Notre Dame named in two Top 10 non-conference best matchups for 2025
Notre Dame named in two Top 10 non-conference best matchups for 2025
The 2025 college football season is inching closer and closer, and there are a slew of juicy non-conference matchups on tap.
One of those clashes includes Notre Dame hosting Texas A&M, the back end of a home-and-home series that began last year. It's clearly a notable matchup, and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy named it No. 5 on his Top 10 list of non-conference games this fall.
"Coach Mike Elko enters into the second year," McElroy said on his Always College Football podcast. "They get everybody back on the offensive line. The offense in general should be excellent. And their quarterback Marcel Reed should be a lot more advanced than he was last year. He didn't even play against Notre Dame in Week 1. So, now, that should be an incredible matchup when the Aggies head to South Bend there in the middle of September."
Last season, Marcus Freeman's squad scored a 23-13 win in College Station, a game that featured the Irish leaning on their rushing attack. They compiled 198 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, with Jeremiyah Love leading the way with 91 yards and a score. Meanwhile, the Aggies had just 100 passing yards in the loss, though adding playmakers at receiver was a priority this offseason. So this should be a different Aggies offense in the rematch.
The Irish have the fourth-best nonconference game, as well, according to McElroy. ND opens the season at Miami, a team McElroy is high on. Mario Cristobal has the Hurricanes set up to contend for the ACC title with the likes of Clemson.
"Miami has restocked and reloaded," McElroy said. "Carson Beck is now their starting quarterback. They have great personnel on both lines of scrimmage. Mario Cristobal has a legitimate ACC title contender again this year. At least one of the top two teams in the ACC."
The new season can't get here soon enough.
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
36 minutes ago
- USA Today
Dre Quinn will pick a school this week, Notre Dame is on the list
Dre Quinn will pick a school this week, Notre Dame is on the list The Fighting Irish are on Dre Quinn's list along with Clemson and others. Edge rusher Dre Quinn will make his college decision on June 19, according to a report from On3 Sports. Notre Dame is among the finalists. Along with the Fighting Irish, the four-star recruit is looking at Clemson, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Georgia and Texas. Quinn is from Buford, Georgia, and has also played wide receiver, though he projects as an edge rusher at the college level. He's 6'4" and weighs 220 pounds. He's in the class of 2026. We'll know his college choice in just two days. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Tim on X: @tehealey
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Oklahoma Women's Basketball SEC opponents for 2025-2026 season
Oklahoma Women's Basketball SEC opponents for 2025-2026 season The Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team is coming off their first Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA tournament under head coach Jenny Baranczyk. The Sooners went 27-8 and 11-5 in their first season in the SEC, good for fourth place in the conference. As OU gets ready for year two, the SEC released the conference opponents Oklahoma will face this season. Coming to the Lloyd Noble Center this season will be three of the best programs in the sport in South Carolina, Tennessee, and LSU. Those three schools have combined for 12 national titles. Tennessee is one of the blue-bloods of the sport. South Carolina has been on a dominant run under Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks have won three national championships since 2017, most recently in 2024. LSU earned its first national title in 2023 under Kim Mulkey. Also coming to Norman for the 2025-2026 basketball season are Arkansas, Florida, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State. This season, the Sooners will go on the road to face Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Vanderbilt, and the Texas Longhorns. Unfortunately, the Sooners will only face the Longhorns once in 2025-2026, as SEC schedule makers have opted to give the Red River Rivals other home-and-home matchups. Oklahoma's only home and home matchup this season comes against the Texas A&M Aggies. Last year the Sooners beat the Aggies 77-62, led by 16 points from Raegan Beers. Texas will take on the LSU Tigers in a home and home next year. The 2025-2026 season marks the arrival of the No. 1 player in the country for the 2025 recruiting class, Aaliyah Chavez. She'll join a roster full of experience with Beers, Peyton Verhulst, Sahara Williams, and Zya Vann. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
MSU target, local 3-star speedster WR Samson Gash reportedly nearing decision
MSU target, local 3-star speedster WR Samson Gash reportedly nearing decision This past weekend, #MichiganState hosted Catholic Central (MI) WR Samson Gash. He just talked to me about this past weekend's visit to MSU, sharing some very strong praise. Gash: 'We should see a decision in the next day or so." MORE: — Justin Thind (@JustinThind) June 17, 2025 One of the top remaining targets on the Spartans' recruiting board is nearing a decision, according to a report from Michigan State insider Justin Thind. Thind caught up with the three-star wide receiver Samson Gash following his official visit to Michigan State this past weekend. Per a post on X from Thind, Gash had "some very strong praise" following his visit and that "we should see a decision in the next day or so." Gash -- who plays for Detroit Catholic Central -- is the highest-rated wide receiver prospect from Michigan in the 2026 class, and holds a recruiting rating of 89 on 247Sports. He ranks as the No. 49 wide receiver nationally and No. 4 overall prospect from the state of Michigan. Gash also visited West Virginia earlier this month and is slated to visit Cincinnati later this week, according to 247Sports. Those appear to be the three finalists at the moment for Gash's commitment, but he also does hold notable offers from Illinois, Iowa, Purdue, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest as well. Michigan State already has one wide receiver commitment in its 2026 class in three-star Zachary Washington. He committed to Michigan State earlier this week, and would pair nicely with Gash should the Spartans come out on top in this recruiting battle. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
