You’d think Notre Dame are merely at the onset of a special few years. Yes, they almost reached the zenith of the sport last season, and there’s only 1 further step to be taken. But it did feel like they were ahead of schedule. HC Marcus Freeman has only been in his capacity for 3 years in total. His trajectory as a coach is pointed skywards. The program is well-positioned on the recruiting front to keep providing him with competitive rosters. When the emotions from losing Natty eventually settle down, Notre Dame can take solace from their efforts to get there. However, they can’t rest on their laurels. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
Success inevitably breeds its own kinds of problems. For Marcus Freeman, it bred substantial interest from the NFL. At least the Irish were able to avert that, but they couldn’t quite do so with other personnel. In a revelation that was equal parts expected and troubling, a mass exodus has ensued out of South Bend. A multitude of key contributors to the National Championship run are departing for greener pastures than even the leprechauns could conjure. All three levels of the hierarchy have been breached. The front office, the coaching staff, and the players themselves. Every foundational pillar has been shaken, and Marcus Freeman is now tasked with keeping what he’s built intact. What
From the top down, GM Chad Bowden has departed to take up the same role across the country at arch-rivals USC. He’ll now contend for the Jeweled Shillelagh trophy from enemy lines. Elsewhere, coach Freeman has lost his trusted and much more experienced partner, Al Golden, to the Bengals. Freeman is a defensive guy himself, so losing his defensive coordinator is irrefutably a blow to his modus operandi. Not to mention, no less than 6 offensive linemen have left via the transfer portal. Other position groups have been affected, too. So, with all of this baked in, is Marcus Freeman afforded respite? Absolutely not. The standards have now been set with a run to the Natty, and there’s no alleviation of pressure from one CFB savant. Well, maybe some.
“I think at the bare minimum, every single year, the expectation is to get to the playoffs and win a game. If they don’t win a game this year, I don’t think it’s the end of the world in 2025. But getting to the playoff now has to be expected.” DeLeone also reasoned why a CFP berth is a fair expectation despite the turnover in personnel this offseason. As was last year, there’s an elephant in the room.
While the scheduling advantage for now wasn’t lost on DeLeone, he did acknowledge that it’s important to temper expectations with a “first-time starting QB”. Freeman will also be without Riley Leonard, headed for the NFL. The Irish will seek to keep their momentum going. There may be a flatlining or even a downward trajectory on the graph. But it’s on the board that the Irish thwart all expectations and conventional wisdom a second year running.