Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2025 7 UNDER THE DOME UNDER THE DOME Steve Angeli Deserves The Top Job By Todd D. Burlage If any confirmation was needed about how valuable and well-regarded rising senior quarterback Steve Angeli is at Notre Dame, overwhelming evidence came during the national championship game Jan. 20. With Notre Dame trailing Ohio State 31-7 in the third quarter, internet message boards blew up throughout ND Nation demanding that the time had come to bench ineffective run-reliant starter Riley Leonard, because Angeli's arm was the better formula for a comeback. That confidence in performance that Angeli has built among the Irish fan base and everybody inside the program shouldn't be dismissed, because he's earned it. The most recent demonstration of Angeli's capability and importance to the team came Jan. 9, in the national semifinal against Penn State, when the Irish trailed 10-0, showed no signs of offensive life, and were left for dead when Leonard left the game in concussion protocol. No worries. Angeli came off the bench and orchestrated a 13-play drive that led to a field goal, put the Irish on the scoreboard at 10-3, calmed nerves and changed momentum before halftime with arguably the most important drive of the postseason. Angeli also proved a worthy first-teamer in his only career start at the 2023 Sun Bowl when he completed 15 of 19 passes for 232 yards with 3 touchdowns in a 40-8 Irish win. Angeli has paid his dues. He's proven his worth. He deserves to start. And with Notre Dame opening its season at Miami and against Texas A&M, Angeli better start. Let The CJ Carr Era Begin By Jack Soble Sure, the internet message boards (a well-known marketplace of rationality, particularly during games) might have wanted Angeli to enter the second half of the national championship. But there's a reason Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff never once considered the idea. As for what actually happened that night, by the way, Leonard led an improbable comeback and got the Irish within one score of sending the game to overtime. To paraphrase Freeman after calls for Angeli to replace Leonard grew loud early in the season, the Irish don't make decisions based on the opinion of the fanbase. Angeli absolutely deserves an honest shot to start. He's proven his worth as a backup time and time again. Freeman loves his confidence and competitive- ness. But does he have the ceiling Notre Dame needs to accomplish its goals? I don't know. But I know the Irish believe Carr does. In a production meeting with NBC announcers Noah Eagle and Todd Black- ledge before Notre Dame's late-November matchup against Army, Freeman actually tipped his hand. Eagle said on the broadcast that Freeman told him Notre Dame went to the portal for Hartman and Leonard because he did not believe its quarterback of the future was on the roster. But now, he explained, that's changed. And it doesn't take a genius to figure out the difference. If Carr proves his worth in the next seven months, I think the Irish will live with his inevitable growing pains if it gives them their long-awaited multi- year star at the quarterback position. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHO STARTS AT QUARTERBACK FOR NOTRE DAME AUG. 31 AT MIAMI? When incoming freshman Leah Macy adds her name to the Notre Dame women's basketball ros- ter this coming June, she will stand alongside an elite group of accomplished Fighting Irish players. The only signee in Notre Dame's 2025 recruit- ing class, Macy — a five-star forward whom ESPN ranks as the No. 19 overall recruit in the class — was recently named to the East roster for the 2025 McDonald's All-America team. When Macy arrives on campus in about four months, the 6-foot-2 Bethlehem, (Ky.) High School standout will remarkably become the sev- enth player on the Irish roster to earn this distin- guished All-America honor. A versatile inside-outside scorer, Macy averaged 26.7 points and 12.6 rebounds during her first 10 high school games this season. Facing only a four-hour drive from her fam- ily's home in Northern Kentucky to Notre Dame, Macy — who is drawing comparisons to Irish star forward Maddy Westbeld — chose Notre Dame in part because of the proximity it provides her family to attend home games. Blue & Gold Illustrated recently caught up with Macy to talk about her McDonald's All-America honors, her decision to attend Notre Dame, and her freshman expectations. BGI: How do you feel about earning McDonald's All-America honors? Macy: "I really don't think it has set in yet. But it's been a dream of mine the entire time I have been playing basketball. And when I knew that I had the chance to become one, I definitely worked very hard to get it. And now I'm excited that all of my work paid off." BGI: What do you hope to gain from your All- America experience? Macy: "It will be a great experience. It's such a small group. It will be really special for all of us before we leave for college. We get to play on ESPN, and there will be a bunch of skills competi- tions and ceremonies. It will give us all a chance to reflect on our time in high school and what we have achieved." BGI: What attracted you to Notre Dame? Macy: "It was because every aspect of Notre Dame is just perfect. It was just the best place. I have a great relationship with all of the coaches, especially head coach Niele Ivey. Our relationship is something that is very special on and off the court. "I know that she is going to help me grow as a person and a player. And the family atmosphere really drew me in." BGI: How are you feeling about your arrival at Notre Dame? Macy: "I'm very excited. I'm not nervous in any way. I already have such a great relationship with the staff, and I know that they believe in me, are going to help me and support me when I get there. Coming in as a freshman, I will just keep working hard, be me, and I'll be fine. I can't wait." BGI: How would you describe yourself as a player? Macy: "I would say versatile. I can play inside and out which is something Coach Ivey really likes about me. I'm not just a one-dimensional player. I have a lot of aspects to my game. A lot of people also say that I have a high basketball IQ, and I would agree with that, which will help make the adjustment to the college game easier." — Todd D. Burlage Five Questions With … IRISH WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNEE LEAH MACY Macy, the lone signee in Notre Dame's 2025 class, was recently selected as a McDonald's All-American. PHOTO COURTESY LEAH MACY ANGELI CARR