargers drafted in the 1st round. Tranquill’s rookie contract was worth $3.17 million over 4 years, including a $658,808 signing bonus. He began training camp in competition for the backup middle linebacker job but was named third-string middle linebacker as the season began. For a backup’s backup, Tranquill found a way to appear in 15/16 Chargers games in 2019, even earning 3 starts. He finished his rookie season with 75 tackles and 1 pass deflection, while the Chargers finished 5-11 and missed the playoffs. Tranquill competed for the starting weak-side linebacker spot throughout training camp and the 2020 preseason but ultimately didn’t win the job. Instead, he moved up from 3rd string to 2nd and became a true backup with an expanded rotational role. During the Chargers’ 2020 season opener against the Bengals, Tranquill recorded a single tackle before leaving the game with an injury. It was later discovered that he’d sustained a broken ankle and was ruled out for the rest of the season. The Chargers finished with a disappointing 7–9 record that kept them out of the playoffs again and parted ways with then-head coach Anthony Lynn.  The Chargers' new coaching staff decided to transition the defense to a base 3–4 and opened up the entire linebacking core to compete for their starting jobs. Even with the new opportunity, Tranquill was unable to win any of the 3 first-string spots and was once again named a backup linebacker. He eventually earned a few starts as injuries piled up, and he played incredibly well. However, he lost his momentum when he was sidelined with a chest injury, an ankle injury, and a positive COVID-19 test. By the end of the season, he’d played in 14 games, 7 of which he started, and compiled 76 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. The Chargers finished at 8-9 and once again missed the playoffs. 2022 was Tranquill’s breakout season. He finally secured a starting position in the linebacker unit and started 16/17 games for the first time in his career. He compiled a career-high 146 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 4 pass deflections, and 1 interception. The Chargers finished at 10-7 and qualified for their first playoff berth of Tranquill’s career. They faced off with Jacksonville in the AFC wildcard game but lost 30–31. Despite the defeat, Tranquil recorded five tackles and an interception off Trevor Lawrence.  For one reason or another, the Chargers did not offer Tranquill an extension, so he agreed with the Chiefs on a 1-year, $3 million contract, with a $1.44 million signing bonus. He arrived in Kansas City as the new backup middle linebacker and earned starting opportunities quickly as injuries began to arise.  He finished the season with 16 appearances and 8 starts, missing just one game due to a concussion. He finished the season with 79 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 pass deflection. The 2023 Kansas City Chiefs finished with an 11-6 record and a wild-card game against the Dolphins, whom they beat handily 26-7. They just escaped a close one against the Bills, 27–24, before beating the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship, 17–10. The Chiefs matched up with the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII and won 25-22 on a last-minute touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes. In his first year with a new team, Tranquill made it to the playoffs for only the second time in his career and won his first Super Bowl ring. He finished the 2023 playoffs with 21 tackles and 1 tackle for loss. In March of 2024, Tranquill signed a 3-year, $19 million contract extension with Kansas City, including a $4.5 million signing bonus. He started 16 games in 2024 and finished the year with 94 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 pass deflections. The Chiefs finished the 2024 regular season with a stellar 15-2 record and beat the Houston Texans 23-14 in the divisional series. KC went on to win the AFC title in a thriller against the Buffalo Bills, squeaking out a 32-29 win to play in their third straight Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the Chiefs weren’t able to achieve the coveted three-peat and fell to the Eagles 22-40. Tranquill collected a team-high 11 tackles and 1 sack in the loss and finished the playoffs with 25 tackles and 2 tackles for loss over 3 games. Despite losing, it was Tranquill’s second Super Bowl appearance in 6 years. Regardless of how far the Chiefs go in 2025, Tranquill is in a position to make a serious impact and continue building one of the most promising careers amongst Notre Dame defensemen. Jerry Tillery - Minnesota Vikings - DT - 2019 - Round 01: Pick 028 Tillery was drafted in the 1st round of the 2018 NFL draft with the 28th pick, going to the Los Angeles Chargers alongside fellow Notre Dame teammate Drue Tranquill. He signed a 4-year $11.42 million contract with a $6.32 million signing bonus and entered training camp in competition for a spot on the defensive line. Tillery didn’t win a starting spot but found heavy rotational usage, even for a rookie, appearing in 15/17 games with 3 starts. He finished the season with 17 tackles and 2 sacks.  Tillery progressed in 2020, this time playing all 16 games along with 11 starts, and his numbers reflected the change. He finished the season with 29 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 pass deflections, and 1 blocked kick. Tillery again used his improved performance as fuel and returned the following year with a vengeance. He played 16 games, starting 15, and set career highs in both tackles with 51 and sacks with 4.5.  2022 was a different story. The Chargers declined Tillery’s 5th-year option just before training camp began, making him a free agent at the end of the season, and that’s when things began to go left. Tillery’s breakout performance the year prior fueled a belief that his role should increase, but the coaching staff didn’t share that sentiment. The Chargers' defense was in the middle of a rebuild, and Tillery lost his starting spot to free agent signing Austin Johnson. Everything came to a head when Johnson went down with a season-ending injury. Tillery expected to move up and back into his recently vacated role, but the coaches opened it up to competition, which began to cause issues. Tillery appeared in just 7 games with no starts before, seemingly out of nowhere, the Chargers waived him, and he entered free agency ahead of schedule. Just days later, Tillery was claimed off waivers by the Las Vegas Raiders, where he played another 8 games to close out the season. The split didn’t come as a shock, as tensions between Tillery and San Diego seemed to be at a breaking point. When asked about the split, the Chargers coaching staff pointed to “competing visions” regarding playing time, which, when coupled with their declination of his 5th-year option, helped quickly deteriorate an already strained relationship. Tillery finished the 2022 season with 15 games between 2 teams, 18 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. Despite the turbulent year, Tillery and the Raiders agreed to a 2-year deal worth $6.8 million that brought him back to Vegas through the 2024 season.  While his situation changed, Tillery found himself without a starting job once again and instead competed for rotational minutes. He only started 6 games in 2023 but appeared in all 17 for the Raiders and finished the season with 31 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. Despite having another year left on his contract, Tillery was released by new Raiders GM Tom Telesco, who originally drafted him to the Chargers and waived him in 2022. A free agent yet again, Tillery signed a 1-year, $2.7 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings for the 2024 season. Tillery went on to play all 17 regular-season games with 11 starts, collecting 28 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 2 pass deflections, and 1 blocked kick. The Vikings finished with a 14-3 record and earned a spot in the wild-card round, but fell to the Rams, 9-27.  Tillery’s contract with the Vikings expired, and he entered free agency looking for a fresh start. On March 14th, 2025, news broke that Tillery and the Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a 1-year deal for the 2025 season, worth $1.79 million. Tillerry’s experience playing both inside and outside on the defensive line makes him an excellent rotational piece for Andy Reid and the Chiefs, and he’ll play a significant role this season. The move will reunite Tillery with former Notre Dame and Chargers teammate Drue Tranquill. Julian Love - Seattle Seahawks - S - 2019 - Round 04: Pick 108 Julian Love entered the 2019 NFL draft as a top 5 defensive back prospect but fell well beyond his projected spot. It wasn’t until the 4th round that the New York Giants used the 108th pick to select Love, signing him to a 4-year $3.29 million rookie contract. Love’s versatility allowed him to compete for a cornerback, safety, or nickelback job in training camp, and he was eventually named the third-string free safety for the start of the season. He played in 15 games and earned a start in 5 while collecting 37 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 pass deflections, and 1 interception, which he returned for 30 yards. It was a solid rookie outing for Love, but a tough one for the Giants organization. The team missed the playoffs with an abysmal 4–12 record, and ownership parted ways with head coach Pat Shurmur.  New head coach Joe Judge gave Love the chance to compete for the starting free safety spot against new arrival Xavier McKinney, and he won, beginning the 2020 season alongside strong safety Jabrill Peppers. Despite starting the first two games, Love would only start 6 games by the end of the year, but appeared in all 16 contests. His numbers improved dramatically with just one extra game compared to his rookie year, nearly doubling his total tackles with 64, reeling in 1 interception, 3 pass deflections, and 1 tackle for loss. The Giants improved, but barely, only mustering a 6–10 record and missing the playoffs once again. Love was named the backup safety for 2021, playing in all 17 games with 5 starts. Once again, his numbers increased, finishing with a career-high 66 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, a career-high 7 pass deflections, and 1 interception. It was Love’s third straight year with at least 1 interception, and the third straight season the Giants missed the playoffs with a losing record. Once again, the Giants found a new head coach, and an exodus of player personnel opened up both starting safety positions. Although it was an open competition, Love ran away with the strong safety spot and earned his first starting job. Love had a career year, appearing in and starting 16 games, with the only exception being a week 18 scratch from the lineup to work in backup players. Love posted career highs in nearly every statistical category, collecting 124 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, 6 tackles for loss, five pass deflections, and 2 interceptions. The Giants finished their season with a 9-7-1 record and secured a wildcard showdown with the Minnesota Vikings.  After beating the Vikings 31–24, the Giants moved on to face the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round. Unfortunately, they fell 7–38, and Love’s first playoff run came to a close. He finished the playoffs with 12 total tackles and 2 tackles for loss over 2 games. 2022 was a career year for Love, and his performance significantly increased his market value. The Giants weren’t willing to compete financially for his services and ultimately let him walk. Love and the Seattle Seahawks agreed on a new deal that paid $12 million over 2 years, with a signing bonus of $4.82 million.  Despite arriving to a new team, coaching staff, and city, Love beat out his competition and secured the starting safety spot for 2023. He only lasted four weeks in the role before head coach Pete Carroll pulled the plug and made him the primary backup. Despite the setback, Love regained his starting role late in the season and finished with another statistically impressive year. He collected 123 total tackles, one tackle for loss, a career-high four interceptions, a career-high 10 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. For the first time in his career, Love was voted into the top 100 NFL players, coming in at number 95, and made it to his first-ever Pro Bowl. Despite his banner year, the Seahawks narrowly missed the playoffs with a 9–8 record. Love faced a coaching staff and teammate exodus in Seattle, and both safety spots opened up. New head coach Mike MacDonald named Love one of the starters alongside Rayshawn Jenkins. Over the summer of 2024, Love and the Seahawks agreed to a massive 3-year $36 million contract extension with a hefty $10.5 million signing bonus, keeping him in Seattle through the 2027 season. It was an extravagant but well-deserved extension, and Love looks to be a multi-year starter with the Seahawks for the foreseeable future at just 26 years old. 2018 Draft Class Scott Daly - Chicago Bears - LS - 2018 - CFA Daly went unselected in the 2017 NFL draft and failed to make a team minicamp. He spent the entire 2017 season outside of football, but looked to try again in 2018. Despite signing with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent, he wasn’t able to win the starting job, so he moved on to the AAF’s (Alliance of American Football) San Antonio Commanders until the organization ceased operations in mid-2019. Daly was then drafted into the XFL, joining the New York Guardians until the league halted operations in mid-2020.  Finally, Daly made it to the NFL and signed with the Detroit Lions as a free agent in May 2021. He won the long snapping job during preseason play and went on to play all 17 games in his first two seasons with Detroit. Despite playing the first 8 games of 2023, Daly suffered a knee injury during week 8 that would end the rest of his season. Despite recently signing a new one-year deal with Detroit for 2024, Daly was released after losing the long-snapping job to a rookie. He then signed with the Chicago Bears' practice squad and was brought up to active duty in September 2024. He filled in for an injured Patrick Scales and played all 17 games for Chicago. Recently, news broke that the Bears had agreed to a 1-year deal with Scott Daly to bring him back for the 2025 season. It’s unclear how the playing time and depth chart positioning will play out once Scales is back and healthy, but at this point, Daly has the starting job. Durham Smythe - Miami Dolphins - TE - 2018 - Round 04: Pick 123 Smythe was selected in the fourth round with the 123rd overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins. He was named the backup tight end out of training camp due to his impeccable blocking prowess and earned playing time in 15 games with 2 starts. It was a quiet year statistically, with only 11 targets and 6 receptions for 50 yards and 0 touchdowns, but Smythe’s blocking cemented his #2 TE spot for next year. He improved in 2019, appearing in all 16 games for the Dolphins, this time starting 14 of them, and putting up pretty similar numbers with 7 receptions on 14 targets for 65 yards and 0 touchdowns. The 2020 season was Smythe’s best yet, putting up a career-high 26 receptions and 208 yards, along with his first and second career NFL touchdowns, all in just 15 games. Once again in 2021, Smythe put up career highs with 17 games played, 34 receptions, and 357 yards, but did not score any touchdowns this time around.  In the offseason, the Dolphins brought Smythe back on a 2-year deal through the 2023 season and got what they paid for. Smythe played 16 games in 2022, setting a career-high with 15 starts, but only managed 15 receptions for 129 yards, 1 receiving touchdown, and 1 rushing touchdown. It was a step back from 2021, but 2023 would be different. Smythe played another 16 games with 14 starts and set new career highs in receptions with 35 and yards with 366. He made his first two playoff appearances in ‘22 and ‘23 and has 4 career postseason receptions for 32 yards.  Things changed in 2024 with the arrival of veteran tight end Jonnu Smith, and Smythe’s role began to dwindle. He’d begun his NFL career as a blocking tight end but found a way to flourish in a somewhat limited offensive role and make the best of the chances that came his way. Smith upset that balance when he won the starting job and put up 88 catches for 884 yards and 8 touchdowns. At that point, it doesn’t really matter how good you are at blocking - it will be hard to find starting playing time over that type of offensive talent. This shift also showed itself in Smythe’s stats. Although he appeared in all 17 games, he only started 4 of them and caught just 9 balls for 53 yards and 0 touchdowns. The Dolphins released Smythe in early 2025, and the seven-year veteran announced a 1-year deal with the Chicago Bears, reuniting with Notre Dame alum Cole Kmet.  Quenton Nelson - Indianapolis Colts - OG - 2018 - Round 01: Pick 028 Quenton Nelson was considered a top 10 consensus pick for the 2018 NFL draft and was rated the highest offensive lineman in the entire draft. Like his predecessor, Ronnie Stanley, Nelson was selected in the 1st-round with the 6th overall pick. It gave him a similarly sizable, fully guaranteed 4-year rookie contract worth $23.88 million, including a $15.45 million signing bonus. Nelson had an impeccable rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts, appearing in all 16 games with over 1100 snaps. He was part of an Indianapolis offensive line that didn’t allow a single sack for over 150 dropbacks and helped earn 200 rushing yards in back-to-back games for the first time in 33 years. His performance earned him a Pro Bowl appearance and a first-team all-pro nod, two incredible feats for a rookie.  The 2019 season was somehow even better for Nelson, as he appeared in and started all 16 games for Indianapolis, with over 1000 snaps, 0 sacks allowed, and just 3 penalties. It all combined for a second consecutive season with Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors, along with a 91.2 PFF grade and a spot in the NFL‘s top 100 players at #29. Nelson managed to do it again in 2020, once again playing all 16 games with over 1000 snaps, and this time only allowed a single sack with nine penalties. It was enough to earn him All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl appearance for the third straight season. Despite this success, Nelson‘s rank within the top 100 NFL players dropped four spots to number 33. Just before the start of the 2021 season, Indianapolis accepted the 5th-year option on Nelson’s contract to keep him signed with the team through 2022. Unfortunately, he was forced to undergo surgery in August 2021 to remove a bone fragment in his left foot and was projected to miss between 5 and 12 weeks. Shockingly, he recovered quickly and made the regular season opener, but sustained a high ankle sprain in the Colts’ week 3 game. Despite the injuries, Nelson was able to start and appear in 13/17 games for Indianapolis.  Nelson set 2 franchise records after the 2021 season: first, becoming the first guard in Colts franchise history to be named to 4 Pro Bowls and 3 first-team All-Pro selections, and second, becoming only the second player in franchise history to earn 4 straight Pro Bowl honors in his first 4 seasons. He was then named the 28th-best player on the NFL’s top 100 players list, the highest mark of his career thus far. Nelson and the Colts agreed to a 4-year, $80 million contract renewal in September 2022, making him the highest-paid guard in the league. He immediately proved the Colts right by playing all 17 games in 2022 and earning his 5th consecutive Pro Bowl nomination. He started all 17 games in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, earning his 6th and 7th straight Pro Bowl appearances, along with his 5th All-Pro nod. In just seven years, Nelson has cemented himself as one of the best linemen in the entire league, has led his team to the playoffs twice, and has only missed 4 total games. Mike McGlinchey - Denver Broncos - OT - 2018 - Round 01: Pick 006 Notre Dame produced the top two offensive linemen of the 2018 NFL draft: OG Quenton Nelson, who went in the 1st round with the 6th overall pick, and OT Mike McGlinchey, who was drafted in the 1st round with the 9th overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers. The top-10 draft spot earned McGlinchey a hefty 4-year rookie deal worth $18.34 million with a signing bonus of $11.41 million. He won the starting right tackle position rather easily and had an excellent rookie season, playing in all 16 games. In 2019, McGlinchey was only able to play 12 games due to a knee injury that kept him sidelined for 4 games, but he was a part of the Super Bowl LIV 49ers team that ultimately lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 20–31.  The following year, McGlinchey was back in full form, again starting and playing all 16 games for San Francisco without any injury issues. Before the start of the 2021 season, the 49ers picked up McGlinchey's 5th-year option and gifted him a $10.90 million salary for the 2022 season. He had an excellent start to the season, playing 8 straight before tearing his quad in week 9 of the 2021 season, and was out for the remainder of the year. As he’d done before, McGlinchey returned better than ever in 2022 and started all 17 games. He was also instrumental in San Francisco’s playoff run from a win over the Seahawks in the wildcard round to a divisional win over the Cowboys and ultimately, their loss to the Eagles in the NFC championship. The stellar rebound season earned McGlinchey a lot of attention across the league, and the 49ers let him walk in free agency. That allowed him to sign a brand new 5-year contract worth $87.5 million with the Denver Broncos to become the new anchor of their front five. As upsetting as it was to San Francisco fans, there was just no way they were going to be able to match that kind of money. McGlinchey had a banner first year with the Broncos, starting 16 games and staying healthy as he acclimated to the mile-high city. Unfortunately, McGlinchey went down with an MCL sprain in Denver’s week 2 match-up of 2024 and was sidelined for 4 games, but ended the season with 13 starts and an appearance in Denver’s wild-card game against the Bills.  McGlinchey is yet another elite Notre Dame offensive line talent who has found a way to thrive in the NFL. His time in San Francisco was so successful that they couldn’t hold onto him, and Denver was willing to pay top dollar for one of the NFL‘s premier offensive line free agents. It looks likely that McGlinchey has found his new home. Next Article In our next piece, we’ll cover the remaining Irish alumni still playing professional ball across the 2016, 2014, 2012, and 2008 NFL draft classes and explore their professional careers thus far. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Spring football is in full swing, and the Irish roster is chomping at the bit to display what they can bring to the table in 2025. Following a magical season which saw Notre Dame reach the National Championship game, there will be plenty of personnel turnover on both sides of the football. Today, we'll take a look at players who can fill the void on the offensive side of the football and have massive breakout seasons. Photo by The Irish Tribune Jaden Greathouse Greathouse may be the most obvious pick for the player with the most potential to break out in the 2025 season. Greathouse came to Notre Dame as a highly touted four-star receiver. Since arriving at Notre Dame, Greathouse hasn't turned into that go-to pass threat that many hoped he would be. This can be attributed to multiple things, mainly the lackluster passing offense the Irish have fielded. Either way, Greathouse finally showed what he could do at his best during the CFP semifinals and National Championship. In the Orange Bowl against Penn State, Greathouse made the offensive play of the game when he juked out his defender, caught the ball, and then made another man miss on his way to a 54-yard touchdown. That touchdown tied the game back up at 24. Not only did Greathouse make a great play to score a touchdown, he did it in the biggest moment of the entire season. The trend came up again a week later when Greathouse continued to make big plays in big moments against Ohio State in the National Championship. In that game, he scored his first touchdown by catching the ball in the middle of the field, spinning out of a tackle, and racing toward the endzone. The second touchdown came by way of a perfectly thrown ball courtesy of Riley Leonard that Greathouse caught over the shoulder in the corner of the endzone. These two touchdowns fueled a Notre Dame comeback which ultimately fell just short. That two-game stretch for Greathouse is what many are looking forward to in 2025. It appeared as if Greathouse had finally put it all together, looking like a wide receiver that could be the first option in a solid passing attack. It will be contingent on the quarterback in 2025 for Greathouse's success, but any QB option for Notre Dame may be a better passer than Leonard was last year. That bodes well for Greathouse and the other receivers. Although the talent in the receiver room might be a step up compared to last year, a more consistent passer could be the catalyst to unlocking his full potential on a weekly basis. Steve Angeli, Kenny Minchey, or CJ Carr Although this isn't just one player, it does point to the potential success Notre Dame's starting QB will have. It is still unknown who Notre Dame's QB will be next season. The coaching staff has been open about the fact that all three have been given the chance to win the position. Angeli could be the perceived favorite, as he's been around the program the longest and has had the most meaningful in-game experience. In those opportunities, Angeli has looked more than serviceable. Back in the Sun Bowl, Angeli threw for 232 yards and three touchdowns, displaying calmness and efficiency in his first career start. Angeli also played one possession against Penn State, which proved to be a pivotal moment in the game. He led the team down the field before halftime to give Notre Dame its first points of the game. Angeli is the veteran of the group who has patiently waited for this opportunity, and has proven on more than one occasion that the moment isn't too big for him. Kenny Minchey does not get a lot of the buzz that has surrounded this QB battle, as Angeli and Carr are bigger names, but that doesn't mean he isn't capable. Minchey looked good in the Spring Game last year and is widely regarded as the "gunslinger" of the group. Despite a lack of in-game reps, Minchey has plenty of tools and is a polished passer. His ceiling might be higher than Angeli's, but the jury is still out on whether he's ready to lead the offense. CJ Carr is the youngest of the group, but is easily the most highly-touted. He was a highly ranked player coming out of high school, and the hype was palpable from the second he stepped on campus. Coming off of a UCL injury, Carr is no doubt eager to prove his abilities this spring and compete for the starting nod. Whoever the starter is, they will be in a prime position to succeed. All three are talented, with some being better at certain things than others. The best thing the starter will have going for them is the rest of the offense. Notre Dame brings in a lot of talented players on the offensive side of the ball that will make life easy for the QB. Jeremiyah Love is back, believed to be one of, if not the best, running backs in the country. As stated above, Greathouse is back, alongside Jordan Faison. Notre Dame also adds WIll Pauling and Malachi Fields as weapons, who are proven commodities that will surely improve the passing attack. Maybe most important of all, on paper, Notre Dame has one of the best offensive lines in the entire country. This will be crucial to protect a QB that doesn't have the mobility possessed by Riley Leonard. With a plethora of weapons and a strong offensive line, the next QB will have a lot around them to make their job easier. Angeli, Minchey, or Carr will be given a great situation to have success next season, and they are all talented enough to take full advantage. Charles Jagusah Notre Dame's offensive line was plagued with injuries all of last season. Jagusah was the first to need surgery over the summer. Although his season was thought to be over, he was able to play and contribute to Notre Dame's playoff run. Before his injury, Jagusah was slated to be the team's starting left tackle. When he returned, it wasn't at left tackle, he came in to play at left guard. Yes, there were times where he looked rusty, but he also showed flashes of his immense talent. Jagusah looked better than many probably expected given the circumstances. It was a tough ask to play the first minutes of his season against the best defense Notre Dame played all year. Now, it is still up in the air what position he will play next year. He may return to his original position at tackle or find a new home in the interior of the line at guard. Although his position has yet to be decided, Jagusah looks to play a big role next season, and now has a full off-season to hone his skills. The coaching staff has already been singing his praises in spring camp, showing that Jagusah is catching eyes since they last saw him. Jagusah's breakout season may have come last year if he hadn't gotten hurt, but now he has another off-season to keep improving. Jagusah will be an important part of next season's line. His versatility gives the coaching staff options, but Jagusah seems poised to have a successful season at any position. Although these are just a few names, there are candidates for big seasons all over this offense. It still feels like another level exists within Jordan Faison's game, which would make him a truly special player. Wisconsin transfer Will Pauling may be in store for a good season as well. He is a great option when healthy, and has had experience under Mike Brown. The running back room is littered with talent that is ready to contribute to this offense. Love's breakout year was last season, and he will see the bulk of the carries, but it will be interesting to see what other players can provide, including Aneyas Williams and Gi'Bran Payne. Williams was just a freshman last year, and earned valuable snaps down the stretch. Payne was not able to play last year due to a knee injury, but he is plenty talented enough to help this offense. All of this without mentioning Jadarian Price, who would be the featured back on 95% of college teams this upcoming season. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

On February 20, Notre Dame women’s basketball was ranked number one in the country coming off a 40-point victory over the University of Miami. The win moved the Irish to an astounding 24-2 record and undefeated in ACC play with 15 wins.   Less than two months later, on April 2, graduate senior center Kylee Watson joined senior guard Olivia Miles, freshman forward Kate Koval, and sophomore guard Emma Risch in the transfer portal. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics   Following a loss to Texas Christian University in the Sweet Sixteen on March 29, Notre Dame women’s basketball has lost 31.2% of its scoring to the transfer portal. It was the fourth straight year the Irish have lost in the Sweet Sixteen under head coach Niele Ivey after finishing the year 4-4 in their final eight games.   It started on March 31 when Miles - the projected No. 2 overall pick in the WNBA draft - announced her decision to not only forgo the draft, but also enter the transfer portal. After missing the entire 2023-24 season, Miles had a career year in South Bend where she saw career highs in points per game (15.4), field goal percentage (48.3%) and three-point percentage (40.6%).   Miles collected three triple-doubles this past season against Mercyhurst University in Notre Dame’s opening contest on November 4. Later in the season, Miles tallied back-to-back triple-doubles first against Loyola University Maryland on December 22 and then against Virginia on December 29. It was the fifth time she finished with a triple-double in her career.   It was a slower postseason for Miles, however. In three games played, she averaged 25 minutes per game, scoring just 6.7 PPG on 25% shooting. In the loss to TCU, Miles finished with 10 points on 3 for 10 shooting in 23 minutes of action.   Koval, who played in 32 games in her freshman season with the Irish this past season, averaged 5.3 PPG on 45.1% shooting from the field. The 6-foot-5 native of Kyiv, Ukraine, was the No. 5 overall player in the 2024 class and the top-rated post player according to ESPN HoopGurlz.   Despite the high hopes, Koval showed inconsistencies in her first season, scoring in double figures just three times during ACC play and never scoring more than nine points after January 19 against SMU. In the NCAA Tournament, Koval averaged just 2.0 PPG in 15.7 MPG, shooting 23.1% from the field.   Risch played in just 13 games for the Irish in her second season, averaging 5.7 PPG on a 44.4% shooting clip, while also grabbing 1.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Her best performance in a Notre Dame uniform came this past season on December 15 against Eastern Michigan University. Risch knocked down seven threes on nine attempts, finishing with 23 points in 25 minutes of play. The very next game against Loyola Maryland, she played 27 minutes with seven points on 3 for 7 shooting. Risch would play just 14 minutes the rest of the season and didn’t see the floor after January 23, when she played just three minutes against Boston College.   From Melbourne, Florida, Risch was rated as a five-star prospect according to ESPN HoopGurlz. She committed to the Irish after taking visits to schools like Michigan University, the University of Tennessee, the University of South Carolina, etc.   After suffering a torn ACL during the 2024 ACC Tournament, Watson missed all of this past season. She spent two seasons with the Irish after starting her career with the University of Oregon. In her final season with Notre Dame in 2023-24, Watson averaged 6.2 PPG while shooting a career-low 52.4% from the field. She saw career-highs in rebounds (5.0), assists (1.3), steals (0.8), and blocks (1.4) per game.   The Irish will not only suffer losses to the transfer portal, but also to graduation. Forwards Maddy Westbeld, Liatu King, and Liza Karlen, along with guard Sonia Citron, will also not be on the team next season.   With these losses, Notre Dame will be losing 76.6% of its scoring next season, including four of its top five scorers.   It will be a difficult but important offseason for Ivey, as she tries to replace 64.9 PPG. Last offseason, King was brought in from Pittsburgh along with Karlen from Marquette University, which has arguably been the best transfer class Ivey has had in her tenure with the Irish. With just one freshman recruit joining Notre Dame next season in 6-foot-2 five-star forward Leah Macy (No.19 overall; No.4 forward), the Irish will be tasked with constructing a brand new roster. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Recruiting visits have started to heat up for Notre Dame Football in the past couple of weeks. Multiple highly ranked recruits from the 2026 and 2027 classes have been in South Bend recently on visits with Head Coach Marcus Freeman and the staff. One of those recruits is C/O 2027 4-star QB Jameson Purcell. Purcell is a 6'2", 190-pound QB at Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Illinois. He holds 27 Division 1 offers and is coming fresh off of a visit to Notre Dame, which he described to me as an "amazing trip." Photo via Jameson Purcell, X (@jameson_purcell) I recently caught up with Jameson, and we talked about his visit, recruiting, his favorite part of the trip, his relationship with the coaches, and so much more. For many recruits, the schedule and traveling involved in these visits can be a bit of a grind, but for Jameson, it's about being grateful for the position he's in while navigating through the process. "Recruiting is going really well! I just got back from spring break and I'm in the middle of off-season training, camps, and visiting my top schools, so it’s a lot of travel, but I am very grateful to be in the position I am and just trying to balance it all." How did his visit to Notre Dame go? He tells me in a word - "amazing." "My recent visit to ND was amazing! I have been there several times now and it’s a really special place. Each time I go, I learn more about the staff, program, and culture, and feel like I am getting to know and connecting with the coaches." There can be a multitude of reasons a recruit enjoys their recruiting trip. For Jameson, his favorite part was seeing the practices in person and getting to sit down with the coaches and continue to build his relationship with them. "My favorite part about the trip was probably seeing the practice itself and sitting down with Coach Gino and Coach Freeman. The practice was fast-paced, well-organized, and intense! I was amazed to see how dialed in everyone was. From the backups, to the support staff , and everyone in between, everyone was working as hard as they could together." So what exactly is it that excites Jameson when it comes to the possibility of playing at Notre Dame? "Notre Dame as a whole brings it all together for me. It’s a great education, a strong program culture with lots of tradition and opportunities, as well as an incredible fan base. I grew up watching them and going to games, so there is just a ton of history there for me. They are a top-tier program that develops its players not only as student-athletes, but also sets them up for life outside of football." Relationships with coaches are often a determining factor in where high school recruits want to further their football careers at the next level. So, what is his relationship like with the coaches at Notre Dame? As he tells me, Head Coach Marcus Freeman and QB Coach Gino Guidugli spent a lot of time with him sharing their experiences of the recruiting process and what to expect going forward. "I spent a good deal of time with Coach Gino during my visit, and he was very open and honest with me about how Notre Dame recruits and what to expect in the next month. I also got to connect with Coach Freeman, and he gave me his perspective on the whole recruiting process from his experience as a coach, dad, and former player." After hearing all the excitement coming from Jameson about his recent trip to Notre Dame, it comes as no surprise that getting an offer from Notre Dame would be a "huge deal" to him. " An offer from ND would be a huge deal to me. I feel that as a staff, they really took the time to look at who I am as a player and a person. They really did their homework on me and knew a lot about my season and training, and that means a lot to me that they would take the time to do that." So where does Notre Dame land on Jameson's list of top schools? And what's next for him on his recruiting journey? "Notre Dame is definitely on my top list of schools. I have several other schools that are interested in me, so I will be visiting them also, but I plan on being back at Notre Dame again soon to continue to build my relationship with the coaches and staff." As you can see, Jameson Purcell is a very talented and humble young man who knows exactly what he's looking for on his recruiting journey. We at The Irish Tribune would like to wish Jameson good luck on his recruiting journey, and in making his decision on where to continue his football career. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Another spring, another opportunity for Notre Dame playmakers to make a name for themselves. Today, we take a look at players on the defensive side of the football who are ready to take that next step. Photo by The Irish Tribune The 2024 season was one where a lot of new contributors emerged from seemingly nowhere on both sides of the ball for the Fighting Irish. True Freshmen like Anthonie Knapp and Leonard Moore were thrust into duty after injuries hit their position groups, and both came away with Freshman All-American honors. Players like Adon Shuler and Christian Gray, who did not see much action in their first season with Notre Dame, grew to help form one of the best secondaries in the country as sophomores. Even Jeremiyah Love, who is now widely considered one of the top running backs in the nation, had never received more than ten carries in a regular-season game prior to last year's breakout campaign. In order for Notre Dame to have the level of success they did in 2024, more gems will need to be uncovered up and down the roster, and as we get deeper into spring ball and eventually enter fall camp, I want to start on the defensive side of the things, where there are three names that I feel possess the skill sets to fit the bill. Boubacar Traore Traore may have already been well on his way to being a household name last year if an injury hadn't cut his season short. Traore racked up three sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception in only five appearances in 2024. The 6'4" 240 240-pounder has tremendous upside as a pass rusher, which is a spot Notre Dame has been lacking consistent high-quality play from as of late. One of Traore's go to rush moves is the "long-arm rush" which you can see him utilize above. He creates instant leverage with his extended arm, and is able to knock the left tackle right into the lap of the QB. The play was designed to be a quick throw, but if the QB had had to hold it for even a second longer, it would have resulted in a sack. Here is another example of Traore using the long arm, and although in this case his hand gets dangerously close to the lineman's facemask, which is a penalty, you can see the consistent power he generates with this move. Very close to getting home to the QB here as well. What stands out to me the most in the above clip is Traore's hand usage. Every time the left tackle resets his hands, Traore is able to chop and disengage all while pursuing the quarterback. A pass rusher with a bag of counter moves is a dangerous one, and you can also see the type of upfield burst he exhibits off the snap, as there is not a lot of wasted movement when getting off the ball. Traore is also able to provide interior pressure in a multitude of ways. Above, he is used as the inside man on a stunt play. He sells the outside rush before looping back inside, where he exhibits very good bend, not allowing the guard responsible for picking him up to even get hands on him. He then runs through the would-be chip block from the running back, and displays his closing speed, tallying a quarterback hit on the play while forcing the throwaway. Here again, Traore is used inside on a stunt maneuver, and this time he wins with power. He plays with good pad level off the snap, and maintains his leg drive while working directly through a double team from the guard and tackle. He's able to make the QB uncomfortable enough that it results in a fumble and major loss of yardage. It's way too early to pencil anybody in at any positions of intrigue, but Traore can provide the type of pressure that Marcus Freeman wants out of his defensive ends. It would not surprise me if he were a major factor in Notre Dame maintaining one of the best defensive units in the FBS. Luke Talich When looking at the safety spot, it was a tough call between Talich and Kennedy Urlacher in terms of who I thought might explode onto the scene for the Irish secondary this season. Going back to their high school days, both provided elite line of scrimmage skills, excelling at run support and being the type of enforcers you want on the back end of your defense. Where Talich gets the nod from me is the fact that he doubled as a quarterback during his senior season at Cody High, which gives him a high understanding of route concepts and QB progressions. We saw a small glimpse of that last season, and it's something that he can utilize going forward. As mentioned above, Talich has a high football IQ, and it really shines in the above clip. Talich starts the play as the single high safety in a man moverage look, but once the tight end motions across the line of scrimmage, Talich rotates down into the box to pick him up one one-on-one. Talich immediately recognizes his assignment is staying in to block and starts to read the QB's eyes. The running back releasing into the flat is where the quarterback wants to go, and Talich is reading and breaking on the pass before the QB even releases it. He shows off his ball skills with the interception and has the straight-line speed to turn it into six points for the defense. Forget that this play came in garbage time during a blowout, this is the type of skill set that could turn Talich into a special player. One of Talich's most impressive traits is his ability to key run from a deep zone and close on the ball carrier in a hurry. Here he is at the top of the screen hovering around the LOS. The pitch play goes away from him, but he does an excellent job of taking the proper angle to get through traffic, breaking down in space and making the textbook tackle. One of the things that made Xavier Watts so special was his ability to help against the run game, and Talich is cut from the same cloth. In another example of high level run support, Talich is lined up to the strong side of the formation, and blows up not one, but two lead blockers at the point of attack and maintains his balance en route to helping bring down Bryson Daily who was one of the nation's top rushers from the QB position a season ago. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Adon Schuler is a lock to start at one of the safety positions next year. Who his main running mate will be on the back end remains the question. Whoever it is will be tasked with helping soften the blow of losing a player like Xavier Watts, and although Luke Talich has big shoes to fill, I am banking that he is a name Irish fans should get familiar with. Bryce Young There is no such thing as getting too much pressure on opposing quarterbacks, so back to the defensive line we go. "Physical freak" is probably not a strong enough term to describe Young, who at 6'7" and 260 pounds, gives you some inside/outside versatility. On top of that, he was a special teams menace as a freshman, recording two blocked field goals and a blocked punt. If Young can start to scratch the top end of his potential, then Notre Dame may be home to one of the best pass rushers in the country when it opens the season at Miami on Labor Day 2025. This is not a flashy highlight play, but your biggest players need to show up in the biggest moments like third down, fourth down, and around the goal line. Here on 3rd and 11, Stanford calls a QB keeper for a very athletic Ashton Daniels, who had already burned the Irish defense a little earlier in the game. Bryce Young is off the ball in a hurry, and once he reads QB run, he closes from the backside and stops Daniels well short of the first down marker. There were some blockers out in front for Daniels, so if Young didn't make the stop, there is an outside shot he picks up the first. To be a quality defensive end, you must be able to set the edge. Here is another third down play where the defense needs to get off the field. Stanford pulls the left guard across the formation as the lead blocker but Young is just too gifted of an athlete and beats him to his spot with ease to take down the ball carrier and force a punt. This is where I start to get really excited about what Young can bring as a rusher. The first thing that flashes on film is how much faster he gets off the ball compared to everyone else. He is four yards upfield in a flash, and that puts a lot of pressure on the offensive tackle to have to try to recover. Beyond that, once he disengages from a block, look at the speed he closes on the QB with. This play will go down as nothing more than a QB pressure on the stat sheet, but it is the traits he displays on any given play that project a very high ceiling for what he could become. On this play, Young is working against the left guard and is just about flawless. Once again shows elite upfield burst, which he pairs with maintaining a very good pad level. He executes a picture perfect rip move and then flattens his path to the QB who was rolling in the opposite direction. His speed at 6'7" and 260 pounds is eye popping. Bryce Young uses a bit of the long-arm rush that we talked about earlier in this play, which allows him to maintain space between him and the right tackle, not allowing him to get hands into his chest. After that, he just wins with pure speed and gets the sack on third down in the opening round of the playoff against Indiana. Big players, big moments. I expect Bryce Young to take a huge step as a sophomore, and the pairing of him and fellow defensive end breakout candidate Boubacar Traore, could end up being quite the combination. Young has elite athleticism for the position, and now it's all about getting as many reps under his belt between now and the opening kickoff of week one. New defensive coordinator Chris Ash will have plenty of talent at his disposal, including some proven commodities and some players just itching for their opportunity. I truly believe each player mentioned in this article will play a role and make an impact on this upcoming season and in some cases, earn some nationwide recognition. It's always exciting to see who is next to carry the torch of past greats and recently departed players, and Notre Dame sure has their fill of candidates when it comes to defense. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Part 1 of our rankings began by defining the specific parameters that would be used to compare coaching resumes and the general requirements needed to be considered for the list at all. This process brought our pool of 30 coaches to a more focused top-10. Once the “National Championship” category was implemented, our top 10 list was split cleanly between the 5 coaches who had won a Title, and the 5 who hadn’t. While ranking positions #10-#6 wasn’t without its difficulties, the order of our top 5 selections required a bit more nuance. Let’s look at who earned our #5 spot. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics 5. Dan Devine, 1975-80 Devine began his coaching career at East Jordan High School in Michigan, posting two undefeated seasons before moving on to Michigan State as an assistant. He spent 5 seasons with the Spartans, helping them eventually secure the 1952 National Title. In 1955, Arizona State hired Devine as their next head coach, where he’d spend 3 seasons compiling a nearly perfect 27-3-1 record. His best season with the Sun Devils came in 1957 when they finished 10-0 and led the nation in total offense with almost 40 points per game. That success drew the attention of the University of Missouri, who offered Devine their open head coaching position for the 1958 season.  Devine and the Tigers began 1960 unranked, but after surprising wins over then-powerhouses SMU and Oklahoma, they became a national title contender. The only thing between Devine’s Tigers and a shot at the national title game was their final matchup against Kansas. Despite being heavily favored, Missouri lost 23-7 and missed out on a shot at the Title. After compiling a 92-38-7 record over 13 seasons, including a 4-2 record in bowl games, Devine made the jump from college to the pros, taking both the head coach and general manager roles with the Green Bay Packers at the start of 1971. At his very first home opener in Green Bay, Devine was involved in a sideline collision that broke his leg, and the Packers lost in a close 42-40 battle with the Giants. In his 4 seasons with Green Bay, Devine only managed to put up one winning season (1972) and one playoff appearance, which ended in a loss to the Washington Redskins.  Devine’s first season at Notre Dame came following his resignation from the Green Bay Packers. He’d previously been a final candidate for the job the last time Notre Dame was looking for a new head coach, although they ultimately hired Ara Parseghian. When his second chance came around, Devine left Green Bay for South Bend as quickly as possible. 1975 was Devine’s first season, taking over for all-time great Ara Parseghian, and his new squad posted a solid 8-3 record and ended the season 17th in the polls. While 3 losses isn’t too bad, all 3 were rivalry games, losing to Michigan State 3-10, #3 USC 17-24 at home, and their season finale against Pitt. The Irish secured a postseason matchup against Miami in the Orange Bowl, dispatching them handily 32-9. One of the most historically significant moments during Devine’s tenure came during Notre Dame’s 1975 matchup against Georgia Tech, where walk-on Rudy Ruettiger entered his first-ever game and shocked both Irish and Tech fans alike by sacking the quarterback. His story would go on to inspire the hit movie “Rudy.” The 1976 Irish began their season with a gut shot, losing rising sophomore QB Joe Montana to a season-ending shoulder injury just before their week 1 matchup. They lost their season opener against #9 Pitt, dropping them from #11 to outside the top-25. The Irish would win 6 straight games before losing to unranked Georgia Tech, which dropped them back to #18. They’d go on to beat #10 Alabama 21-18 and Miami 40-27 before losing in LA to USC, dropping them to a disappointing 8-3. Despite posting a second consecutive 8-3 record, the Irish earned another postseason matchup, this time against Penn State in the Gator Bowl. Thankfully, they beat the Nittany Lions 20-9 and finished at #12 in the polls with a 9-3 final record, but it was a near carbon copy of the 1975 season. 1977 saw things finally come together for Devine. Notre Dame started strong, with Montana now healthy and back in the driver’s seat, they opened the season with a solid win against #7 Pitt, 19-9. The good vibes wouldn’t last long, as the Irish fell the following week to unranked Ole Miss 13-20, dropping them from #3 to #11 in the polls. After the shocking loss, Devine and the Irish managed to stop the bleeding and went on to win 9 straight games, including wins against #5 USC and #15 Clemson, to end the season at 10-1. QB Joe Montana played hero throughout the whole campaign, earning the moniker “the comeback kid” after mounting two impressive come-from-behind wins. The first came against Purdue; with the Irish down 10, Montana led the offense to 17 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, ultimately stealing the game 31-24. The second rally came against Clemson; with the Irish down 10 going into the 4th quarter, Montana put up 14 unanswered points to take the road victory. Devine would notoriously flip off Tigers fans as the Irish left the field. Notre Dame’s immediate rebound after the week 2 loss and their strong finish to the season earned them a shot at the National Title.  Devine, Montana, and the Irish faced off against the Texas Longhorns and Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell in the 1978 Cotton Bowl in what would go down as a classic. The Irish entered the game as underdogs, with the Longhorns favored by 7, but Devine’s team showed up and showed out on both sides of the ball. Notre Dame’s defense held Earl Campbell scoreless and forced 5 Longhorn turnovers, while the offense rushed for 4 scores and threw for another, ultimately routing Texas 38-10. The win shot the Irish up 4 spots in the polls and earned the program its 10th National Title, their first since 1973, and what would turn out to be Devine’s one and only Championship as a coach. The Irish followed up their Title-winning campaign with back-to-back home losses to open the 1978 season. The first came against Devine’s former school, unranked Missouri, which the #5 Irish would lose in embarrassing fashion 0-3. The second loss came against rival and then #5 Michigan, with the Irish losing 14-28. After the disappointing start, Devine’s squad rattled off 8 straight wins, highlighted by matchups against #9 Pitt, #11 Navy, and #20 Georgia Tech. Despite the rebound, the Irish would lose a heartbreaker in LA against USC, coming up short 25-27 and bringing Notre Dame’s regular season to another 8-3 end. Regardless, 8-3 was good enough for a second consecutive Cotton Bowl appearance, this time against a different Texas school, the University of Houston. The matchup occurred amidst an onslaught of sleet and freezing temperatures and would become another Irish classic known to fans as the “Chicken Soup game.” Senior Irish QB Joe Montana battled illness the whole game, and the Irish found themselves trailing Houston 34–12 halfway through the 4th quarter. Unbelievably, Montana rallied the Irish to yet another come-from-behind victory, scoring 23 unanswered points in a matter of minutes to slip past the Cougars 35-34. The 1979 season was, without a doubt, the worst of Devine’s tenure in South Bend, ending with a 7-4 record and losses to Purdue, USC, Tennessee, and Clemson. With internal scrutiny at its highest, Devine announced his intention to leave Notre Dame following the conclusion of the 1980 season, citing a desire to spend more time with family. The Irish entered their final matchup against #17 USC poised to contend for yet another National Title, with an impressive 9-0-1 record and a #2 ranking. In a shocking letdown, the Trojans won handily 20-3, but Notre Dame managed to secure a matchup against undefeated UGA in the Sugar Bowl. In yet another disappointing turn of events, the Irish were unable to stop Heisman winner Hershel Walker and the Bulldogs, ultimately losing Devine's final game with Notre Dame 10-17. Although the 1980 Irish had a surprisingly good season, Devine and the University had already made up their minds to move in different directions. The heartbreaking conclusion to the 1980 season was somewhat emblematic of Devine’s time in South Bend as a whole - competitive and entertaining, but ultimately not enough when the stakes were highest.  Despite seeing success, Devine never seemed to settle into his role leading the Irish, and his eventual exit came after years of repeated criticism. His tenure as head coach followed the all-time great Ara Parseghian and left him in an awkward position, constantly fielding criticism and enduring comparison to his predecessor, never feeling completely comfortable or welcomed. When it comes to Devine’s place among Notre Dame’s best Head Coaches, everything comes down to his National Title. Because of this, he beat out the likes of Brian Kelly, who has an objectively more impressive resume, a longer tenure, and over 100 wins. At the same time, only having one National Title puts Devine at the bottom of our top-5 list, competing with fellow one-time winner Lou Holtz. Devine does have some obvious shortcomings: He has the shortest tenure of any coach in our top-5, only 6 seasons, the lowest win percentage in this top-5 with a .764, never coached a Heisman winner, and never posted an undefeated season. While Devine’s time in South Bend wasn’t perfect, nothing can obscure what he did accomplish - a solid 53-16-1 record without a single losing season, a 3-1 mark in bowl games, and a star-studded cast of College Football Hall of Famers including Dave Casper, Ross Browner, Ken MacAfee, and Bob Crable. Coupled with the 1977 National Title, Devine’s contributions to the program earned him the #5 spot on our list and a place amongst the very best to ever coach in South Bend. Next Up In our next piece, we’ll reveal who earned our #4 spot and examine how their career played out in South Bend. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Over the first two parts of this article series, we examined the NFL careers of 28 recent Notre Dame alumni currently active in the NFL across the 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021 draft classes. In this piece, we'll cover 6 more alums from the 2020 draft class and see where they've ended up. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics 2020 Draft Class Troy Pride - Dallas Cowboys - CB - 2020 - Round 04: Pick 113 The Carolina Panthers scooped up Pride in the 2020 draft, going in the 4th round with the 113th overall pick. The two parties agreed on a four-year rookie deal for $4.07 million with a $777,476 signing bonus. He began his rookie year with appearances in the first 14 games of the season, along with 8 starts, before a hip strain kept him out of the final two contests. It was a solid first year despite the injury, and Pride finished with 42 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 2 pass deflections. Pride was building off his successful rookie season and was poised to compete for a starting job before he tore his ACL in a preseason game. The brutal injury sidelined him for the entire 2021 season, and he was ultimately cut from the team in mid-2022 after failing a physical. It wasn’t until January 2023 that Pride returned to professional ball, signing to the New Orleans Saints practice squad before being waived. He repeated the same process shortly after, signing to the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad before being released in December 2023 after appearing in just 1 game with no recorded stats.  Pride next signed with the Houston Texans practice squad, where he was signed and released twice before signing with the Dallas Cowboys practice squad in December 2024. He was then signed to a one-year, $960,000 contract with Dallas, where he appeared in their final two games of the season. In those two games, Pride started once and recorded 3 tackles and 1 pass deflection. Pride has had a tough break thus far in his professional career and currently sits deep on the Cowboys’ bench, but he’ll have 2025 to earn another contract with the Cowboys.  Sam Mustipher - LA Chargers - OC/OG - 2020 - Round 03: Pick 067 Mustipher went undrafted in 2019 but signed with the Chicago Bears before being cut shortly after. He then signed with Chicago’s practice squad. That’s where he remained until being called up to active duty in mid-October. Mustipher played 9 games and started 7 despite missing two weeks with a knee sprain. His first several appearances came on special teams, but once he proved himself, he earned offensive reps at center. While he’d finally broken through and earned consistent play, Mustipher’s adjustment wasn’t easy, and PFF graded him as one of the lowest-rated players on the team at the beginning of his stint in Chicago. The Bears just barely made it into the playoffs but lost handily to the Saints 9–21 in the wildcard round. Regardless, Mustipher both played and started in his very first postseason contest.  2021 and 2022 were transformative years for Mustipher, as he secured the starting center spot, played in 17 games both years, and started at least 16 games each season. Following the 2022 season, the Bears declined to extend Mustipher a qualifying offer, and he became an unrestricted free agent. He ultimately signed with the Baltimore Ravens for the 2023 season. Unfortunately, Mustipher was unable to win the starting center job and settled for a rotational role with an emphasis on the center position. By the end of the season, he’d only appeared in 9 games, with just 2 starts under his belt. It was, without a doubt, a step back from his last two seasons in Chicago, but he quickly moved on. Mustipher initially signed a 1-year deal with the Denver Broncos in early 2024, but was released before the start of the regular season. The following day, the Los Angeles Chargers signed him to their practice squad and eventually promoted him to the active duty roster at the end of October. By season’s end, Mustipher made 12 appearances with just 1 start, with most of his time coming on special teams. He’s had a bit of an up-and-down ride thus far in the NFL, but he has displayed the ability to confidently and consistently hold down the center spot, although it remains to be seen what he does that with in 2025.  Alohi Gilman - LA Chargers - S - 2020 - Round 06: Pick 186 Gilman was a late 6th-round draft pick, going 186th to the Los Angeles Chargers.  He signed a 4-year $3.48 million rookie contract with a $187,876 signing bonus. Gilman joined his former Irish teammate Drue Tranquill in Los Angeles after the fellow Irishman put a good word in for him with the Chargers coaching staff. He spent his rookie season primarily with the special teams unit, so his defensive reps were limited. Still, he managed to appear in 15 games and earned his first career start in the final game of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs. He concluded the season with 7 total tackles. Gilman worked his way up to a third-string safety in 2021, and while he appeared in fewer games with only 11, he started 3 of them and began primarily playing with the defensive unit. His lower game count had nothing to do with his performance; rather, a week eight ankle sprain that sidelined him for one game, and a week 10 quad strain that stole another five games from him. Despite that setback, Gilman finished with 42 total tackles, 1 pass deflection, and his first career interception. That sophomore performance impressed enough to increase his playing time in the future. While his role didn’t budge, Gilman had a career season filled with personal bests. He appeared in a career-high 17 games and 5 starts, along with a career-high 58 tackles, 3 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception.  2023 was the year everything clicked for Gilman. His hard work and perseverance had paid off, all beginning with a good word from his buddy Tranquill. It was Gilman’s first official starting spot, and he began strong with starts in the first 3 games before suffering a heel injury that sidelined him for 3 more games. He went on to start the next 11 games and cemented himself as a legitimate problem for opposing offenses. Once again, Gilman posted career bests in tackles with 73, pass deflections with 10, interceptions with 2, and forced fumbles with 3. Gilman improved across the board and poised himself for a strong 2024. The Chargers confirmed their confidence in him with a 2-year $10.125 million contract with a $4.5 million signing bonus to keep him in Los Angeles through 2025.  Now a true starter, Gilman began the season opener but was sidelined for week two with an injury. Thankfully, it only kept him out one game, and he went on to start the next nine games for the Chargers. That is until he suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out for another four games. He was able to rehab in time for the season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders and finish the season with 50 tackles, his first career sack, 4 pass deflections, and 1 interception. Although it was a step back health-wise, Gilman showed enough spark to believe 2025 can be his best season yet, as long as he remains healthy.  Cole Kmet - Chicago Bears - TE - 2020 - Round 02: Pick 043 Cole Kmet was a consensus top-two tight-end prospect coming out of college and was being looked at by numerous teams. The Chicago Bears ultimately selected him with the 43rd overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2020 NFL draft. He signed a four-year $7.57 million rookie contract with a $3.07 million signing bonus. Kmet was known as a blocker coming into the league, but surprised with his receiving prowess. He played all 16 games and started 9 while compiling 28 touches for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns. The 2020 Bears just squeaked into the playoffs but lost their wildcard game against the Saints 9–21. Kmet started his first playoff game and caught three balls for 16 yards. Overall, he was a pleasant surprise for the Bears and cemented Kmet’s role as the starting tight end.  2021 was the best-case scenario for Kmet, as he both played and started in all 17 games, put up career highs in receptions with 60 and yards with 612, but unfortunately did not score a receiving touchdown. The Bears finished 6–11 and missed the playoffs, but Kmet improved tremendously. 2022 is even more successful, with another 17 games played and started, slightly fewer receptions with 50, and only 544 yards, but this time with a career-high 7 touchdowns. He led Chicago in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Unfortunately, the Bears regressed and finished 3–14, failing to make the playoffs for the second straight season. In the summer of 2023, Kmet and the Bears agreed to a sizable four-year $50 million contract extension with an $8 million signing bonus. The new deal will keep Kmet in Chicago through the 2027 season. Kmet held up his end of the bargain and started and played 17 games again, setting career highs in receptions with 73, yards with 719, and six touchdowns. It was another banner year for Chicago’s young tight end, yet the Bears failed to make the playoffs yet again and finished with a 7–10 record. The 2024 season saw Kmet reunite with former Notre Dame teammate Durham Smythe, and the two held down the tight end position for Chicago. Kmet continued his consistency, with another 17 appearances but only 16 starts. Statistically, he regressed, in part due to Chicago’s improving wide receiver group. Kmet finished with 47 catches for 474 yards and 4 touchdowns. Interestingly, Kmet filled in at long snapper for fellow Notre Dame alumnus Scott Daly following a mid-game knee injury, but earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his efforts. The Bears finished at 5–12 and missed the playoffs, but the future looks slightly brighter for both the team and Kmet. It’ll be interesting to see how he responds statistically to last season’s performance and answer whether it was an aberration or more of a regression to the mean.  Julian Okwara - Arizona Cardinals - OLB - 2020 - Round 04: Pick 130 Okwara was scooped up by the Detroit Lions in the 3rd-round of the 2020 NFL draft with the 67th overall pick. The two parties agreed to a four-year, $4.92 million rookie contract, highlighted by a $1.14 million signing bonus. Okwara played four of Detroit’s first five games in 2020 before suffering a right leg injury in week 6 that sidelined him for 9 games. Thankfully, he was able to return for the final two games of Detroit’s season, but ended with only 6 games played, no starts, and just 3 total tackles in 2020. Things improved in 2021, as Julian finished the season with 13 games played and his first career start despite missing 4 total games, 3 of which were due to an ankle sprain suffered in week 12. He improved statistically with a career-best 27 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, his first career interception, 2 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and an impressive 5 sacks. 2022 was slightly less impressive, as Okwara played in only 10 games, starting just 2 of them. He sustained a hamstring sprain in the preseason that kept him out of Detroit’s week 1 loss to Philly, but he proceeded to play in 10 straight games until week 12, when he sustained another hamstring sprain, sidelining him for the rest of the season. Statistically, Okwara maintained a similar level of production, finishing with 17 total tackles, two sacks, and 3 tackles for loss.  Okwara was poised for a comeback campaign, but he injured his arm in the final game of the preseason. It sidelined him for the first four games of the season, and he appeared in 9 games with just 1 start. It was Okwara’s fourth consecutive season with injury issues, and his production dropped noticeably in 2023. The Lions finished the year 12–5, making the playoffs and beating the LA Rams 24–23 in the wildcard round. They moved on to defeat the Buccaneers 31–23 before losing in the NFC championship to the 49ers, 31–34. The Detroit Lions released Okwara just after the conclusion of the 2023 regular season and did not appear in any of the Lions’ playoff games. He re-signed with their practice squad but wasn’t offered a contract, making him a free agent. Okwara and the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a 1-year $1.325 million contract with a $125,000 signing bonus before being released just before the 2024 season’s start. Days later, Okwara and the Arizona Cardinals agreed to a 1-year $1.125 million contract. Thankfully, he secured a promotion to the active duty roster and appeared in 13 games for the Cardinals with 1 start. It was his best season since 2021, and he finished with 18 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 pass deflection. As of March 12th, Okwara is an unrestricted free agent and has not yet signed with a new team for the 2025 season. It’s currently unknown if the Arizona Cardinals are looking to bring him back, but the door remains open. Khalid Kareem - Atlanta Falcons - OLB - 2020 - Round 05: Pick 147 Kareem was the 147th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft, going to the Cincinnati Bengals on a four-year $3.64 million rookie contract with a $354,476 signing bonus. He had a solid rookie season for a backup, playing all 16 games and recording 19 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 tackle for loss. Unfortunately, Kareem suffered a shoulder strain in the 2021 preseason that sidelined him for the season's first seven games. He saw his first action in week eight and played 4 games before suffering a concussion in week 15 that kept him out for another game. He finished the season with 7 appearances and his first career start. It was a quieter, injury-interrupted year, but Kareem recorded 9 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery in the regular season and took part in his first postseason run. Kareem appeared in all four of Cincinnati’s games, including their Super Bowl LVI loss to the Rams, and finished with 3 tackles. He began 2022 in Cincinnati but again suffered a preseason injury, this time tweaking his hamstring. It caused him to miss the first four games of the 2022 season before being waived and signed to the practice squad. About a month later, Kareem signed a one-year $895,000 contract with the Indianapolis Colts and appeared in their final 4 games of 2022 but without a start, finishing with just 1 tackle. Kareem re-signed with the Colts for one year at $1.01 million before being waived just before the start of the 2023 season. He was claimed by Chicago, where he only appeared in their week 8 game against the Chargers. Unfortunately, that was Kareem’s only playing time of 2023, and he finished with just 1 tackle and 1 pass deflection. After the season, the Bears signed him to a 1-year deal worth $1.125 million but released him in late August 2024. Thankfully, Kareem made it onto the Falcons practice squad but only appeared in 2 games, compiling just 4 tackles for the season. Interestingly, 2024 was the first season that Kareem transitioned from a defensive lineman to a linebacker, and it remains unclear which position he’ll move forward with. He recently agreed to a one-year $1.17 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons for the 2025 season.  Kareem had a tough break in Chicago and has struggled to find his footing since, appearing on three different teams in three years. If he can stay in Atlanta for all of 2025 and remain healthy, the 26-year-old is talented enough to carve out a rotational position for himself within a season. Next Article In our next piece, we’ll cover Notre Dame‘s alumni from the 2018 and 2019 NFL draft classes and explore their professional careers thus far. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Even with the turnover at defensive coordinator and some key positions, Notre Dame is poised to once again have another strong defense it can lean on. Players like Xavier Watts, Benjamin Morrison, and Jack Kiser are not easy to replace, but there is plenty of talent waiting in the wings to make the most of their shot. Photo by The Irish Tribune With that being said, it is never too early to look ahead at future prospects who can help reinforce the fast and physical nature Marcus Freeman has instilled at South Bend. Last time we took a look at some of the top offensive players that Notre Dame reached out to on Pot of Gold Day, but now I want to move to the other side of the ball and break down some of the best defensive talent that received offers. DE Chris Whitehead The No. 1 player in the state of Virginia would certainly be a big-time get on the defensive side of the ball for Marcus Freeman and his staff. Whitehead is a long-limbed 6'5" rusher who also doubles as a tight end for Lloyd C. Bird High School. He finished his sophomore campaign with 11 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, meaning he made himself right at home in opposing offenses' backfields. Whitehead possesses very good athleticism and change of direction, and shows some ability to play with bend even at his height. He showcases incredible upfield burst, a lot of times beating offensive linemen off the ball, and can close from the backside of plays in a hurry. He maintains his balance and lane integrity when taking on pulling linemen at the point of attack. Whitehead also has excellent awareness, showing a good feel for screen passes coming his direction, and knows when to get his hands up in the passing lane, resulting in plenty of knockdowns, and in some cases, interceptions. Whitehead can dip his shoulder and flatten to the QB on speed rushes, but he can also generate some pressure from the interior with a solid bull rush. Chris Whitehead would bring a high ceiling as a pass rusher to Notre Dame, and would help keep a defense that has become consistently one of the best in the country over the last few seasons in the upper echelon of college ball. ATH Xavier Sabb Most recruiting sites list Sabb as an ATH, with no specific position, but that's only because of how versatile he truly is. The two-way star is the No.1 ranked player from New Jersey, and is a special athlete who showed out in his sophomore season. Sabb came down with 7 interceptions, and put up 15 total touchdowns, including 12 receiving, 1 rushing, 1 pick six, and 1 punt return. Sabb still has two more years at the high school ranks, but from what I have seen of him, I think he projects out very nicely as a safety at the next level. Sabb would bring elite ball skills to the secondary, carrying over his receiving acumen to the defensive side of things, where any errant pass in his area will likely become a turnover. He does a good job keying on the QB's eyes and breaking on passes while playing from a deep zone. Sabb possesses the range necessary to play sideline to sideline, and shows the ability to break down and make tackles in the open field. With Xavier Watts departing for the NFL, the Fighting Irish are losing one of their all-time best playmakers at the safety position. Sabb has a long way to go to end up in that type of conversation, but he certainly has a skill set that translates to forcing plenty of turnovers, and would help keep the tradition of talented safety play at Notre Dame alive and well. DT Benjarvius Shumaker As a running theme in this article, we once again have the No. 1 player from their respective state. Shumaker is the top defensive lineman out of Mississippi, and is an absolute game wrecker for opposing offenses to deal with. Like Xavier Sabb, he was named to MaxPreps Sophomore All-America Team, and rightfully so. Shumaker is the type of player that you can move all around the defensive line and have success with. He takes snaps as a true nose tackle, a 1-technique and a 3-technique. He plays with violent hands and has major upside as an interior rusher, displaying a quick jab step that he pairs with a swim move to knock linemen off balance, but can also win up the middle with pure power. Shumaker plays with good pad level and leg drive off the ball. and has a very good upfield burst, even at his size. His mental processing when it comes to how he keys run vs pass post-snap is incredibly refined. He sheds blockers at the point of attack consistently and is a sure tackler. Shumaker is already 270 pounds and has not begun to even scratch the surface of his strength potential. Already a dominant force, I am intrigued to see how much more he develops over his remaining high school career. Interior pressure is a quarterback's worst nightmare, and Shumaker would ensure many sleepless nights for anyone under center across from him. In the 2024-2025 season, Notre Dame proved that defense can still be the thing that gets you to the mountain top. A defensive minded Head Coach like Marcus Freeman knows how much it means to be a team that opposing offenses are worried about playing week in and week out. These three prospects discussed above would all be big-time recruiting prizes for the Fighting Irish and would keep the trajectory of that side of the ball on the up and up for years to come. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

For the fourth consecutive year, Notre Dame’s season has come to a close in the Sweet 16. TCU’s Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince combined for 47 points in the Horned Frogs' 71-62 Saturday afternoon victory in Birmingham. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics The game began with the two sides trading baskets until a couple of made three-pointers from TCU put the Horned Frogs up 8-4 2:43 into the contest. Following a Maddy Westbeld three that brought the Irish within one point, TCU went on a quick 6-0 run to put themselves up 14-7 with 5:25 on the clock. The offenses went quiet from 4:42 to 2:43 as each squad struggled to find the bottom of the basket. Notre Dame broke the dry spell with five unanswered points to bring the Irish within one possession, 16-13, with 2:04 remaining in the quarter. TCU responded with a pair of scores but it was Notre Dame’s quarter-ending 6-0 run that allowed this game to remain competitive. A Sonia Citron layup with two seconds left cut the Irish deficit to 20-19 after the first ten minutes. TCU’s Van Lith and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and Liatu King led their respective offenses with six points apiece. The Irish duo of Hidalgo and King also combined for five of their team’s six total first-quarter rebounds. Notre Dame took their first lead since there was 8:43 remaining in the first quarter right out of the gates in the second. Another Citron layup followed by a three from Olivia Miles gave the Irish a four-point, 24-20, lead 1:11 into the frame. The rest of the quarter was a back-and-forth affair. TCU closed the half with a pair of free throws that cut their deficit to 35-33 entering the break. Miles led all second-quarter scorers with seven points on perfect shooting splits as six different Irish scorers got on the board in this frame.  In the first half, TCU’s hot shooting was the main story as they remained within just one possession. The Horned Frogs finished the half shooting 50% from the field, including 43% from three. The Irish offense shot just 38% from the field, including an uncharacteristically low 18% from deep. Their defense did enough to hold the first-half lead as they forced eight TCU turnovers, leading to 13 Irish points. Notably, Hidalgo tallied three steals and Cassandre Prosper added two blocks in the half. Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off Out of the break, TCU tied the game at 35 immediately with a layup. Notre Dame then caught fire with a 9-0 run led by Hidalgo which put the Irish up 44-35 with 6:22 on the clock. The Horned Frogs then staged their comeback, going on an 8-0 run led by Van Lith which cut their deficit to just one, 46-45, with 2:56 remaining in the quarter. After a couple of traded baskets, TCU scored four unanswered to take a 51-50 lead with just 11 seconds left. This lead was short-lived as King made a layup with time expiring to give the Irish a 52-51 advantage heading into the final frame. In the third quarter, TCU was led by Van Lith and Prince who each tallied six points. Notre Dame was led by Hidalgo and King, who also had six points apiece in the quarter.  TCU were the ones to catch fire in the fourth quarter, opening the frame on a 7-0 run led by Van Lith which put the Horned Frogs up 58-52 just 1:54 into the final period. This advantage would end up being too much for the Irish, as they were out-scored 20-10 in the quarter, ultimately leading to a TCU 71-62 Sweet 16 win.  The second half was, again, marked by great shooting from TCU and below-average shooting from the Irish. The Horned Frogs shot 50% from the field including 40% from three, while also shooting 16-16 from the free throw line in the half. Notre Dame shot 26% from the field, including 25% from deep.   TCU will play the winner of Texas/Tennessee on Monday evening in an Elite Eight matchup. Notre Dame looks ahead to year six of the Coach Ivey era with some roster management needed as the Irish may have to replace four starters from this season's squad. Irish Stars Liatu King: 17 points (8-9 FGs), 10 rebounds, 2 assists Hannah Hidalgo: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals Key Team Stats Field Goal Percentage: TCU (50%) - ND (32%) Three Point Percentage: TCU (42%) - ND (20%) Free Throw Percentage: TCU (92%) - ND (75%) Turnovers: TCU (15) - ND (5) Blocks: TCU (10) - ND (6) Steals: ND (9) - TCU (4) Rebounds: TCU (38) - ND (32) Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team (28-5) has an opportunity to redeem its loss to Texas Christian University (33-3) on Saturday. This time, in the NCAA Tournament as heavy favorites. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Senior guard Olivia Miles hung her head as she walked back to the sideline after missing a three as time expired in the Cayman Islands Classic on November 29. She finished with 16 points on 7-14 shooting just four months ago to the date as the Irish suffered their first loss of the season. Fast forward to the Sweet 16 in Birmingham, Alabama, the two teams face off once more, only this time TCU is the one ranked higher.   After losing three of its final five games of the season, Notre Dame fell from the number one team in the country to a three seed. Through two games in the NCAA Tournament, the Irish have outscored opponents by a combined 73 points while allowing just 54.5 points per game in the opening weekend.   TCU, on the other hand, enters this matchup riding a 12-game winning streak that dates back to February 8 when it defeated Texas Tech University by 21 points.   The Horned Frogs are a top-heavy team with senior guards Hailey Van Lith and Madison Conner, and senior center Sedona Prince all averaging double figures. However, the next leading scorer on the roster averages just 6.6 PPG in senior guard Agnes Emma-Nnopu, who finished with 23 points in TCU’s second-round victory over Louisville on March 23.   Van Lith, a former Louisville Cardinal, leads the Horned Frogs in scoring, averaging 17.7 PPG on 45.9% shooting. When playing her former team this past Sunday, Van Lith collected her third double-double of the season, scoring 16 points and dishing out 10 assists. Against the Fighting Irish in November, Van Lith scored 21 points on 8-15 shooting, while also collecting seven assists. It’ll be one of the toughest matchups sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo will face in her college career.   Down low, Prince is in her second season with TCU after beginning her career with the University of Oregon from 2020-22. She played one of her best games of the season against Notre Dame when she had her only 20-point, 20-rebound game of the season against the Irish. Prince took 17 shots and knocked down nine of them, but also had a season-high eight blocks.   Conner ranks as the best shooter on the roster with a three-point percentage sitting at 44.7%, the highest she has ever seen. Despite taking an average of two fewer threes, Conner knocks down about the same number of shots from outside as she did a season ago with 3.5 per game. She has knocked down two or more threes in seven straight games, connecting on 47% of her threes in that span.   TCU sophomore guard Donovyn Hunter stepped up in round two against the Cardinals due to an off game from Conner. Hunter knocked down all four of her attempted threes in her 39 minutes of play, scoring 18 points on a perfect 6-6 from the field. It was just the ninth time Hunter has scored in double figures this season and eighth game with two or more made threes.   For the Irish, senior guard Sonia Citron has seemed to find her confidence once again after a rough ACC Tournament. She’s averaging 20 PPG through the first two rounds, knocking down 50% of her threes and shooting 15-28 from the field overall. If Notre Dame can get Citron 10 or more shots, they will have a much better chance of finding success on offense.   Senior forward Liatu King will have one of the hardest matchups in the nation against Prince. King has been efficient thus far in the tournament, averaging 14 PPG on 12-14 shooting. She put up 18 points with 15 rebounds against the University of Michigan on Sunday and was a perfect 7-7 from the field. King’s defense, along with senior forward Maddy Westbeld, is what the Irish are going to need should head coach Niele Ivey advance past the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in her career.   Notre Dame has not been to the Elite Eight since 2019, with Muffet McGraw still leading the charge when the Irish lost in the championship game to Baylor University. It will be the fourth straight year the Irish have made it to the second weekend of the tournament, and their chance to keep dancing.   The winner will take on either the University of Texas or the University of Tennessee in the Elite Eight on March 31. Saturday’s game will tip off at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ABC. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The next class of Irish players heading to the NFL participated at Notre Dame's Pro Day, where they could showcase their skills, athleticism, and personalities in front of professional scouts. Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Riley Leonard Leonard has been busy this offseason, participating in almost every event a draft inductee can do. It started with his weekend at the Senior Bowl, then he performed in the NFL Combine, culminating in this week's Pro Day. The main criticism Leonard has coming into the draft is his ability to throw the deep ball. Leonard tried to show his development in this area, throwing a lot of them at Pro Day. Leonard may have succeeded, going 62/66 on his throws. This was the only workout Leonard participated in, electing not to run the 40. "Everyone thinks I'm really fast, so we're going to keep it that way," Leonard said. Xavier Watts Watts is an interesting player this draft cycle, likely a day-one player that will bring an excellent playmaker and smart defender to a team. Watts chose not to work out at the NFL Combine, so this was the first time scouts had the chance to see Watts run through drills. The biggest part of Watts' day was his 40. Watts' 40 time came in at 4.56, a number Watts was happy with. Although Watts is happy with that time, it is on the low end for other safeties in this draft, but is still faster than Kyle Hamilton's time, a name all Notre Dame fans remember. Watts may not have elite straight-line speed, but his feel and instincts for the game allow him to play much faster. Jack Kiser Kiser came into Pro Day trying to prove to scouts why they should use a pick on him, as he will likely be a late-round pick or an undrafted free agent. Kiser had a solid performance, participating in every drill. However, Kiser's physical metrics will not be why teams fall in love with him. It is his work ethic, leadership qualities, and experience that will make him valuable to teams. With that being said, Kiser was able to put up 20 reps on the bench press, and ran a 4.62 40, both respectable numbers for his size. Mitchell Evans This was the second time Evans worked out for scouts, as he also participated in the NFL Combine. Evans had a solid combine performance, yet he improved in a few workouts compared to his combine times. Those workouts were the 40, shuttle drill, 3-cone, vertical, and broad jump, showing he's been staying busy since his appearance at the combine. There is a lot to like about Evans. He is a big-bodied tight end who is just as good a run blocker as he is a pass catcher. His impact on the offense this past season was limited to his knee injury that took him out of the 2023 season. Before that, he was the go-to target for Sam Hartman and the Notre Dame offense. Howard Cross III Cross was also present at the Pro Day, trying to improve his draft stock after another dominant year at Notre Dame. Cross comes into the draft as an undersized defensive tackle for NFL standards, weighing 283 pounds. To counter that, Cross III will need to be quick, which he showed off at his Pro Day. Cross III recorded a 4.63 40, which would've been fourth best at the combine. Along with that, he also ran a 7.53 3-cone, good for the third fastest at the combine. Cross III combined his quick times with 24 reps on bench press, tying Michigan's Mason Graham, a projected early first-round pick. Altogether, this was a productive day for Cross III, giving scouts a look at his combination of speed and strength. Beaux Collins Collins' senior season lacked consistency, but that does not mean he did not show flashes of impressive play. Collins was at his best when he used his size and athleticism to get contested catches. This will likely be what NFL teams seek him out to do. At his Pro Day, he helped scouts see that potential with his impressive vertical and broad jump. Collins recorded a 38" vertical, which would've placed him in the upper echelon of wide receivers at the combine. Collins' broad jump was even better, jumping a 10'10", tying him with the fifth best at the combine. These numbers, paired with his 6'3" frame, make him an interesting prospect. Collins now needs to continue to prove to teams that his ball skills have improved from the season. Besides these players, a few more Notre Dame players were working out, hoping to catch the eye of NFL scouts. Jordan Clark, with his dad looking on, participated in every workout of the day. Clark recorded 18 reps on the bench press, an impressive number for his size. Rod Heard II was also there, a player who did not get a ton of shine this past season but provided crucial depth for the Irish. Notre Dame wideouts Jayden Harrison and Kris Mitchell also worked out. Harrison, famous for his kick return against Georgia, only ran a 4.57 40 time. Mitchell was thought to be a fast player, but did not run as fast as expected, recording a 4.5 time. RJ Oben was also in attendance, putting up 26 on the bench press. That number would've been eighth-best at the combine. Among all the Notre Dame players conducting workouts for NFL scouts to evaluate, two notable players did not work out. Those two players are Benjamin Morrison and Rylie Mills. Mills is still recovering from knee surgery, causing him to miss out on the combine and pro day. Hopefully for Mills, this injury will not hurt his draft stock too severely. Morrison, who has been recovering from a hip injury since October, did not participate in the combine or Pro Day. Morrison did say in an interview at Pro Day that he is fully healthy but has chosen to work out during his personal showcase. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

The yearly tradition of putting a blue and gold twist on St. Patrick's Day was once again a success for the Fighting Irish, as they offered close to a hundred prospects from the 2027 cycle. Photo by The Irish Tribune Pot of Gold Day gives Notre Dame a head start on recruiting players that are still a few years out from beginning their college careers, and is one of the many things that make South Bend a special place to come play football. Among those offered this year, there was no shortage of offensive talent from all over the country. I wanted to zero in on three of the top players at their respective positions, and what they would potentially bring to Notre Dame in the future. WR Julius Jones Jr. Notre Dame fans of a certain age should be familiar with the name, as his father played running back for the Fighting Irish in the late 90's and early 2000's. Although Jones Jr. did not follow in his father's footsteps in terms of the position he plays, Notre Dame fans should be very happy if he follows in his father's footsteps in choosing South Bend as his college football home. Jones Jr. is a twitchy athlete who has a good understanding of how to release off the line of scrimmage in order to stack the defensive back as quickly as possible. He has very good acceleration and creates instant space at the top of his route. Jones Jr. possesses a very natural ability to track the ball over his shoulder without breaking stride and has elite body control when it comes to adjusting outside of his frame and laying out for overthrown and underthrown passes. He maintains good concentration on in-breaking routes, and shows no fear of being hit when he feels the safety over the top, absorbing contact and hanging on to the ball. Wide receiver recruiting has become a contentious subject among those who follow Notre Dame football, and landing a legacy recruit like Jones Jr. would go a long way in squashing some of that talk, as would the next recruit. WR Quentin Burrell The 6'3" Chicago native is coming off a sophomore season in which he racked up 18 touchdowns and helped lead the Mount Carmel Caravan to a State Championship. As he fills out his frame even more, he is going to be a load for defensive backs to deal with in his last two years in high school. Burrell understands how to get off press coverage with good hand usage and has a variety of releases he employs. Already an advanced route runner, Burrell is very smooth in and out of breaks, sinking his hips and changing direction seamlessly. He can go up and high-point the ball against virtually all of his current competition and is a huge red zone threat. Burrell has great hands and concentration, and displays good mental processing with the way he works back towards his QB on scramble drills. It would not be an understatement to say Burrell is the type of recruit Notre Dame has to land in order to infuse the receiver room with the type of talent to keep Mike Denbrock's offense humming. RB Kemon Spell Thus far, Spell is averaging a whopping 15.9 yards per carry during his high school career. He plays in an offense that features some elements of a "Wing T", which is designed to be a run-heavy scheme, and Spell certainly takes advantage of it. At 5'11" and 175 pounds, Spell has a frame that should allow him to add more muscle without slowing him down. Notre Dame currently has one of, if not the premier running back rooms in the country, and Spell would certainly help carry that momentum forward. Spell has elite contact balance and play strength, routinely shrugging defenders off him as he keeps his legs churning. He displays very good acceleration in the open field, quickly getting up to the second and third level, and will make defenders pay for poor angles by hitting the sideline and taking it to the house. Spell utilizes a nasty stiff arm and is a big play threat on every carry. He also has shown some ability out of the backfield as a receiver, not just in the flats as a check down player, but down field vertically with the skill to go up and high point the ball. Right now, he is able to out-athlete most of the teams he is facing and can win with pure speed and power, but will need to be more patient at the next level and learn to let his blocks develop before accelerating. The current Penn State commit is a top 3 running back nationally, and for good reason. New Notre Dame Running Back coach Ja'Juan Seider was brought in to replace Deland McCullough, who was an excellent recruiter, and Spell would be an early recruiting feather in Seider's cap. These are just a few of the standout offensive players that Notre Dame already has their eyes on. In the Transfer Portal era, you can never be too deep at any one position, and constantly reloading is how you stay in National Championship contention year in and year out. Marcus Freeman and his staff understand this and continue to use things like Pot of Gold day to their advantage. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun