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By Ian Neff After coming off a tough loss in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, many fans amongst Notre Dame nation wonder how it will affect the 2022 season. It was heartbreaking to see an exceptional senior class leave the field on a loss, as they will not get a chance to redeem themselves in blue and gold. Yet, more players are returning than not, who need to chew on that loss all offseason. That Fiesta Bowl loss should be a key motivating factor for the players returning next year. I mean, it was Notre Dame’s most legendary coach who said one loss is good for the soul. The start of the 2022 season will give Marcus Freeman more time to prepare as a head coach compared to the Fiesta Bowl. The first thing Coach Freeman should focus on changing, was the poor defense at the end of the first half and the start of the second half. Impromptu defensive coordinator Mike Elston – the previous defensive line coach – was not putting his players in the best positions to make plays, especially in the second half. This should all change by next season when Coach Freeman has his staff in place. Marcus Freeman has already begun building an impressive staff this offseason, with additions like Harry Hiestand as offensive line coach, and Chansi Stuckey as wide receivers coach, which should give this team boosts in those positions. Coach Freeman still has a big-time hire to make, with a vacant Defensive Coordinator position. As Coach Freeman continues to work this offseason to put together his staff, it is becoming more clear that the Fiesta Bowl shouldn’t reflect poorly on Marcus as a coach. With taking over the reins of the program the month before the bowl game, Coach Freeman had to heavily improvise his first head coaching experience. By the time his staff is all set for next season, Coach should have a better grasp of this team and his position as head coach. One promising aspect about the 2022 season is the roster turnover from last season. The 2022 defense has the potential to be one of the best in the nation because of players like Isaiah Foskey and the Ademiola brothers returning. Fans should almost be grateful we lost in the Fiesta Bowl, as no one knows if Notre Dame beat Oklahoma State if that could have been enough for some of these players to opt-out of coming back. The loss was enough to motivate these players to come back for more. These players believe in their brotherhood, and their ability to win a National Championship. By the time Notre Dame rolls into Ohio State in September, the players will have months to ponder the loss in the Fiesta Bowl. From top to bottom, the program should be planning how they can’t allow another loss to start their season. Even more than the players, Marcus Freeman wants nothing more than to avoid being 0-2 to start his career. After all, one loss is good for the soul but too many isn’t good for the coach. Photo by One Foot Down -

Written by Nick Kremer The year is 2009. Avatar has just been released in theaters, Kanye interrupted Taylor Swift, and Charlie Weis has just capped off a 6-6 season. The one time “schematic advantage” jersey boy has been fired, and once again Notre Dame football is at the bottom of the college football mountain. In comes an Irish Catholic from Boston, who has put a winning product on the field at every one of his coaching stops. This is it. This is the man that will bring Notre Dame football back to where it belongs. The top of the college football mountain. 12 seasons, 113 wins, 3 National Championship/Playoff appearances later, and Kelly was off to the SEC. The first football coach to leave Notre Dame for another college job since 1907. And just like that, Notre Dame football was in need of a new head football coach. Just when you thought it was time to worry, Notre Dame officially hires Marcus Freeman. Freeman, an all star recruiter, a moral man, and someone who seems to be a true Notre Dame man. The hype and excitement that was building around the program was something that far exceeded that under the previous coach. The hype was even more real when the Irish came out and took a commanding 28-14 lead over Oklahoma State going into halftime. WOW. Social media is frantically raving over our new leader. “Marcus Freeman may never lose at Notre Dame.” This excitement came crashing down as the Irish let their Fiesta Bowl victory slip through their hands. So, what now? Notre Dame football has NOT been in a better position since Lou Holtz, and we have to thank Mr. Kelly and his “fam-uhly” for that. But make no mistake, Notre Dame has the right man for the job. Marcus Freeman, in his limited time at Notre Dame, has already shown that he understands this university more than his predecessor. “Notre Dame will change you if you let it.” A simple quote from coach Freeman, but one that packs a phenomenal punch. HE GETS IT. Marcus Freeman knows how special this university is, and as much as we wanted to believe Brian Kelly understood that, it is very clear that he did not. Marcus Freeman understands that Notre Dame is special and unique, but it is not for everybody. Marcus has shown that he will be relentless in his commitment to leading The Fighting Irish. He has publicly stated that he WANTS to be the lead recruiter for all prospects. He WANTS to find young men that will give everything to Notre Dame. He WANTS to find the best staff out there. And he WANTS what is best for Our Lady’s University. In my lifetime, I have not been more excited about the direction of the Notre Dame football program. A program that has the best tradition, academics, school spirit, and faith in the entire country. We finally have a head coach and leader that understands and exemplifies that. THAT will bring us back to the top of the College Football mountain. The best is yet to come, Irish fans. Photo by NDinsider -

Adon Shuler – 2023 Notre Dame Commit By Ian Neff The Notre Dame 2023 class is shaping up to be a special one, and New Jersey safety Adon Shuler is a crucial component of it. Shuler is a unanimous 4-star recruit and is 6-0 and 190 lbs., per 247 Sports. He was offered by Notre Dame on May 13, 2021, and committed shortly after on August 15, 2021. Shuler heads into his senior season at Irvington High School in New Jersey this fall, on the heels of an impressive junior campaign. He plays free safety and wide receiver for the Blue Knights and also contributes on special teams. Photo by 247Sports - Adon led his Irvington High football team to a 12-2 record and their fourth straight NJSFC conference championship over Northern Highlands. Adon scored the first touchdown of the championship game when he returned a punt for 45 yards to the endzone. He also contributed with six tackles on the day. Shuler totaled 80 tackles in his junior season with five solo tackles. He also had an impressive six interceptions on the season, with two returned for touchdowns. He also had two forced fumbles and seven and a half tackles for a loss on the season. Adon has been a contributor on all three phases of the ball since his sophomore season, making him a very versatile player. Photo by 247Sports - Adon is a 247 sports composite 4-star recruit, ranked as the No. 164 player in the nation. He is the No. 14 safety in the country and the second-best player in the state of new jersey. His impressive junior season has recently garnered him new offers from programs like Alabama and Michigan State. Notre Dame fans shouldn't be too worried, as Shuler is a true leader in this 2023 Notre Dame class, playing the role of a player recruiter by forming relationships with the best players in the country. He has another visit to Notre Dame planned for the spring game, with many other recruits from the 2023 class. Shuler is still a young player but has already shown impressive football IQ with his reads in coverage and angles he takes to attack ball carriers. When he arrives at Notre Dame he will have had time to grow physically, putting him in a position to be a consistent starter. Notre Dame will need to fill the shoes of Senior safeties DJ Brown, Brandon Joseph, and Houston Griffith, giving Shuler an opportunity for major playing time early on in his career. He might not be a starter as a Freshman, but he will most likely see the field through special teams and as a backup. I would expect him to have an increased role by his Sophomore and Junior seasons. The 2023 class already has two four star safeties committed in Adon Shuler and top 100 recruit Peyton Bowen. Notre Dame will likely add even more by the end of the recruiting cycle, and be in position to shape a dangerous backfield for the Fighting Irish. Shuler is a key piece in this picture, as even though he isn’t the biggest Safety, he makes up for that with his speed and football IQ. Shuler is a track and field athlete, which has helped him improve on his speed and explosiveness, and he should improve even more by his senior season, and when he arrives on campus as. Photo by 247Sports -

Height - 6’5 Weight - 275 Position - Defensive Lineman City - Mentor, OH High School - Mentor High School Class - 2023 Ranking (per 24/7 sports composite) - State (overall) - 2 Nationally (position) - 8 Nationally (overall) - 74 Composite ⭐⭐⭐⭐ .9655 Stats Through 16 Varsity Games 39 solo tackles 25 assist tackles 64 total tackles 4 tackles for loss 3 sacks 28 QB hurries 1 forced fumble Recruitment Offers Alabama, Cincinnati, Duke, Indiana, Iowa State, Kent State, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Brenan Vernon committed to Notre Dame on June 29, 2021 Film Analysis Notre Dame continues their success along the defensive line with their commitment from Brenan Vernon. In watching his film, there are an abundance of takeaways that show he has the potential to be a stud for Marcus Freeman and the Irish. The first thing that sticks out when watching his film is his size. At 6’5 and 275 pounds, he already has the type of frame and size to be a championship caliber player along the DLine. His length is one of his greatest assets, and he knows how to use it at an advanced level for his age. He has room to add weight and strength to his frame, which will be crucial to how quickly he gets on the field for the Irish. One of my favorite things about Vernon is his explosiveness and his athleticism. Vernon shows elite ability in stopping the run, and more specifically the read option. He does a good job of squeezing his gap, breaking down his feet, and accelerating through the tackle. Vernon shows elite ability to stop the run and that will be a strength for Notre Dame. Additionally, Vernon plays with a phenomenal motor. This is the kind of football player who does not take plays off. His constant motor will earn him a lot of praise from the coaches at Notre Dame throughout his career. Brenan is a prospect that has a high ceiling, but he still has some things to improve upon in his game. His initial first step needs to be quicker if he is going to play on the edge for the Irish, although I see him eventually playing 3-technique for most of his snaps. Vernon also tends to play with high pad level at times, which he won’t be able to get away with at the Power 5 level. Finally, Brenan shows great ability to stop the run, but he will need to grow his pass rush technique to fully reach his potential at the next level. These are all very common for a player coming out of high school, and they can all be fixed with coaching and reps. The fact that Notre Dame was able to get Brenan Vernon over Ohio State is a huge recruiting win. Mentor High School is an elite football program in the state of Ohio and one that is known to be a pipeline to the Buckeyes. I predict that Vernon will make a significant impact by his sophomore year. Players like Vernon are what you need to compete for National Championships. My overall grade for Brenan Vernon - 4.4 / 5

I start every game watching with absolute, insane intensity. Literal edge of my seat, studying each of the 12 matchups that happens on every down. All 24 players in motion. Every inch of the 30 yards in the current television frame. Mathematically calculating if the down was a win or a loss for my boys in blue and gold. ‘Sure he threw it away but it saved a sack, that’s a win.’ ‘Three yard gain on first down we’ll take that.’ ‘The Oline is getting a push that’s a good sign.’ Spitting angry at any subtle distraction or needless, nearby chatter. Scarcely daring to blink, sneeze or cough for fear I might miss a key element or telltale sign of what the rest of the game will look like. With the score 21-3 I am quite a different sight. Just 13 minutes in and I’m an entirely different person. Some might even call me pleasant. Laidback, chillin’ in my chair, actually taking a bathroom break, briefly glancing at text messages. What’s this?? He’s laughing, drinking water and breathing normal? No sweaty palms or remote hurling? Its quite a rarified feeling for Notre Dame fans in big games. I can say I’m not very natural at it yet. Its gonna take some practice...hopefully I get the chance to. I realized that this same reaction was being mirrored by many of my fellow Irishmen and women across the country. Including those with headsets and clipboards on the sidelines at the 2022 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. Tommy Rees had his feet up, texting friends back in less than two minutes. Freeman was passing the dip. All the disappointment from the Brian Kelly abandonment. All the excitement from the unlikely hire. All the momentum from keeping together one of the nations top recruiting class. . led to this exact moment. Everything we hoped it would lead to, it led to. ...in the first half. The second half would prove to sing a different tune. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, the coaching staff seemingly said with their second half adjustments, or lack there of. Which is fine, unless the other sides fixes whats broken on their end and turns out superior than yours. The refusal to play either Tyler Buchner or Drew Pyne for even one down in the second half is by far the most mind-boggling decision of the game. It was a proven recipe that bailed out the Irish on multiple occasion that season. In fact, it was arguably the reason Notre Dame was in this bowl game in the first place. A lost to Toledo and the Irish would be out of the top ten in a blink. It almost felt as if Tommy Rees was sticking it to the man, a man Rees felt inhibited his decision making for far too long, and wanted to prove that staying with a QB, who was much like himself, was better than playing a flavor-of-the-week QB to replace him, much like Everett Golson did in Rees’ tenure at Notre Dame. That sticking-it-to-the-man proved to be costly, as one single successful drive by Tyler Buchner would have won us the game. The Kansas City Chiefs, in Irish fashion, blew an 18 point lead to the Cincinatti Bengals in the NFC Championship. In the first half, Mahomes was on fire. The defense was unbudging. Then BOOM, an entirely different team shows up for the final two quarters. What is it about confidence that so easily slips into overconfidence? What is it about overconfidence that makes us lose sight of the little things that it takes to win? This is Super Bowl MVP Mahomes we’re talking about here, so don’t feel too bad, Coach. It happens to the best of us. They say the best way to learn to punch is to take ten punches. And in the words of Rocky Balboa, Freeman, it’s not about how hard you can punch but how hard you can get punched and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. And although this may be a cliche motivational speech, it’s also a very insightful recipe for victory. It’s not always about winning the first three rounds but about learning how to take a knockout punch in the fourth and not lose ground. How to absorb having the momentum taken from you and responding with the aggressive intensity required to take it back. Making risky calls and fiery adjustments to win back the moment. Its clear that Freeman put too much trust in a young, and far too trigger- happy, Tommy Rees in allowing him to make the game altering calls. Freeman allowed the emotions of having an early lead in his debut get the best of him. But this was his very first game, not only as a head coach but as the head coach of Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl one month after he got the job. Some may say Freeman has a lot to learn after watching this game but I believe he learned a lot from this game itself. You can’t let up for one second or before you know it, you’re the one playing from behind. Others may say Freeman should learn from Brian Kelly. Kelly never blew a big lead. True but then again, he never had a big lead to begin with so I say we’re in a much better place than we’ve ever been before.

Nick Kremer ᐧ Irish Tribune Notre Dame has a continued hold on the nation’s number 1 recruiting class ranking. In the month of June, Notre Dame can grow that lead even more with the visitors they have coming to South Bend. Can the Irish finish at number 1? A lot will depend on two weekends in June. Photo by ESPN The first big recruiting weekend will take place June 9-13, where the Irish will host official visitors with a lot of star power. Notre Dame commits Sullivan Absher , Devan Houston , Sam Pendleton , and Adon Shuler will be on campus for their official visits starting June 9th. Several more big time Notre Dame targets will arrive on June 10th. 5 ⭐ ND commit Keon Keeley will be on campus and will be trying to persuade other Irish targets to join him for a title run at Notre Dame. 5 ⭐ safety Caleb Downs , 4 ⭐ DL Jason Moore , 4 ⭐ LB Jaiden Ausberry , 4 ⭐ CB Christian Gray , 4 ⭐ ATH Micah Tease , 4 ⭐ WR Rico Flores Jr , and 4 ⭐ ATH Ronan Hanifin will all be arriving on campus for their official visit. This list contains some of the top targets left on Notre Dame's recruiting board. Of these visitors, I would not be surprised to see a commitment from Moore, Ausberry, and Flores either on their visit, or shortly after. I feel very confident that the Irish will end up landing those three, and eventually Gray. The Irish have a chance to make a monumental impression on all of these visitors during this weekend. The final visitor, who will arrive on Monday, June 13, is 5 ⭐ RB Richard Young . Young was a late addition to the Official Visitor list, and is the elite type of running back that Notre Dame has been missing over the years. Young is the type of back that goes to Alabama, and ends up winning a Heisman trophy. You would expect for him to end up in the SEC, but he has serious interest in what is happening at Notre Dame. Look for Marcus Freeman and Deland McCullough to roll out the red carpet for this elite back. Photo by One Foot Down June 17-19 will include just as much star power visiting campus as the weekend prior. ND commit Cooper Flanagan will be on campus for his official visit, and he will take on the role of recruiter for the weekend. 5 ⭐ ATH Samuel M’Pemba , 4 ⭐ WR Jaden Greathouse , 4 ⭐ WR Christian Hamilton , 4 ⭐ CB Jasiah Wagoner , 4 ⭐ RB Jeremiyah Love , 4 ⭐ LB Jordan Hall , and 4 ⭐ CB Micah Bell will be on campus for official visits. Additionally, 4 ⭐ OL Charles Jagusah will arrive on Sunday, June 19. Among this list, I would look for a possible commitment from Greathouse, Wagoner, Love, Jagusah and Bell either during, or shortly after their visit. I feel very confident that the Irish will end up landing Bell, Jagusah, and Greathouse. Back to back LOADED visitor weekends show that ND is ready to solidify this as the nation’s number 1 recruiting class. The missing piece in these two weekends is 5 ⭐ QB Dante Moore . The Notre Dame coaching staff pushed to get Dante on campus for either one of the big recruiting weekends, but Moore decided to take an unofficial visit to Texas A&M on the weekend of the 17th, and has 7 on 7 plans for the weekend of the 10th. With Dante still expected to commit to Notre Dame, this is a missed opportunity for him to help recruit and build for his future offense. While my confidence in landing Moore is still high, the longer this recruitment goes on makes me increasingly nervous about the QB position for this class. With or without Dante Moore on campus, these two weekends in June are loaded with talent. If the Irish can close on the prospects they are supposed to, and get a couple of surprises, this will prove to be the class that changes the program. The class that brings a National Championship back to Notre Dame.

Written By Liam Gaudet, Senior Editor With the recent de-commitment of five star edge rusher Keon Keeley, the Notre Dame fanbase is disappointed, but is this a sign of things to come for the Irish? To put it simply: No. As the old adage goes, “the path to success is not a straight line” and I think there is no greater advice to fans that are overreacting to this news. Recent Notre Dame De-Commit Keon Keeley Let me put it this way. If I had told you in 2019 that in just two seasons, Notre Dame would be competing against top programs for the services of multiple top-30 prospects, would you have believed me? I personally would not have seen it that way after being brainwashed by Brian Kelly that the best we could do is a 50-50 split class of three and four star players. We shouldn’t be so naïve to believe that in less than a year under a new coaching regime, we would land the number one class in the country, hold hands and sing Kumbaya. Although it looked possible at one point, realistically I think we all believed that the SEC powerhouses were going to gain momentum on the recruiting trail and dethrone us at some point, albeit at the cost of our best recruit. Is this disheartening? Sure. Is the program going to implode? Absolutely not. Notre Dame has been seeing the world through rose colored glasses since the hiring of Marcus Freeman at the end of last season. Since then, we have been spoiled into believing that Freeman is invincible on the trail. The reality of the situation is these things happen when you’re competing with the big boys. Alabama, Georgia and others lose 5-star commitments all the time, but because we’re not used to having legendary blue chips in the fold, our failures are a little more magnified. Even if we lost Peyton Bowen, which looks more likely than not with every passing day, our recruiting class is much more successful than anyone would have anticipated in previous years. In the grand scheme of things, I still believe this recruiting cycle has been a massive success. Sure, we’ve missed on a few big names, but with more success on the field, and perhaps a more fleshed out NIL plan, more talent will likely be accumulated in the coming cycles. Speaking of accumulating talent, how about we talk about the kids that are still in the class. In the 2023 class, we have addressed positions of need extremely successfully. Three top 150 wide receivers in Greathouse, James and Flores is a win that cannot be understated, and they show no sign of going back on their pledge. An offensive line class spearheaded by a monster in Charles Jagusah, and two speed demon corners in the secondary in Bell and Gray. All this without mentioning the heart and soul of the class in high 4-star linebacker Drayk Bowen. As diehard fans, it's easy to see shortcomings and focus entirely on the negatives. However, I encourage the fans to embrace a glass-half-full approach until signing day. Yes, the loss of a blue chip stings, but the sky is not falling. I touched on this a little bit earlier, but I’m hoping that the staff will learn from this setback and work to employ new methods for retaining recruits. The elephant in the room is obviously NIL opportunities. Regardless of whether or not Alabama offered Keeley a pay day, Notre Dame needs to find an NIL strategy that can compete with offers from larger schools. Yes, I’m aware that the core values of this university aren’t aligned with handing out millions of dollars to 17 year old's *cough A&M cough*, but clearly more competitive offers are a must. If other schools want to play dirty in an unregulated landscape, Notre Dame needs to find a strategy that falls within their morals to compete. Until more rules are put into place to stop the bag men in their tracks, a competitive plan needs to be set in motion. In closing, I felt it necessary to release this in hopes of relieving a small amount of tension that seems to be building amongst fans. I know it’s hard not to make a mountain out of a molehill, but given our recent recruiting successes, I think the fact that this is an issue is only a testament to the tremendous job this staff has done this cycle. Could the de-commitment come as a result of NIL? Who knows. What we do know is that recruiting failures thus far have not been for lack of effort. This staff has been relentless, and we can’t win every battle. What we can do is continue to count on this staff to put the work in, and the results will speak for themselves. As far as NIL goes, I expect a well thought out plan from everyone in the athletic department to ensure failures like these are not consistent. Keep your heads up folks, we’re still in good hands.