Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534445
4 MAY 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED T here was a fascinating stat and note in the previous edi- tion of Blue & Gold Illustrated ("Up For Grabs") that should make Fighting Irish fans feel very good about the state and direction of their favorite football program. Notre Dame won 14 games last season, and it made a run to the national championship game, de- spite playing true freshmen more than just about any other team in the country. Led by offensive tackle An- thonie Knapp with 843 snaps on offense, and cornerback Leonard Moore with 736 on defense, Irish rookies totaled 2,843 total snaps during the 2024-25 season, which trailed only Clemson (3,494), Oklahoma (2,913) and Auburn (2,891) for the most freshman par- ticipation in the country. "We've got a lot of confidence," Irish head coach Marcus Freeman said last season in celebration of his youth movement. "This is a young team now, with some injuries. But we're confi- dent in the guys that we put on the field." To Freeman's point, Knapp and Moore both earned Freshman All-America honors, and Moore was later named the Football Writers Association of America's Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. Moore is back this season as a sopho- more, and as the top returning cornerback in the country per Pro Football Focus. A commitment and fearlessness to play first-year players took hold almost immediately when Freeman became the Irish head coach in 2022 and rewarded true freshman cornerback Benjamin Mor- rison with an opening-day starting spot. Morrison seized the opportunity and re- corded 33 tackles and 6 interceptions to earn Freshman All-America honors. The youth movement spilled into the 2023 season when six true freshman played in at least 12 games. Then, some- times by design and sometimes out of necessity, a robust group of true fresh- men helped carry Notre Dame through the magical 2024 season, including Knapp, Moore, defensive lineman Bryce Young, linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu- Asa, tailback Aneyas Williams and many others. And finally, judging by what Notre Dame recently showcased in the Blue- Gold Game April 12, and throughout this spring season, rookie readiness is as strong as it's ever been. Where to begin? Rising sophomore CJ Carr led all Irish quarterbacks in the spring game — and arguably outplayed the others — with 170 passing yards and 2 touchdowns while battling for opening-day starting duties. Rookie wide receiver Elijah Burress put himself in the rotation conversa- tion this spring and caught a touchdown pass from Carr in the Blue-Gold Game. "He is going to be a great receiver coming up," graduate student nickel back DeVonta Smith said. "Hopefully he gets some playing time this year. He's having a really good spring." And on defense, linebacker Madden Faraimo, cornerback Cree Thomas and safety JaDon Blair all played well and looked game-ready throughout the spring. This willingness and a pattern by the Irish coaches to plug and play first-year players is even creating an unintentional recruiting entice- ment that former Notre Dame foot- ball general manager Chad Bowden recognized, and used to his advan- tage when building his classes. The Irish coaches don't guar- antee immediate playing time or make other false promises to lure recruits. Instead, they show pro- spective players what's possible because the Irish staff puts talent and readiness ahead of grade level. "I think for recruits to be able to see that there is a path for you to play, because we're going to play the best player," Bowden said. "Coach Freeman's philosophy is, 'We're going to play the best player. It doesn't matter how old you are.'" Be it through recruiting, coach- ing, player development, team culture, or all of the above, Free- man's trust in the talent of his younger players — along with the de- velopment skills of his coaches and a consistent message of staying engaged — have become a healthy foundation to Notre Dame's recent success. "It's a long season," Freeman said, "and one guarantee in life is that the future is uncertain." Blame it on recruiting misses, delayed development or just a lack of player confidence, Notre Dame lacked roster depth, and its player rotations were of- ten squeezed tightly under former head coach Brian Kelly. That hasn't been the case under Freeman and Co., and the message to his underclassmen and re- serves remains unchanged. "Keep preparing," Freeman said. "Take care of the opportunity out in front of yourself, and then you'll get the opportunity to do it in front of thou- sands and millions of people." And at least through this spring sea- son, it appeared the Irish freshmen heard and embraced the message. ✦ Rookie wide receiver Elijah Burress, who caught a touchdown pass in the Blue-Gold Game, is among several true freshmen who look poised to contribute in 2025. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER Todd D. Burlage has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 2005. He can be reached at tburlage@blueandgold.com. UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE Fearless Freshmen Are Lifting Irish To New Heights