Five biggest takeaways from what Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said on Sunday
There was plenty of new developments regarding some competitions, a few freshman and transfers who have stood out, along with a very funny moment from Freeman after a slip up.
Find out below my biggest five takeaways from what Notre Dame football's leader said on Sunday, as the Irish start to prepare for the season opener against Miami.
The offensive line's open spot
Four of the five spots are locked up, as Anthonie Knapp (LT), Billy Schrauth (LG), Ashton Craig (C), and Aamil Wagner (RT) are set to be starters. Clearly the only spot left to fill is right guard, as Freeman mentioned that Sullivan Absher, Guerby Lambert and Will Black are competing for the job. Black is the least likely to win the competition, and a decision on this spot will come very soon.
A quarterback hasn't emerged yet…
While the offensive line battle is an important one, it's the quarterback race that everyone is keeping tabs on. Freeman answered multiple questions on CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey, but at this point, he has not made up his mind who will start against Miami. They'll break down the film from today's scrimmage, but one thing Freeman does know, this competition has brought out the best of both of them. He noted that they're 'really good players' who are very coachable, and do extra work outside the allotted team time. Freeman said it was a bonus that they got reps with both the 1st and 2nd teams, trying to create some cohesion with those groups.
Freeman might have made a recruiting violation
In a very funny interaction about eight minutes into Freeman talking, he misspoke and said Noah Grubb's name, the Irish's 2026 quarterback commitment, instead of Noah Burnette. He immediately caught himself, then wondered out-loud if it was a violation. While I doubt it is, because he just slipped up and said the wrong name, it was still a funny interaction.
Multiple wide receivers emerging
The wide receiver top-4 is set, with Malachi Fields, Jaden Greathouse, Will Pauling and Jordan Faison all looking like the top options, but some players below them are starting to emerge as well. While Freeman was asked about Micah Gilbert and Elijah Burress, he brought up KK Smith and Logan Saldate as two others who have impressed in camp. It's been a very long time since the Irish have had such a deep wide receiver rotation, and they should put up some numbers this season.
New faces that have stood out
It's always great to hear about the young players standing out, but in the transfer portal era, that has changed the conversation. With so many players moving, there are plenty of fresh faces each season, and Notre Dame has more of a few of them starting off by making noise. Freeman singled out the freshman corners in Dallas Golden, Mark Zackery IV and Cree Thomas, which shows how deep this secondary is. He also mentioned tight end Ty Washington, who transferred in from Arkansas. We could see plenty of these four on the field this fall for the Irish.
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