Notre Dame football suffers a big loss as another coach leaves for the NFL
Notre Dame football suffers a big loss as another coach leaves for the NFL
Just when you thought that Notre Dame football could turn its attention to preparing for the 2025 season, it'll once again have to fill an open coaching position.
Late on Wednesday night, Matt Freeman of Irish Sports Daily reported that running backs coach Deland McCullough will make a return to the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders. He previously was the running backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2018-2020, and will assume the same position with the Raiders.
McCullough helped guide the Irish to multiple great years of ground production, as his first season in 2022, Audric Estime and Logan Diggs each averaged over 5 yards-per-carry and almost had 1,000 yard seasons. In 2023, Estime went well over that mark, with 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns and then was drafted in the No. 5 round of the NFL draft by the Denver Broncos.
Jeremiyah Love also went over the elusive mark with 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns. As you can see, this unit led by McCullough has been elite. He will be missed, but you have to have some confidence in head coach Marcus Freeman to find a more than adequate replacement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
11 minutes ago
- USA Today
Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route
Bengals, Shemar Stewart nuclear option includes 2026 NFL draft route Ultimately, the Cincinnati Bengals and first-round pick Shemar Stewart are likely to resolve the contract standoff at some point this summer. But what if things go the super-rare route? There are, believe it or not, clauses written into the CBA that deal with rookies who never sign with the team that drafted them, or who want off the team that drafted them. Stewart, as pointed out by Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio and others, has roughly three options: Stewart doesn't sign and demands a trade. Teams can trade unsigned draft picks until up to 30 days before the first game of the season. Stewart signs the Tuesday after Week 10 and his case goes to arbitration to decide about his playing status. Stewart refuses to sign at all and re-enters the 2026 NFL draft, where he could be selected by any team but the Bengals. RELATED: Bengals news: Jermaine Burton buzz, practice urgency and more That third and final point is the nuclear option most fans and media seem to bring up the most. The Bengals wouldn't get compensated in that scenario at all. But it's nearly impossible Stewart would give up his massive rookie contract this year, sit out of football for a year, then potentially go undrafted in 2026 after teams likely stay away from him. For now, both sides play the staring contest. The Bengals want to insert new language into their contracts that better aligns with the rest of the NFL and have started it with Stewart. He doesn't want to be treated differently than past Bengals rookies. Hence, a standoff. Again, Stewart will sign with the Bengals and play in 2025. But the above are the other options, including the nuclear one that drags this out until 2026. RELATED: Bengals' Andrei Iosivas adds 15 pounds while eyeing breakout season
USA Today
22 minutes ago
- USA Today
5 shots of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce canoodling at Oilers-Panthers
5 shots of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce canoodling at Oilers-Panthers The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers put on an absolute show on Thursday night as the Oilers picked up a much-needed win in the Stanley Cup Final to take Game 4 in dramatic fashion. The reigning champion Panthers tied the game at 4-4 with 19 seconds left in the third period, but would go on to lose in overtime. Among the crowd for the immediate classic was celebrity couple Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. The singer and Kansas City tight end were in Florida to take in the game, and the pair could not have seemed happier throughout the evening. Swift and Kelce have been dating since summer of 2023, and they were seen being affectionate with each other throughout the evening. Cameras caught the 14-time Grammy winner and the 3-time Super Bowl champ canoodling, laughing and overall just enjoying each other's company. Both were thrilled at the exciting finish of the game, and the NHL playoffs are just the latest in the couple's sporty run. Kelce and Swift made it to both tennis and baseball in the last couple years, and Swift has, unsurprisingly, been a mainstay at NFL games as she supports her beau. Kelce will kick off his 13th NFL season this year, so Swift's sports fan era will keep going strong.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New York Giants' Wan'Dale Robinson praises Russell Wilson: 'Easy to catch'
The New York Giants have a brand new quarterback room this season, led by 10-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson. The Giants have not played a down in earnest yet with Wilson under center, but early returns indicate the team feels they are marked better than they were in years past with him throwing passes, especially deep ones. Advertisement "That deep ball just drops right in the bucket, for sure. And then whenever he's throwing just the shorter routes and stuff like that, it kind of comes in like a pillow," said wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson at the Giants' OTA session on Thursday. "It's really, really easy to catch, which I like. "The first time we threw, me and (Darius) Slay(ton) were both like, this is actually better than we expected. And so, no, we were ecstatic about it, and couldn't be more happy that he's our quarterback." Wilson, with his long resume of success and neverending positivity, is a breath of fresh air for this dormant Giant offense. "Russell, he's been a guy that when you look at what he's done from Seattle to Pittsburgh, it was a mesh and fit for our scheme," Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown told the media on Thursday, "We knew we needed to push the ball down the field a lot more. You guys have seen him do that in practice. That's an ability and knack that is unique for Russ." Advertisement The Giants were one of the worst deep passing teams in the NFL last season and Wilson's presence should help change that as we at Giants Wire recently outlined. Wilson the NFL with a 97.3 deep passing grade last season. Even with the addition of superstar wide receiver Malik Nabers, the Giants struggled to throw the ball downfield last season. As a team, they recorded just a 67.4 deep passing grade in 2024, 4th-worst in the NFL. Wilson has certainly looked the part this spring and his receivers are happy. All things considered, it's a positive start. This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Wan'Dale Robinson praises Russell Wilson: 'Easy to catch'
