Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1533229
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM APRIL 2025 25 Staff writer Jack Soble: Talich is someone Notre Dame has really liked for a couple years, and his time is now. With Stroman out for spring ball, he'll run with the first-team defense. He needs to take advantage in order to hold off youngsters such as Kennedy Urlacher, Tae Johnson and even freshmen like JaDon Blair. Then on offense, how about Sullivan Absher? The junior offensive lineman has worked at tackle and guard and — again, due to injuries — will probably get a ton of work with the ones this spring. He'll likely be one of the first offensive linemen off the bench in 2025, which means if we learned anything from 2024 that he'll probably play a lot. Recruiting reporter Kyle Kelly: It feels like a make-or-break spring for five members of Notre Dame football's 2023 recruiting class: defensive lineman Devan Houstan, safety Ben Minich, of- fensive lineman Joe Otting, defensive lineman Brenan Vernon and linebacker Preston Zinter. Rather than rely on Houstan and Ver- non's development, the Irish went to the transfer portal for defensive line- men Jared Dawson and Elijah Hughes. They did the same at safety by bringing in Stroman rather than giving Minich a better chance to make a move. Otting, who plays center, and Zinter are in danger of being overpassed by young guys. Freshmen offensive linemen Cameron Herron and linebacker Madden Faraimo are already coming on strong, and soph- omores Anthonie Knapp — who could play center — and linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa already have. Recruiting insider Mike Singer: Ju- nior running back Gi'Bran Payne is fully ready to go, and he is definitely one who needs a big spring. The Irish have a clear pecking order at the top of the depth chart at the position, and no one is unseating Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. But could Payne get those valuable RB3 reps that sophomore Aneyas Williams received last season? This spring will be crucial for Payne with a new running backs coach. NOTRE DAME'S BIGGEST CONCERNS IN SPRING BALL BESIDES THE QB SITUATION Staff writer Tyler Horka: What does the defensive tackle hierarchy look like? The Irish have a couple of incom- ing transfers in Jared Dawson and Eli- jah Hughes, and graduate student Jason Onye is back with the team. Plenty of other incumbents, too, like potential starters Gabriel Rubio, a graduate stu- dent, and Donovan Hinish, a senior. How does the jigsaw puzzle sort itself out? That's a major question on the de- fensive side of things. On offense, let's do what we always do every spring and look at the pass catch- ers. Is there someone other than Jaden Greathouse that will leave us feeling like the Notre Dame wide receiver room is in good hands in 2025? A freshman? A transfer? Anybody? I want to know who the first-time full-time starting quar- terback will be targeting in the fall. Staff writer Jack Soble: Who steps up in the leadership department? Notre Dame lost Jack Kiser, Xavier Watts, Benjamin Morrison, Rylie Mills, Riley Leonard, Howard Cross III, Mitch- ell Evans, Jordan Clark and Pat Coogan. That is a lot of leadership. These story- lines can get repetitive and mundane, but they really matter in situations like, say, a catastrophic loss to a MAC opponent or a 10-0 deficit in the national semifinal. Looking at the returning leaders, they lean much younger than they did last year. Drayk Bowen, Adon Shuler, Jeremiyah Love and Aamil Wagner are some of the names that stand out as potential captains, as is Angeli if he wins the job. In a season that must go 16 games for a championship, leadership is critical. Does Notre Dame have enough? Recruiting reporter Kyle Kelly: How will new running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider manage the running backs rotation, and who returns punts? Former Irish running backs coach De- land McCullough did an outstanding job of managing the workloads of his running backs. Now, Seider walks into a situation where six capable backs are in the room: seniors Gi'Bran Payne and Jadarian Price, junior Jeremiyah Love, sophomores An- eyas Williams and Kedren Young, and freshman Nolan James Jr. Midway through the 2024 season, graduate student Max Hurleman re- placed rising junior Jordan Faison as the punt returner. And with Faison absent from spring ball due to lacrosse, it will allow others to claim the punt return duties. It seems wide open. Recruiting insider Mike Singer: My biggest question for Notre Dame this spring is on the offensive line and what answers we get to who is likely to start in the fall. Anthonie Knapp (ankle) and Billy Schrauth (also ankle) will have "modi- fied activity" this spring, while Aamil Wagner's "individualized plan" will be interesting. Ashton Craig will miss the spring. I'm really intrigued to see what the offensive line looks like with this in mind. Who emerges? In my opinion, there are two no- brainers in terms of starters on the O- line; Wagner and Schrauth are going to start. There's just no way they don't. If healthy, Craig probably fits there as well, unless Notre Dame has other ideas at center. Is there a world where Knapp, who started 15 games for the Irish in 2024 as a true freshman, doesn't start? You have to think sophomore Guerby Lambert will have his say, and junior Charles Jagusah is most likely in that no-brainer category. One really good offensive lineman, who would start at about 95 percent of schools in the country, won't be a starter come this fall. Will there be a clearer pic- ture of who that'll be this spring? ✦ Rising sophomore Guerby Lambert will have an opportunity to impress this spring and potentially force his way onto the field in the fall. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER 2025 S P R I N G F O O T B A L L O V E R V I E W