Tag: ND Football Recruiting

Notre Dame football trending to add 4-star 2025 California quarterback

The Irish are looking to add another solid quarterback prospects

If there is one specific aspect of [autotag]Notre Dame football[/autotag]’s recruiting that has seen a major uptick since [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] took over, it’s at quarterback.

The second-year head coach tried to work with what was on campus in 2022, but it clearly didn’t work. Freeman went to the portal to add [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag] while the ‘23 recruiting class added four-star [autotag]Kenny Minchey[/autotag]. He followed with another four-star, [autotag]CJ Carr[/autotag], in the 2024 class. Now the focus has turned to the next class.

California’s [autotag]Bear Bachmeier[/autotag] is the staff’s top target, and it looks like his recruitment is going according to plan. Recently, Mike Singer of On3 logged a prediction for the Irish to land the 6-foot, 2-inch, 225-pound quarterback.

Bachmeier is ranked ninth among quarterbacks and 146th overall in the 2025 class on the 247Sports composite.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

Report: Notre Dame football to host linebacker with a familiar name

Most Irish fans remember this name

Back in 2020, [autotag]Notre Dame football[/autotag] had one of the most imposing linebackers in the country, [autotag]Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah[/autotag].

He won the Butkus Award that season, before getting drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Owusu-Koramoah isn’t the only big time athlete in his family, however. 2025 linebacker [autotag]Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng[/autotag], his younger brother, is also very good prospect.

The 6-foot, 2-inch and 205-pound linebacker is ranked fourth at his position and 32nd overall on the 247Sports composite.

Owusu-Boateng’s interest in Notre Dame is high as well. In a report by 247Sports Steve Wiltfong (subcription required), the IMG Academy linebacker said he wants to visit South Bend at some point this fall.

Owusu-Boateng told Wiltfong that his brother’s experience is South Bend helps him know the program and head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] “is a great coach.”

This is a good place to be in for his recruitment, but there is still a long way to go.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame vs NC State: Irish Understood The Mission

Mission Accomplished for Game 3.

What an adventurous day in Raleigh, North Carolina, right folks?

Fortunately for Irish fans, after the flashbacks to USF and other previous encounters at this particular venue subsided, Notre Dame downed the Wolfpack 45-24. This game was the biggest hurdle on the schedule between Notre Dame hosting Ohio State undefeated or doing so with a deflating loss on the ledger.

It was an absolute must-have. The Irish got it.

Did Notre Dame look perfect? No. Are the Irish a finished product? No. Are there position groups that must step up? Certainly. But the main goal was accomplished. The reality is Notre Dame won, 45-24, in a kind of game with a history of being lost.

Notre Dame understood this game would be a tough physical battle against NC State and Mother Nature and they fought through it. Let’s examine a few key items that impressed me in this game.

Notre Dame vs NC State: Confidences & Concerns

What are you keeping an eye on besides the obvious this Saturday?

After what proved to be an exceedingly wild weekend of college football when all was said and done, the page turns and Notre Dame prepares for its first real physical test of the season in their trip to NC State. This game has been labeled a “trap” so often I don’t think it can be considered one anymore.

Irish fans were thrilled to have relaxing second halves in the first couple of games, but they are also looking forward to seeing what the Irish look like for the first time against a more physically capable opponent. NC State did not overly impress in their opener against Uconn, but they emerged victorious and will surely be fully prepared emotionally to greet Notre Dame.

Let’s take a look at this week’s confidences & concerns.

Notre Dame Moves To 2-0: Right On Track

Things are about to heat up for Notre Dame…

Two weeks. Two blowout wins. What’s not to like? Sure, Irish fans will find areas the team needs to further develop before the Buckeyes’ impending visit. But overall, Notre Dame fans have to love what they’ve seen so far out of the team. This week wasn’t quite as clean as last week’s performance, but the Irish still took over the game and dominated Tennessee St. 56-3.

The defense has yet to allow a touchdown. [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag] is, dare I say, perhaps even better than advertised. This team is getting deeper, more athletic, and faster than it was ever physically capable of being under Brian Kelly. It’s not a finished product, but Notre Dame is building itself differently. In a more modern way. Freeman’s vision is starting to come to fruition.

Next week comes the first big test. NC State will provide the Irish with a much more physically capable foe than the initial two opponents could. Let’s examine three things I know about the Irish entering this crucial week.

Notre Dame vs Tennessee St.: Confidences & Concerns

The Irish should be 2-0 after Saturday but that doesn’t mean the game doesn’t have interesting points…

Notre Dame will be playing their first game in America this year as they face off against Eddie George-led Tennessee State in Notre Dame Stadium this Saturday. This game is unlike any other Notre Dame has ever played in the fact that Tennessee State is not an FBS school and the Irish up until now had never played anyone who fit this description.

This game, both because of what happened last week against Navy and the drop down in athlete level being played against this week, is intriguing. Can the Irish continue to improve over their great Navy performance or will the Irish sleepwalk at home vs a lesser opponent like they did multiple times last year? Let’s explore some confidences & concerns Irish fans may have entering this ball game.

Notre Dame-Navy Reaction: This Irish Team Is Built Different

This one was different than so many openers of late…

Welcome to Notre Dame Football 2023 folks. It’s off to a great start. Even I, who has a reputation for being hard on Notre Dame at times, can’t find too much to complain about after the Irish routed Navy 42-3 in front of a Notre Dame-heavy Dublin crowd. Irish fans couldn’t really ask for a much better start. And as a bonus, they remained healthy in the game as well. Very successful overseas trip indeed.

Everyone realizes that Navy is rebuilding this year and is always at a talent deficiency vs. Notre Dame.  But the Irish deserve credit for doing exactly what they should do. Win. And win big. But for today, I was paying close attention to how the Irish won. This team is built differently in all the right ways and it shows. Let’s examine how so.

Watch: Notre Dame quarterback commit CJ Carr shines in season debut

Carr had a great season opener

For [autotag]Notre Dame football[/autotag] to take the next step into the elite of the college football world, they’ll need consistently good quarterback play.

Sam Hartman will provide that this year, but it has been many years since the Irish have had a true different maker at the position. After the transfer leaves, the question for Notre Dame will be who replaces him. 2024 commit [autotag]CJ Carr[/autotag] will have an opportunity to be in the mix right away.

Why? Well, he’s one of the nation’s top players, ranking as the No. 5 quarterback and 36th overall player on the 247Sports composite. Carr has the film to back it up and didn’t disappoint in his final high school season opener.

The 6-foot, 3-inch, 195-pound signal caller led his Saline, Michigan, team to a 42-3 victory. Check out some of Carr’s highlights from the rout below.

Notre Dame recruiting: Monster offensive tackle says he ‘liking the feel in South Bend’

OL U has their eyes on another top prospect

[autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag] is really starting to make waves with one of the biggest offensive tackles in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

[autotag]Owen Strebig[/autotag], a Wisconsin native, stands 6-foot, 8-inches and weighs 295 pounds. He’s clearly a massive offensive tackle and for a second time in the past two months, he’s back in South Bend.

The first visit happened in mid-April and the return visit for Strebig is starting the leave an impression on the 13th ranked offensive tackle and 129th overall player according to the 247Sports composite.

Assuming that Strebig just arrived on campus for a weekend visit, it’s safe to say things are going extremely well. He went on and tweeted this out.

The Irish offered Strebig in March and the relationship between him and the Notre Dame coaching staff looks to be very strong. Although it’s early in his recruitment, making an early positive impression could pay dividends for Notre Dame down the line.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Notre Dame vs. Navy: Keys for an Irish season-opening victory

What unit impresses us the most Saturday?

As Notre Dame makes its final preparations before facing Navy in Dublin on Saturday, Irish fans are likely having mixed feelings entering the game.

Certainly, Notre Dame has the physical advantage, but the quirks of the way Navy plays the game have caused Notre Dame fans more hair loss than old age in recent history — as recent as the second half of last year’s game to be exact.

This football game is and has always been more about what Notre Dame does or doesn’t do correctly rather than it is about Navy. This game is going to indicate to fans what level the Irish are starting at. Is this game a cakewalk with a month to prepare or a dogfight like last year? Let’s examine the keys to an Irish win.