Tag: Marcus Freeman

Marcus Freeman behind latest Notre Dame 2022 defensive offer

Notre Dame’s new defensive coordinator is already out on the recruiting trail making waves with the Irish’s latest offer to Jaylen Sneed.

After Notre Dame secured their first commit of new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman’s watch in defensive end Tyson Ford, there is still more work to be done. Freeman was tagged on Twitter with their latest defensive offer, going out to South Carolina’s outside linebacker Jaylen Sneed.

Sneed is one of the best OLB’s in the country, ranked by the 247Sports composite as the 78th overall prospect and 5th at his position. He already possess a college-ready body at six-foot-two-inches and 215-pounds and is an absolute terror for opposing offenses.

The linebacker shows great versatility, during Sneed’s past high school season, he mainly lined up as a defensive end, showing he can rush the passer. Obviously, he is undersized at the position but shows traits of an elite outside linebacker at the next level.

The current offer list for Sneed is basically a who’s-who of college football elite, as he has an Alabama, Oklahoma, and USC offer’s among many others. It won’t be an easy task getting a commitment from Sneed, but the Irish have made him a priority, especially with Freeman heading his recruitment.

Scouts view: Newest Notre Dame commitment ‘22 DE Tyson Ford

A look at what to expect from the Newest Notre Dame commitment, defensive end Tyson Ford in the 2022 recruiting class.

The first commit of the Marcus Freeman era is a big one, in Missouri’s Tyson Ford. The elite defensive end stands six-foot-five-inches and weighs 245-pounds, but you wouldn’t know it by the way he plays.

Ranked as a top 10 player at his position, Ford is an absolutely huge recruiting win, as Brian Kelly and the Irish made a huge late push to overcome an his presumed commitment to Oklahoma.

Here is a scouts view of what to expect from Tyson Ford when he arrives to South Bend:

First thing that pops off on Ford’s film is his elite first step, many times getting past offensive tackles before they have an opportunity to get their hands on him. When they do, Ford shows a variety of high-level moves to get to the quarterback which include a swim, speed and bullrush. He uses great hand movements to fend off defenders, something Ford shows an impressive display doing. Strength isn’t an issue, but once strength coach Matt Balis gets his hands on him, Ford’s abilities in this category will greatly improve. He never gives up on plays, often chasing down ball-carriers from the backside.

Ford is the type of player that could make an immediate impact due to his pass-rushing abilities. I’m a big fan of his game and excited to see what he can do during his Notre Dame career.

Polian heads out to Utah for newest Notre Dame offer to stud athlete

Recruiting never sleeps and Notre Dame recruiting coordinator has found a big time athlete in Utah and offered him yesterday.

The second offer out to a defender since Marcus Freeman took over as defensive coordinator went out to Utah’s Lander Barton, a very impressive athlete who most likely will end up as an outside linebacker.

 

Although recruiting coordinator Brian Polian is leading his recruitment, Barton surely fits the mold that Freeman is looking for in his defense.

After reviewing the six-foot-four-inch and 220-pound linebackers film, there isn’t much to complain about. Barton flies around the field, showing his sideline-to-sideline speed, which will undoubtedly translate over to the collegiate level. The speed is shown off again when Barton blitzes off the edge, punishing offensive players and showing active hands when he arrives to ball-carriers. He’s no slouch at picking passes off either, with very good coverage skills. This shows that Barton will most likely be a three-down linebacker when he hits the field in college.

Notre Dame has identified a great prospect as Barton already holds offers from Oregon, Stanford, Washington and others. This is a great offer and I personally hope to see Barton ultimately end up donning the Blue and Gold.

Notre Dame gets big news as defender will return for 2021 season

The Notre Dame defense gets some very good news as defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa announces his return for 2021.

With the 2020 season came the NCAA proclamation that this was a free year for all fall athletes, plenty of seniors and early-entry juniors had decisions to make. Well, Notre Dame got some really good news last night as Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa has announced he will return to South Bend for the 2021 season.

The Hawaiian native register career highs in multiple categories this past season, including sacks, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries. Tagovailoa-Amosa could have moved on to the NFL, but his returns gives the Irish much needed experience along the defensive line.

You have to wonder how much new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman’s hiring impacted Tagovailoa-Amosa’s decision. Either way we are excited for his last go around wearing the Blue and Gold.

Notre Dame offers 2022 star New Jersey defensive back

The first offer of the Marcus Freeman era goes out to a New Jersey defensive back.

We are all waiting to see how the Marcus Freeman effect will impact Notre Dame recruiting and the first offer to a defender has been made to New Jersey’s cornerback Davison Igbinosun.

It seems like cornerback coach Mike Mickens is leading the six-foot-three-inch and 185-pound defenders recruitment. I am a big fan of this offer, bigger corners are exactly what modern defenses are looking for.

Although Igbinosun’s offer list isn’t overly impressive (Duke, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Rutgers and a few others), he fits the profile that the Irish are looking for. A great student-athlete who has a bright future on the playing field.

Igbinosun’s recruitment is just starting to heat up, but with the Irish getting his attention now, it could potentially yield good news down the road.

ESPN bearish on Notre Dame’s way-too-early 2021 ranking

The sports media giant projects what the top 25 will look like entering the 2021 season, and it is not that high on Notre Dame’s ranking.

While we haven’t even had much time to process the finalization of the 2020 college football season, ESPN is already looking ahead to the 2021 campaign. Although ESPN has Notre Dame ranked inside its top 25, unlike many other outlets, it is not giving Brian Kelly’s squad much love at all, ranking the Irish 15th.

As Mark Schlabach ranked the top teams heading into next year, the Irish are behind 2021 foes North Carolina (Oct. 30 in South Bend), USC (Oct. 23 in South Bend) and Cincinnati (Oct. 2 in South Bend). Another opponent on next year’s schedule, Wisconsin (Sept. 25 in Chicago), checks in two spots below the Irish.

Schlabach’s rationale behind Notre Dame’s ranking revolves around a quarterback battle after quarterback Ian Book will move on. “Notre Dame has good pieces on offense to build around, including tailbacks Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree and wide receivers Braden Lenzy and Jordan Johnson.”

ESPN notes four of the five starting offensive lineman will be gone; center Jarrett Patterson appears to be the lone holdover. Giving almost no love to the defense, Schlabach says new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman “will have to rebuild the defensive line and find more depth in the secondary.”

To me, this ranking is a bit low. Yes, the Irish lose plenty of talent, including Book and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, but the talent is certain there waiting in the wings. Having a more regular spring schedule, along with a spring game, will surely help the younger players get more comfortable, especially on defense.

Notre Dame at worst, is still a top-10 team entering the 2021 season. Schlabach got this one wrong.

Is Notre Dame a top 10 team entering 2021?

One outlet already is looking ahead to next years college football season, and Notre Dame fans should be excited for the potential in 2021.

The season concludes this evening, as Ohio State and Alabama duke it out for a College Football Playoff championship. It is never to early to look ahead to what we should all expect this fall, in one where we hope to have a more regular football schedule and spring ball as well.

A total of six experts from 247Sports voted on their early top 25 for the 2021 season and Notre Dame fans should be pretty happy with where they were placed, in a tie for 8th.

The Irish will have to replace plenty of their stars from this past season including linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and quarterback Ian Book, but that still didn’t stop 247Sports’ experts from giving Notre Dame a very high ranking.

Although they didn’t get too much into what to expect out of the Irish next season, it seems like they were happy with what transpired in “the big news this week came on Friday night when Notre Dame landed a big fish to replace Clark Lea at defensive coordinator. Cincinnati’s Marcus Freeman takes over, choosing Notre Dame over LSU.”

Yeah, we all see it that way too, the hire of Freeman wasn’t just a home run, it was a grand slam. Lea left some big shoes to fill and Freeman should be able to fit into them nicely.

Looking ahead at the Irish’s schedule, it doesn’t seem overtly daunting, so giving them a ranking inside the top 10 makes plenty of sense. They will have some bumps in the road and player need to develop, but there is plenty of talent on the roster that is led by running back Kyren Williams and safety Kyle Hamilton. The 2021 season can’t get here soon enough.

New Notre Dame DC Marcus Freeman’s heartfelt goodbye to Cincinnati

Marcus Freeman is Notre Dame’s new defensive coordinator but the rising star in the coaching world took time to say goodbye to Cincy Sunday.

It’s safe to say Notre Dame fans are excited about the hiring of Marcus Freeman as their new defensive coordinator.  Freeman is an impressive young coordinator who turns just 35 today.

Freeman comes from Cincinnati where he helped turn the Bearcats into a team worthy of a top ten ranking at this season’s end, as they finished the year 10-1 and seconds from a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.

Realted: 10 facts about Notre Dame’s new defensive coordinator

On Sunday, Freeman shared a heartfelt goodbye to Cincinnati:

As we begin our new journey in South Bend, I would like to thank the many individuals who have impacted our lives over the past four years.

Coach Fickell – You’ve been my leader and my mentor since I was 17-years old. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your staff, and your family. You took a chance on a first-time defensive coordinator and I can’t thank you enough for your guidance, lessons, and leadership. You have helped me be a better husband, father, son, coach and friend. We will miss you and your family tremendously. You, Amy, Landon, Ashton, Aydon, Laykon and Lucian mean the world to us, and we will cherish the incredible memories we’ve created together.

Coaching Staff – We were a team based on hard work, mutual cooperation and friendship. Success starts at the top, and we were blessed with the greatest leader. You are the best teammates I could ever wish for, from the laughs in the locker room, to the late nights in the office. From the celebrations after our victories, to the many stories that can’t be repeated in this letter… THANK YOU! Thank you for the memories.

University of Cincinnati Administration – Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to work at one of the greatest universities in the world – and to be a part of ONE TEAM! Your continued support and trust on and off the field gave me the ability to serve our student-athletes with confidence and enthusiasm.

Bearcat Fans – Leaving you is extremely difficult. Your unwavering support and encouragement helped make the last four years an enormous success. Through wins and losses, you have remained dedicated and for that, I am grateful. It has been an honor to be a member of the Bearcat family. Thank you for having faith in us!

Current/Former Players – You are all my WHY, my motivation and my inspiration. Because of your sacrifice for the greater good of the TEAM, success has been achieved. I am proud of the young men you have become. Our relationships will last FOREVER!

Once a Bearcat, always a Bearcat!

With thanks and deepest appreciation to all,

The Freeman Family

Watch: Notre Dame Linebacker Commit Nolan Ziegler Makes Plays

Among the remaining participants in this Michigan high school football playoffs entering Saturday was Catholic Central.

Among the remaining participants in the Michigan high school football playoffs entering Saturday was Catholic Central. That team has Notre Dame linebacker commit Nolan Ziegler. During Saturday’s game against Davison, Ziegler showed why he’s heading to the next level:

Ziegler, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, committed to the Irish in August. He was recruited by Clark Lea and Jeff Quinn while also fielding offers from such schools as Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Virginia Tech and Boston College. He has another year of high school, and new Irish defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman will have had a year under his belt by the time Ziegler arrives in South Bend, so there will be some stability with the defensive scheme at that point. In the meantime, he can continue to develop into a more complete player.

Reasons to be excited about the hiring of defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman

A few reasons why Notre Dame fans should be excited about their new defensive coordinator, Marcus Freeman.

Brian Kelly has nailed his replacement for Clark Lea in Cincinnati’s Marcus Freeman. He is getting yet another up-and-coming star in the coach profession and Notre Dame fans should be extremely excited about the former Ohio State star. There are many reasons to be ecstatic about this hire and here are a few of them.