Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 2, 2023 9 UNDER THE DOME it one. A trusted wide receiver who will catch plenty of passes from that start- ing quarterback this fall if spring ball and fall camp production are indicators of in- season performance level didn't make it one. Even the placekicker who had to try on seven pairs of cleats didn't make it one. A specialist going through half a dozen or more cleats before finding the right pair could very well be occurring for kickers at universities supplied by Nike and Adidas, by the way. When it comes to kicking, everyone has different prefer- ences and needs in terms of what goes on the foot. It becomes less about brand and more about fit, regardless of logos. "The main thing was the equipment staff doing an awesome job of getting me right and feeling comfortable on the field," Shrader said. "It's really just what you're comfortable in. These have bet- ter ankle support and they mold to my foot a little better. All is good." 'I LOVE UNDER ARMOUR' All is good for Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, too. "I've been wearing Under Armour since my time at Cincinnati," Free- man said. "We were an Under Armour school when I was there. Throughout this entire process of the apparel deal, I've been in communication with Jack. I trust Jack Swarbrick. He's going to do what's best for Notre Dame. That's ex- actly what he's done." Yahoo Sports reported Notre Dame's new deal with Under Armour could be the most lucrative apparel sponsorship in college athletics. Obviously, money is a huge reason for any university to pair with a supplier. Doing right by the student-athletes is also high on the list. Freeman, of course, wants what's best for them as much as anybody. Their well-being directly affects his own. Freeman is only in Year 2, and he's already developed into a think-about- everything, CEO-type head coach. He seems to have more pull in the goings- on in South Bend now than he did 12 to 18 months ago when everything was still so new to him. When Notre Dame's exclusive nego- tiating window with Under Armour ex- pired over the summer, Swarbrick asked Freeman for input on the direction the Irish should go with the new contract. "I'm like, 'Jack, listen, I have no prob- lem with Under Armour,'" Freeman said. "'I love Under Armour. And I know you're going to do what's right for our players and for our athletic department.' And that's what he did." There are several players on the Notre Dame roster who are in Freeman's camp; Under Armour is nothing new to them. Senior wide receiver Chris Tyree wore Under Armour in high school. So did running backs Jadarian Price, a sopho- more from Denison (Texas) High School, and Jeremiyah Love, a freshman from St. Louis Christian Brothers College. Those are three of the fastest play- ers on the Notre Dame roster. They're bound to leave several opponents in the dust this season, and when they do the foes playing catch-up will be left staring at Under Armour logos on the bottom of the Irish speedsters' cleats. Love is the self-proclaimed fastest player on the Notre Dame offense. His personal record 10.76-second 100-me- ter dash won him the Missouri Class 5 state title. He also ran for 1,291 yards and 22 touchdowns on 9.2 yards per carry and caught 13 passes for 370 yards and five scores as a prep senior. All while wearing Under Armour. "Shoot, I've been in Under Armour basically the whole time," Love said. "I've grown accustomed to it. It's a great brand." Under Armour will rarely be the rea- son why Notre Dame doesn't land a top recruit. Love was the No. 5 running back in the country per the On3 Industry Ranking, and he's in blue and gold. "I care what I wear but I really just choose a school for the school rather than the brand," Love said. "If you're a big person on what you wear, then I would most definitely consider that when looking into schools. But for me, it wasn't really, 'This school was sponsored by Nike or Under Armour. I don't want to go there.' It didn't really matter to me." Price was the No. 13 overall run- ning back in 2022 per the On3 Industry Ranking. Like Love, he's not at Notre Dame so he could simply stick with Un- der Armour. Also like Love, he clearly wasn't dying to jump ship to a Nike or Adidas school. Price is at Notre Dame because … it's Notre Dame. His senior stats at Denison, per MaxPreps: 193 carries, 1,803 yards, 18 touchdowns. Twenty-seven catches, 327 yards and 1 score. Brought to you by Under Armour, nonetheless. "I've been wearing Under Armour since seventh grade," Price said. "I haven't worn another brand since. So that's what I'm used to. If we were to change — before they came out with the deal or whatever — it is what it is. I'm still going to go out there and ball and do what I have to do. It doesn't matter what I've got on. "Under Armour's a good brand. I wear it outside of football. It's comfortable. That's what I'm used to. I'm pretty ex- cited with what we're doing in the fu- ture with Under Armour." The bottom line is there isn't any- thing Under Armour supplies that comes as a disadvantage to Notre Dame student-athletes competing against opponents who don Nike or Adidas gear. Notre Dame didn't lose out on two of the best tailbacks in the last two re- cruiting classes because of its apparel deal. And for what it's worth, Tyree was the No. 8 running back in the class of 2020. He also ascended to that ranking with assistance from Under Armour. "I feel pretty good in it," Tyree said. Remember, it's just gear. Clothes are clothes. ✦ Freshman running back Jeremiyah Love was out- fitted by Under Armour in high school. He likes the fit but didn't consider the apparel brand at all when deciding to come to Notre Dame. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER