Tag: Nd Football

Notre Dame Football – As Season Ends, Questions Begin

Time for the Irish to get back to work…

It feels like just yesterday we were grinding through the dog days of summer begging for college football to start back up again. Just as fast as it all started, it’s now over, and Notre Dame has finished their regular season at 9-3 with more ups and downs than the newest roller coaster at your local Six Flags.

With the season complete, Irish fans are now asking what comes next. This applies to both bowl season this year and into next year as well. There are a lot of moving parts and I suspect more to come. This year featured lots of things to really appreciate and enjoy, it’s just unfortunate that in the big picture, the deficiencies that led to the 3 losses on the ledger weigh down the positivity, justifiably so.

Let’s examine the three big questions Irish fans have now that the regular season has concluded.

Notre Dame football loses yet another player to the transfer portal

Another blow to the Irish wide receiver room

In the wake of the firing of Notre Dame wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey, the Irish will lose one of their best players from the 2022 class.

[autotag]Tobias Merriweather[/autotag] went to social media to announce his decision, the Washington native could look to transfer closer to home. He was ranked as the No. 14 wide receiver and 80th overall recruit of his class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Over his two seasons in South Bend, Merriweather caught 15 receptions for 325 yards and three touchdowns. His role was going to expand with Chris Tyree also entering the portal, but instead the Irish receiver room takes another blow.

We wish Tobias the best at finding his new football home.

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Report: Notre Dame football expected to pursue Duke transfer quarterback Riley Leonard

Do you like this potential addition Irish fans?

Shortly after news broke that Duke’s star quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] entered the transfer portal, there are already rumors that Notre Dame will be pursuing him.

Pete Thamel of ESPN has sources that told him the Irish will be targeting Leonard. This wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for Notre Dame, as they have recently relied on the portal for a starting quarterback.

Three of the last four started at other schools, and Leonard could make it four. He hurt his ankle towards the end of the game where the Irish won on the road, but he is highly regarded and many believe could be a high pick in the NFL draft when he declares.

It would be a home run transfer for head coach Marcus Freeman, arguably bigger than getting Sam Hartman this past cycle. Leonard battled injures and only threw three touchdowns this season, but last year it was 20 along with almost 3,000 passing yards.

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Notre Dame football has relieved Chansi Stuckey of his role

The Irish will have a new coach leading the receiver group

In a surprising move, Notre Dame football will move on from wide receivers coach [autotag]Chansi Stuckey[/autotag], as reported by John Brice.

He was in his second year coaching the group, but now head coach Marcus Freeman will need to find a replacement. The move makes sense, the wide receivers had issues all season finding separation, but that could have been for a variety of reasons.

No names have emerged as of yet as a replacement, but you have to expect that Freeman will find someone who has plenty of experience to help guide the underperforming unit. Chris Tyree announced yesterday that he is entering the portal, so the leading Irish receiver is already gone.

 

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5 Stars: The best and the worst of Notre Dame’s win over Stanford

Once again, a lot of good for the Irish

The Irish really didn’t need to do much to defeat Stanford, as long as they played an average game, it should be a Notre Dame win. That’s exactly what happened, although you could argue that it wasn’t an average game for the Irish but a very good regular season win. There once again wasn’t too much to complain about, but here are the best, 5 stars, and worst, 1 star, performances for the Irish against the Cardinal.

Notre Dame defensive end has entered the transfer portal

Thank you Nana!

It’s that time of year again, when players will seek greener pastures via the transfer portal and Notre Dame football has already taken a hit.

On Monday afternoon, senior edge rusher [autotag]Nana Osafo-Mensah[/autotag] went to social media and announced he will be playing his final season somewhere other than in South Bend. The backup played well this year, registering 20 tackles along with three sacks, all career highs.

Osafo-Mensah could never quite crack the starting lineup, but has been a solid depth player over the last three seasons. The Texas native could be looking to play his final games closer to home, but that is unknown at the moment.

The defender leaves Notre Dame with two degrees, so even after his football career is over, Osafo-Mensah will be set up for success. We wish Nana the best going forward.

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Notre Dame Football: Irish Down the Tree to Finish 9-3

What do we make of Notre Dame’s dominating end to the 2023 regular season?

After overcoming a bit of a slow start on the road, which was a worrisome trend all year, Notre Dame ended up doing just as they should and downed Stanford 56-23 in sleepy Palo Alto. The presentation of the game felt odd as it was occurring during the Pac 12 Network’s 3-hour funeral eulogy.

With the feeling of finality in the air and literally on it as well, Notre Dame fans were in their thoughts late last night as evidenced by the calls I took on the post-game show. Things quickly turned from Stanford to the big picture with Irish fans pondering where exactly the team finished, how they arrived there, and what comes next. All fair thoughts given a frustrating up-and-down year.

Let’s take a look at three major takeaways from the last game Notre Dame will likely ever play against a Pac 12 opponent.

Lots To Be Thankful For In Irish Nation

It doesn’t always feel like it but there is a lot for Notre Dame fans to be thankful for this year

I always like to think of Thanksgiving as a time for reflection. One for taking some time to ponder the blessings each of us have in our lives even amid our unique struggles in an increasingly seemingly busier world than ever before. This concept also applies to football fandom as well, a big part of many of our lives.

Certainly, this year didn’t turn out as well as Notre Dame fans had hoped it would, but I’ve still found plenty to be thankful for from my unique position as an Irish voice in print and video this season. Here are 3 specific items of note that jump out to me.

Watch: Notre Dame players how it started, how it’s going Senior edition

They’v changed a lot since arriving in South Bend

The last game regular season game for many Notre Dame football players is just around the corner, as the Irish are set to face Stanford Saturday evening.

It will be the second to last time many players will wear the Blue and Gold, and the Irish social media account has us covered seeing how it started and how it’s going for many of the Irish seniors.

The journey surely went quickly, as it typically does when you are in school. Before you know it, it’s over, which is bittersweet for many. Some will play at the next level, others won’t but the memories will last forever. Just like this video. Check it out below.

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A potential quarterback transfer for Notre Dame football is expect to enter the market

Should the Irish pursue this SEC quarterback?

Notre Dame football head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] has let it be known that he will be looking for quarterback help via the transfer portal.

At this point not many names have popped up, but one did on Friday afternoon. Mississippi State starting quarterback [autotag]Will Rogers[/autotag] entered the portal, and fits the mold that the Irish are looking for.

Every transfer quarterback Notre Dame has taken has been a graduate transfer, Rogers fits that mold. He’s also put up some extremely impressive stats, throwing for 12,315 yards and 94 touchdowns during his 4 seasons at Mississippi State. Naturally, the Irish and Rogers seem to be a good match, but it remains to be seen if Freeman will pursue.

It’s extremely early into the portal season, but Rogers should be on the Irish’s list of players to pursue.

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.

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