Latest news with #MarcusFreeman
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Notre Dame Impact Players For 2025: No. 45 James Flanigan
Notre Dame Impact Players For 2025: No. 45 James Flanigan originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Notre Dame is now 45 days away from kicking off the 2025 season against the Hurricanes down in Hard Rock Stadium. The Irish will be relying on some impact players to get them through the home opener as well as getting them back to another run at the National Championship. I broke down who I believe will be the top 50 impactful players for Notre Dame this season. Let's continue this countdown to kickoff with my No. 45 most impactful player, true freshman tight end James Flanigan. A true freshman making an impact his first season in South Bend has been relatively consistent under head coach Marcus Freeman. In back to back seasons in 2022 and 2023, we saw two cornerbacks in Benjamin Morrison and Christian Gray cement themselves as impact talents. In 2024, true freshman Anthonie Knapp got the start at left tackle and proceeded to start for 14 more games until his injury late in the playoffs. Flanigan could be the next player on that list based on his skillset and the team's need. What He Brings To The Table Flanigan is a 6-6, 240-pound tight end hailing from Green Bay, Wisconsin. He's considered to be a more 'old school' tight end as he does his best work attached to the offensive line and is a tenacious blocker. Flanigan is very long and athletic, but his background in playing high school defensive end and hockey allows him to be an aggressive and powerful blocker at the point of attack, something the Irish desperately need out of the position. He's also a more than capable pass catcher. Flanigan caught 11 touchdowns as a senior in high school and also finished with 13.0 sacks as a defensive end. The former consensus four-star is a very athletic player who will make it difficult on the coaching staff to keep him off the field, despite having three to four more experienced players in front of him on the depth chart. lanigan has showcased his abilities to work vertically down the field and work the seams, something that offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock will be pushing to do with this unit in 2025. What Is His Impact? Barring injury, it's unlikely Flanigan will dethrone senior tight end Eli Raridon as the No. 1 tight end in this offense. However, his arrival in South Bend this summer immediately gives the room some much needed depth it has lacked so far this offseason. Because of his versatile skillset, Flanigan presents some unique traits to the offense that the other tight ends don't possess. They lost their best run blocking tight end in Cooper Flanagan late in the playoffs last season with an achilles injury and his timeline to return remains uncertain. We've seen how Raridon will likely be used in this offense; when you combine Raridon's skillset with Jack Larsen's and Arkansas transfer Ty Washington's skillset, the Irish offense is in need of a solid blocker at tight end. Sixth year senior Kevin Bauman could potentially fit that role, but given his injury history, it's unclear how much will be put on his plate. Flanigan can come in a provide immediate assistance to the Notre Dame run blocking scheme, and with a backfield that features Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price and a host of other, run blocking becomes a top-of-the-list priority. Flanigan can also impact the pass game as well, but his path to on the field success is as a primary run blocker. His diverse skillset, athletic ability, health and size gives him a path to seeing the field as a true freshman which is why I have him ranked as the No. 45 impactful player for Notre Dame this season. PAST TOP 50 BREAKDOWNS No. 46 - Noah BurnetteNo. 47 - Guerby LambertNo. 48 - Sullivan AbsherNo. 49 - Jordan BotelhoNo. 50 - Charles JagusahIrish Breakdown Content 2025 Commit Rankings - Offense2025 Commit Rankings - Defense——————— Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more. BECOME A MEMBER Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time! Join the Irish Breakdown community!Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channelSubscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunesFollow me on Twitter: Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wisconsin football top class of 2026 safety target commits to Notre Dame
Wisconsin top class of 2026 safety target Nick Reddish committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Friday. Reddish, who recently whittled his list of finalists down to four, elected to join Marcus Freeman's program over opportunities with the Badgers, Indiana Hoosiers and Virginia Tech Hokies. He becomes the second high-profile 2026 safety target to commit elsewhere in the past few days, following three-star Jowell Combay. Advertisement The rising senior joins a Notre Dame class of 2026 that currently ranks No. 4 in the nation with 26 commitments, including 15 four or five-star recruits. The rising senior received his offer from UW on May 14 before officially visiting Madison the weekend of May 30. He then made a trip to Virginia Tech the weekend of June 6 before a visit with Notre Dame the weekend of June 12. 247Sports considers the Independence High School product the No. 681 overall recruit, No. 57 safety and No. 31 player from his home state of North Carolina. Reddish's chance of landing with Notre Dame did not shock those invested in his recruiting journey. Several recruiting outlets projected the Charlotte, North Carolina, native to join the Fighting Irish, including On3's recruiting machine. Advertisement As of July 11, Wisconsin's class of 2026 ranks No. 49 in the nation and No. 15 in the Big Ten with 15 players committed. Four-star wide receiver Jayden Petit and four-star running back Amari Latimer impacted the program's national standing in late June. Still, UW's failure to secure additional commitments has left it in need of some new talent. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin football recruiting target Nick Reddish Notre Dame commit
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
ESPN names the Miami Hurricanes as Notre Dame's arch villan for the upcoming 2025 season
There are more than a few teams and players that fall under the category of arch villain for Notre Dame football, but on Thursday ESPN named Miami as the biggest one of the Irish this fall. USC would have made perfect sense, as would Ohio State (who Notre Dame could face for the fourth-straight year if they meet in the College Football Playoff, but is not currently a scheduled opponent), but Adam Rittenberg went with the Hurricanes. The last time these two faced off against each other was in 2017, with a convincing Miami win, 41-8. Advertisement Both teams have CFP hopes this season, and there is some drama surrounding the two. Miami's starting quarterback is now Carson Beck, who was one the sidelines as the Irish defeated his former team, the Georgia Bulldogs in the CFP quarterfinals, out with an injury. Rittenberg thinks that he's 'talented enough to villainize a Notre Dame defense replacing standouts Xavier Watts, Jack Kiser, Rylie Mills and others and appearing in its first game under new coordinator Chris Ash.' Rittenberg isn't off his rocker with his assessment, but remember, Beck is coming off an injury, while he's also learning a new offense and working with new skill position players. His play regressed from 2023 to 2024, throwing for less yards, a lower completion percentage and doubled the amount of interceptions thrown. Not exactly awe inspiring progression from Beck. Now, Rittenberg does make another solid point, as head coach Marcus Freeman has a history of September losses, as every one of his three years has seen one happen. Personally, I would have picked USC, as there is always drama on the field, and this year it's off it was well with the Trojans potentially wanting to end its rivalry with the Irish. Both are good choices, and we will see how it all plays out soon. This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: ESPN sees the Miami Hurricanes as Notre Dame's arch villain this fall
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Missouri Coach Eli Drinkwitz Named to Prestigious Preseason Watch List
Missouri Coach Eli Drinkwitz Named to Prestigious Preseason Watch List originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Mizzou football head coach Eli Drinkwitz was one of only 26 FBS coaches named to the 2025 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List, the organization behind the award revealed Monday. Advertisement Presented by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl Inc. every year, the award celebrates a head coach that leads his team to success on the gridiron, while also emphasizing "scholarship, leadership and integrity," per a press release announcing the watch list. Over the last two years, Missouri has finished the year ranked in the top-25 and collected a combined 21-5 overall record, including an 11-5 mark in SEC play, which is tied for the third best two-year stretch in program history. Entering his sixth season leading the Tigers' program, Drinkwitz has collected a 38-24 (.613) overall record, and he eclipsed Dan Devine's school record for wins in the first five seasons of a Mizzou head coaching tenure. Advertisement Drinkwitz has also led MU to a 27-7 (.794) record on Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium, giving him the best home win percentage (minimum four seasons) in the history of the program. Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz© Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images A Missouri head coach has never won the award, but Drinkwitz was a finalist for it during the 2023 season. The award ultimately went to Florida State's Mike Norvell, and last year it was given to Marcus Freeman from Notre Dame. The SEC had strong representation in the preseason watch list as six coaches from the conference made the cut, three of which Drinkwitz will coach off against this season. The award honors Bobby Dodd who coached at Georgia Tech from 1931-1966, serving as head coach for 21 years of that stretch. Over that stint, he compiled a 165-64-8 record. Advertisement Related: Mizzou Picks Up Commitment From Safety out of Georgia This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
08-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Marcus Freeman listed among top 10 college football head coaches
The Fighting Irish coach is in good company Pro Football Focus has named Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman to its top 10 of college football coaches. Freeman is listed fifth, behind Georgia's Kirby Smart, Ohio State's Ryan Day, Clemson's Dabo Swinney and Oregon's Dan Lanning. Freeman is ahead of Steve Sarkisian (Texas), Kalen DeBoer (Alabama), James Franklin (Penn State), former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly (LSU) and Curt Cignetti (Indiana). Although Freeman's first two seasons as the head man at Notre Dame were marred with some inexplicable upsets, his third season saw the Fighting Irish get all the way to the national championship game, despite another hard-to-explain loss at home versus Northern Illinois. Even though the Irish lost to Ohio State in the national title game, getting to the championship and following that up with strong recruiting efforts have helped Freeman raise his -- and his program's -- profile. 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
