Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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38 SEPT. 27, 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: ARKANSAS set the school record for losses in a season (nine). Even Notre Dame's average per carry (3.42) in its first two games is alarming, given the deep stable of running backs led by first-team preseason All- American junior Jeremiyah Love. The thinking, though, is that as redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr's maturing process makes the passing game more dynamic, the running game will benefit from that. And if the offensive line continues distancing itself from a season-opening flop at Mi- ami, that will make Love and redshirt junior Jadarian Price look more like so many expected them to look coming into the season — their stats too. Love came into the Purdue game averaging 3.8 yards per carry after averaging 6.9 last season, the ninth-best average in Notre Dame history and one spot ahead of the legendary George Gipp. Price had been more effective early (6.3 per carry) but with fewer chances. Defensively, Arkansas, at 52nd in rush defense, has taken a step back from last season, though the Razorbacks figure to be better against the run this season than Texas A&M ends up being, And it's not like the Irish shredded the Aggies on the ground. Still, the feeling is Notre Dame's offensive bal- ance and O-line progress will show up in the first- ever football meeting between these two schools and skews the numbers in favor of the Irish. Advantage: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. ARKANSAS PASS DEFENSE The red flashing danger light regarding Arkansas' pass defense came Sept. 13 in a 41-35 loss in which Ole Miss' backup quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss, lit up the Razorbacks in an emergency start. Chambliss is a transfer from Division II power Ferris State. Given the two opponents that preceded the Rebels on the Arkansas schedule — FCS school Alabama A&M and pass-poor Arkansas State — the Razorbacks' national standing in pass efficiency defense through three games felt worse than its less-than-impressive ranking of 70th. Now, teams may surge or sag from their early statistical patterns, but it's a strange statistical anomaly that none of the remaining schools Carr will face over the balance of the regular-season schedule are ranked higher than 50th in pass ef- ficiency defense. OFFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. WR 0 Malachi Fields 6-4 222 R-Sr. 14 Micah Gilbert 6-2 204 R-Fr. WR 1 Jaden Greathouse 6-1 215 Jr. or 2 Will Pauling 5-10 190 R-Sr. LT 54 Anthonie Knapp 6-4 300 So. 71 Styles Prescod 6-6 292 R-Fr. LG 74 Billy Schrauth 6-4 310 R-Jr. 55 Chris Terek 6-6 322 R-So. C 70 Ashton Craig 6-5 310 R-Jr. 64 Joe Otting 6-4 308 R-So. RG 76 Guerby Lambert 6-7 335 R-Fr. or 75 Sullivan Absher 6-8 327 R-So. RT 59 Aamil Wagner 6-6 300 R-Jr. 76 Guerby Lambert 6-7 335 R-Fr. TE 9 Eli Raridon 6-7 252 Sr. 7 Ty Washington 6-4 248 R-Jr. or 85 Jack Larsen 6-3 250 R-Fr. WR 6 Jordan Faison 5-10 185 Jr. 11 KK Smith 6-0 176 R-So. QB 13 CJ Carr 6-3 210 R-Fr. 8 Kenny Minchey 6-2 208 R-So. RB 4 Jeremiyah Love 6-0 214 Jr. 24 Jadarian Price 5-11 210 R-Jr. DEFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. DE 5 Boubacar Traore 6-4 250 R-So. 44 Junior Tuihalamaka 6-2 255 Sr. or 12 Jordan Botelho 6-3 260 R-Sr. DT 47 Jason Onye 6-5 302 R-Sr. 97 Gabriel Rubio 6-5 321 R-Sr. DT 41 Donovan Hinish 6-2 277 Sr. 93 Jared Dawson 6-1 288 Gr. DE 95 Bryce Young 6-7 271 So. 40 Joshua Burnham 6-4 260 R-Jr. WILL 3 Jaylen Sneed 6-2 230 R-Jr. 4 Jaiden Ausberry 6-2 228 R-So. MIKE 34 Drayk Bowen 6-2 235 Jr. 27 Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa 6-3 230 So. CB 15 Leonard Moore 6-2 195 So. 14 Dallas Golden 6-0 187 Fr. BS 8 Adon Shuler 6-0 205 R-So. 28 Luke Talich 6-4 210 Jr. FS 7 Jalen Stroman 6-1 201 R-Sr. 9 Tae Johnson 6-2 192 R-Fr. CB 6 Christian Gray 6-0 190 Jr. 24 Mark Zackery IV 5-11 175 Fr. NIC 0 DeVonta Smith 5-11 195 R-Sr. 21 Karson Hobbs 6-1 189 So. SPECIAL TEAMS Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. KO 48 Marcello Diomede 6-1 195 Jr. PK 98 Noah Burnette 5-10 185 Gr. P 16 James Rendell 6-6 225 Gr. 18 Erik Schmidt 6-2 210 Fr. LS 96 Joseph Vinci 6-4 232 So. 49 Andrew Kros 6-4 225 Jr. H 10 Tyler Buchner 6-1 206 Sr. 16 Anthony Rezac 6-3 201 So. PR 6 Jordan Faison 5-10 185 Jr. or 2 Will Pauling 5-10 190 R-Sr. KR 4 Jeremiyah Love 6-0 214 Jr. or 24 Jadarian Price 5-11 210 R-Jr. NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART Redshirt senior wide receiver O'Mega Blake logged a touchdown reception in each of the Razorbacks' first three contests this season and led the team with 18 catches for 266 yards. PHOTO COURTESY ARKANSAS ATHLETICS