I needed to write this
I know we’re past the Thanksgiving season, but Christmas is a time to be grateful as well. So that’s my (ostensible) reason for writing this. But another reason, if not the main one, is that it’s time to reset my perspective on Notre Dame football and its head coach.
If you’ve followed my posts on here, you might (understandably) have gotten the impression that I’m a wet blanket when it comes to Notre Dame football. It’s a fair conclusion to draw since I’ve claimed to be as much in previous posts. And, because the buck stops with him, a lot of my complaints have been directed at head coach Marcus Freeman.
There’s a few reasons I’ve worn the black hat as a blogger. For one thing, I’m a bit of a contrarian. Because of that, I’ve often been driven to counterbalance some unwarrantedly positive (and misleading) coverage of Notre Dame by some people in the media. (For example, the repetitive overrating of Notre Dame’s wide receiver position every offseason). For another thing, it’s convenient to craft a persona as a writer. And, to be frank, I’m not above admitting that incendiary takes make great clickbait.
But everything in moderation, as they say. It’s not good to be the constant embodiment of negativity, which I strayed dangerously close to being during this season. So, in the spirit of Christmas, my heart is growing three sizes.
In planning this, I was originally only going to direct my thanks to Freeman. But then I read Riley Leonard’s article in The Players’ Tribune, and it made me want to express my gratitude for this team as a whole. And I want to do it before the College Football Playoff, even if it tempts fate to deliver a devasting loss to Indiana. That’s because, while appreciation in sports is certainly conditional, it doesn’t have to be so flimsy.
So for these reasons, the 2024 Notre Dame football team and its coach have my thanks.
Although I often get annoyed by how some people idolize Freeman, I recognize that he says all the right things, certainly more than the last guy in his job. I’m willing to do the unthinkable and take up for Brian Kelly when a lot of people act like scorned ex-lovers because of the way he left Notre Dame. But while acknowledging that Kelly was a top-tier program builder and coach, the writing was on the wall (before he flat out admitted) that he didn’t believe in Notre Dame’s ability to win a national championship, even when he took them to the Playoff.
And beyond talking the talk, Freeman walked the walk this season, which is what really matters. The ancillary stuff is all well and good—like the cool apparel and the media appearances—but he’s made me believe he could win a national championship after first making me think he couldn’t learn his lessons from year one following that Northern Illinois loss. And yet, he weathered the storm and showed for the third time in as many years (Marshall and Stanford were the first two instances) that he’s built a culture of resiliency that bounces back from adversity.
And let’s not overlook the recruiting. Sure, the 2025 high school class leaves something to be desired, but Freeman has undoubtedly enhanced Notre Dame’s depth of talent. Case in point, the injury to Benjamin Morrison and departure of Jaden Mickey didn’t make the Irish pass defense fall off a cliff, because Leonard Moore was ready to go as a true freshman.
And that brings me to the players. Every roster has reasons for fans to love them. Even Freeman’s first team, difficult as they were to watch at times, gave us that Clemson win and that crazy Gator Bowl. But this team’s even more fun, and it’s not just because the roster is a lot better (although that’s certainly part of it).
Leonard seems so sincerely humble and is so easy to root for. Howard Cross III, Rylie Mills, Jack Kiser and Xavier Watts decided to come back for fifth and sixth years in South Bend to chase a championship, and Watts is earning All-American honors for the second year in a row while he’s at it. Christian Gray overcame adversity against USC to give Notre Dame the separation it needed, and his running mate Moore was stifling in the same game against the best passing attack the Irish faced all year.
Adon Shuler, Jaylen Sneed, Jaiden Ausberry, Drayk Bowen and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa have attitude and back it up by making plays. Bryce Young has been a revelation after a couple of other revelations — fifth-year Jordan Botelho and redshirt freshman Boubacar Traore — went down with injury.
On the offensive side, an offensive line plagued by injuries has seen youth and inexperience not just come together, but play impressively. A receiving corps that’s underwhelmed at least gave us a tactical performance against Texas A&M and has seen numerous guys catch touchdowns. And what is there to say that hasn’t already been said about Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price in the backfield? Oh, and don’t forget Mitchell Evans and Eli Raridon, who have made bigger impacts as pass catchers heading into the postseason.
Special teams has left a lot to be desired, but you can at least have some sympathy for Mitch Jeter with his leg injury, especially given the clutch kicks he made against A&M. And James Rendell is Austrailian! That’s… something!
And RJ Oben? Well, he’s along for the ride (and was playing slightly better by season’s end).
I won’t overlook the coaching staff either. Mike Mickens and Deland McCullough deservedly garner most of the praise. But Joe Rudolph has molded raw clay on the O-line, Al Washington has gotten young talent on the D-line ready to play out of necessity, Max Bullough has a bunch of inexperienced linebackers playing well, Chad Bowden is spearheading a recruiting uptick and Mike Denbrock has maximized what he can with Leonard as QB.
NIU left me (and a lot of other fans, I’m sure) feeling listless, like we might have been backing the wrong horse at head coach and like the talent on this roster might have been overrated. But Freeman’s proved he’s on an upward trajectory. Only time will tell if he can summit the mountain. Still, compared to the last guy, I’d much rather have a coach who believes the summit can be reached than one who’s only interested in cashing checks while taking fans on a semi-enjoyable trek around the thing.
More than anything, I thank Freeman and this team for giving me hope. Here’s hoping that hope turns into some special memories come January.
What are you thankful for?