Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM PRESEASON 2025 25 tions: 1) If you subtracted this individual from the roster, how much of a setback would it be? And 2) If this less-proven player emerges and makes an impact, how much does that raise the ceiling (or lower it, if a breakout does not happen as expected)? Due to the injuries suffered by ju- nior offensive lineman Charles Jagusah (fractured left humerus) and graduate student defensive end Jordan Botelho (pectoral surgery) this summer, we opted to omit them from our poll. Under normal circumstances, that duo would likely rank high in our poll — but the serious nature of their injuries clouds their potential impact this season. With that in mind, here are BGI's top 25 most important Notre Dame players of 2025. 2. QB CJ CARR Putting together a preseason top 25 requires some projection. As of the start of fall camp, all seven BGI voters proj- ect Carr to win the QB1 job over Kenny Minchey. The national consensus feels the same, with many discussing the quarterback situation like Notre Dame has already named Carr the starter. Carr has never thrown a college pass. But since signing with the Irish as a top- 50 overall player by three of the four ma- jor recruiting services, he has done noth- ing to disprove the notion that he can take Notre Dame where it needs to go. His pocket presence, anticipation and feel for the downfield passing game are all rare traits that simply cannot be taught. 3. CB LEONARD MOORE Moore is the new Benjamin Morrison, who was a staple in the top five of this hierarchy for two straight seasons before being drafted in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The 2027 NFL Draft is calling Moore's name. He probably won't need to stick around for his senior season to accumulate enough draft stock for a top-round selection of his own. Moore, a Freshman All-American in 2024, was named Pro Football Focus' No. 1 corner in the country. His PFF man-coverage grade of 82.5 was the third-best mark among collegiate cor- ners. He's an undeniably important piece of an incredibly stout Irish defense. 4. LB DRAYK BOWEN Bowen's significance on the field and in the locker room cannot be overstated. He is the best bet on the Irish to be named captain this season. Notre Dame has tra- ditionally thrived with a cerebral epicen- ter in the middle of its defense; it was JD Bertrand two years ago and Jack Kiser last season, and it will be Bowen in 2025. Bowen is more physically imposing Junior Jeremiyah Love is widely considered to be the best run- ning back in the country. He scored a touchdown in 14 of 16 games last season and led the Irish with 1,362 yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER 1. RB Jeremiyah Love Love is widely viewed as the best player at his position in the country. The only other player on Notre Dame's roster who is in that same conver- sation at another position is Leonard Moore at cornerback. Maybe Moore takes the top spot in this exercise in 2026, but 2025 is Love's time. He scored a touchdown in 14 of 16 games last season. He led the team with 1,362 yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns. Hurdles aren't a quantified NCAA statistic, but you probably need two hands to count how many times Love cleared an opposing player. Bottom line? He's just that good, in every way.