Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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12 SEPT. 17, 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME THEY SAID IT THEY SAID IT "We've got ourselves a quarterback. There's a strong belief in what he can do for this football program." — Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman on sophomore TYLER BUCHNER after the Ohio State game "I have all the faith in the world we can be one of the greatest defenses in the country. We're going there. We're trending upward. I feel like we got it." — Junior defensive end Rylie Mills "I know Justin Tuck personally. We've been going back and forth. He's been helping me by showing me some of my film, showing me what I should and shouldn't do. … You really don't hear of people trying to help you break their own record. That's why I feel like it's differ- ent with Notre Dame." — Senior defensive end Isaiah Foskey, who needs 9.5 sacks this season to break Tuck's career sacks record, in a story by Pro Football Focus "Ohio State survived, and I think the team that impressed me the most was Notre Dame. I didn't expect that. I really expected a blowout here and didn't think this would be a close game because I believed what everyone told me [about] Ohio State. They can be [great] but the pressure of the moment I think got to them. Notre Dame came in with a really great game plan. Marcus Freeman really exceeded expectations in his debut." — ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum "The Irish, who haven't finished inside the top five since 2013, are tied with Alabama for the most ESPN 300 commitments (15) and are ranked second, right behind the Crimson Tide. Seven of Notre Dame's commits are ranked inside the top 100 overall and nine are in the top 10 at their respective positions. The top-ranked commits in the class are safety Peyton Bowen, linebacker Jaiden Ausberry and wide receiver Braylon James. "Marcus Freeman is in his first season as head coach and has shown he can land recruits from some of the more highly contested and talent-rich states. Four ESPN 300 commits are from Texas, one is from California, one is from New Jersey, one is from Ohio, and one is from Louisiana. "For a first-year [and first-time] head coach to have the Irish off to such an impressive start is a sign that he'll have Notre Dame playing and recruiting at a high level in the future. Because the staff has 23 total com- mitments, it will be difficult to keep the current ranking as other programs continue to add to their classes." — ESPN staff writer Tom VanHaaren on listing Notre Dame as a 2023 recruiting overachiever "Dylan Edwards is one of the more dynamic skill players and ball carries in the 2023 cycle. In every setting, he's proven to be a game breaker on a consistent basis, and a lot of that has to do with his play speed. I don't believe he's a track guy, but the speed shows up on Friday nights for sure. "He's a dominant high school player, and you see that in the camp setting as well. At the Under Armour Future 50 camp, he won the fastest man race against [Notre Dame safety commit] Peyton Bowen. His 40-yard dash time would've been a sub-4.4 at the event. "… Projecting him to Notre Dame, he gives Tommy Rees a movable chess piece to where you can get him the ball in a variety of ways. Regarding his skill set as a runner, he has great field vision and is able to make plays across the field. He has a running back's skill set on top of great ability in space." — On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power on Notre Dame commit Dylan Edwards of Derby (Kan.) High "I was disappointed by some stuff while I was there. The football team and culture is not what people think it to be. I met a lot of great people. They do a lot of good in the world. It's a mixed bag. I'm glad I went there, and I'm glad I left." — Former Notre Dame and current Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovic on his time in South Bend in an interview with Boston.com "It's going to be exciting. I know it's not about me and it never will be about me, but personally that will be one I'll never forget." — Freeman on his head coaching debut at Notre Dame Stadium PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER TOP TWEETS