Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2024 Preview | Full Depth Chart and Schedule Breakdowns

Intro/2023 Season Review what is up everybody welcome back here to De we are in the top five we're talking top 25 countdown here and we are going out to Notre D we're going to talk about the Fighting Irish what they have coming this year in the recruits we're going to talk impact players we're talking transfers their schedule what we like there and some injuries we have some recent injuries that happen that are going to play a big role in that team but before we get into that let's talk about last year's team 2023 recap Marcus Freeman's got his team kind of rolling uh you know when you're looking at it overall they were 10 and3 last year finished top 15 in the AP po at 14th uh up and down year they were okay points per gain 39.2 uh when you're looking at that and they were pretty good defensive Squad as well they only allowed seven uh 15.9 points per game they were seventh in the nation last year so you like that but schedule weird you know they started off there really can't that Ohio State game man 10 guys on the field they they should have beat Ohio State and that would have probably changed the way they kind of their season went losing to Louisville was definitely not one of those games but I feel like if they beat Ohio state that would have been probably a different game there and then losing to Clemson like I think right there I mean they had a shot to get in the playoff in my opinion you know if they beat that Ohio State game I think that changes the directory but they didn't uh that was a big part of that there they had Sam Hartman at quarterback 2600 yards 24 touchdowns eight interceptions Audrey gé obviously was one of their work courses 13300 yards and 18 touchdowns we'll talk about the losses there but under performing year I think I think you know when you're looking at it I think they expect a little bit more but with the roster that they had it's not a bad showing but I definitely think they could have contended for that playoff spot which I Notre Dame if you're not in a conference you gotta contend for the playoffs that's your conference Championship is making it there now when you look at this year what we have coming back here for Notre Dame um and you're looking at just from an offensive 2024 Offense perspective right just seeing how they did last year uh points per you know yards per game they were 29th last year so pretty good there but really leaned on the rushing attack we'll talk about kind of what that rushing that running back room looks like this time when you see that yards per rush they average over five partly due to their offensive line I mean you're running behind Joe Al not a bad person to run behind uh on that offensive line there from a passing perspective they were okay but middle of the pack and they didn't really pass that much passing play percentage about 99th those type of things there on that side so what do we take away from this 2024 team on the on the offensive side here Christian I I think think the big thing is their offensive line it does return three critical pieces on the interior and I think that that's going to play a big role in in how this offensive line can move the ball uh but the tackles are brand new Amil Wagner didn't play many snaps last year Tosh Baker now is being forced to start and he was really really rough when he was out there last year and so you kind of have a bigger problem obviously you were always going to be worse losing Joe Al and Blake fiser as your two tackles but this is a significant step down and I think when you talk about their new quarterback Riley Leonard I think that he has the ability to you know make plays and and get outside the pocket and and work outside of structure but also I think that he succeeds with a strong offensive line in front of him because he can hold the ball and take sacks and and be a little bit careless with the ball as well so uh it's kind of an interesting dichotomy here where I think Riley Leonard's going to have to take a massive step forward to to make up for what think will be an up and down offensive line I think they're going to have good performances uh they they do have good pass catchers Jaden great house was one of those bright spots last year it's been a while since we've seen a Notre Dame you know freshman wide receiver that that made a name quite like Jaden GRE house did um but you know his season went up and down as well so Mitchell Evans is coming back off at injuries one of the top tight ends of the nation Bo Collins is there now and I think that that's going to be a critical piece but this running back room is certainly going to look a little bit different Jeremiah Love and audre C are very very different players um I have always been a fan of Jeremiah love I think that he can lead this backfield but they're going to go heavy committee they did last year I think love is going to get you know the the starters reps but jarian price kedron young uh I think they're going to get a lot of work as well um I like kedin young we'll talk about him when we get to the recruits but overall this team should be you know I I want to say that they're a net like push on offense if only because I do believe in the system I do think that they upgraded the pass catchers but it all comes down to Riley Leonard because Sam Hartman was an experienced quarterback Leonard is too but he didn't quite have the success uh in his previous stop at Duke that that Hartman did so we'll see they have some work to do on this side I think from the tight end perspective Evans and ran and Flanigan those guys are very solid they you know Notre Dame tight ends we we know that they produce that out there but the big question mark is that offensive line and you know Charles dragos going down they they talked about Charles being he was raw too 67 330 for sophomore coming in and like they were like Hey we're a little worried about kind of like how how good he is and and the Reps didn't get in right Toren pectoral he's out for there and and Tosh Baker is a graduate senior so he's up there he's got experience but not game experience so I think it's interesting with Baker like what that looks like I'm worried about riy Leonard behind an offensive line I think that's the key that's really where it comes down to looking at these guys and the reason why we talking about the losses when you're looking at the notable loss Joe all and Blake fiser I mean those two guys Joe all looks like he's a perini all pro top Notable Losses in the next 10 years like that's just the type of guy he is out there for Harbaugh the with the Chargers Blake fiser estimate to though he was a solid piece he was a very solid running back he was very solid for them last year they leaned on him heavy there and that's the other thing they were able to with that offensive line you know that the question is there like will these running backs be able to do that and as you pointed out like they do have a lot of value there at the running back position um but what are they going to replace him with when that running back area there and then you're looking at it Chris Ty H you know Z Carell those type of guys like I wouldn't necess count him as huge notable losses because they did address that wide receiver Rim but that offensive line that's that's really the loss there yeah I don't have much to say here other than you know the two tackles in ese is is as massive you know we've had some longer lists when we've gone through these uh but I think just those three are just as impactful as you know 10 guys leaving so uh we'll see how they can uh overcome that yeah you brand uh Payne we didn't mention him he got he's injured for the year too because they were really kind of expecting stuff from that running back room so loss of estimate really leaves kind of like a hole there I I I I like jaran price I like Jeremiah 11 there but losing pain losing estim right pay for the season estim is gone those type of things matter for this for this thing that needs depth I think when you're looking at it from a recruiting standpoint you 2024 Offensive Recruits know they did pretty good on the recruiting side when you're kind of going through what they had overall 10th overall uh ninth composite transfer rank was 41 we'll get into that really I mean they really attacked the defensive side we'll get in that a guy I love a linebacker out there from St John bosow I absolutely love I wrote about him H but CJ Carr Traer with from Michigan possibly the Notre Dame H but I like Carr as a quarterback I think that he possessed a lot of things and that quarterback room is deep you know they have a lot of depth there cam Williams as well wide receiver 16th coming in from the class um out there 62888 uh Lambert again obite tackle they're going to do well there he's a top 10 guy um in the recruiting class 66280 very solid guy K young is a guy that you and me like I like K young I think a little bit more than others do out there the receiving is not so much there but from a running standpoint out there from Texas he he was he perform well and I think I have him higher in my rankings than some michah Gilbert Nas Williams another one fourstar kid 510 195 uh but did a very good job getting feeling apps and needs obviously on this side defensive side is where you really see that overall 10th ranking but a fair class here yeah I I know you like Carr I'm not a huge fan to be honest like I I just I think he was a little bit overrated in recruit recruiting services and and so maybe that's where I'm coming from that but um you know every chance to develop I I still like that that quarterback room in general I like Kenny minchy you know if Kenny mchy has to play this year for any reason I think that's okay um but like mentioned kedin young to me is the the Big G here especially when you're talking about now jabran Payne's out audre C's gone can we lean on this true freshman I mean he's got the the ready-made body for it you know when you see the guys coming out over 215 um you know he might be able to handle some carries and I think they they haven't shied away from giving freshman touches you know I think that's a a new thing in Notre Dame but like um it's been refreshing so this is a good class I I like the defense that a lot more though yeah I mean when you look at him overall um you know when you look at young and their stats there I mean his junior year he ran for 17 19 touchdowns and he was the Texas district 7 5A unanimous first team selection as a junior that's really hard to do in Texas 5A when you're talking about the football out there so he had that in his senior year he broke unofficially broke the record for the their their their high school it's hard Max press is hard you're talking about stats and all that there but he was a solid Runner I think he can step in and be right there transfers again like I talked about they were Key Offensive Transfers 41st uh it really Riley Leonard's going to push that up a little bit the guy that like I struggle with because I like Bo Collins I've always liked Bo because he's out here in California he just hasn't put it together I think you know he struggled at Clemson a lot just being consistent hands all of those things if they can turn it around I I think this works Chris Mitchell I think is another interesting one from FIU he was getting talked about a little buzzier last year heading in the last year and everything there um kind of fell off a little bit but not a not an amazing class but you know it'll do Riley could be the the Lynch pull if Bo hits his ceiling then yeah you're talking about something pretty fun yeah I think they had to go get a quarterback well I just talked about how I like minchi it's just I mean this is a team that is ready to compete pretty pretty quickly I think Riley Leonard gives them a much better shot to do that um and I I think it's a pretty good fit I think he can run this offense fairly well uh you know I'm a huge fan of his I think he's got every shot to Vault up into first round conversations but he has to take some massive steps forward especially with his decision making and things like that but if he does like I would call this transfer class a huge win because the alternative was just not looking great for for Notre dat no and it wasn't and when you're looking at this so when we're talking about the impact players I think we've Impact Players - Offense mentioned enough with rley Leonard being there the thing with him and as I was diving into this like so I was reading an article today from on three like their Insider there Tyler HCA and he said hey he's a clear Alpha in that room he's their guy and he said hey the wide receivers feel like they're in a better spot they feel like Leonard gets them to the place they need to go they love they really have been raving about his ability to place the ball where they needed to be place if those are the things that he hit that is great right when we're talking about Ry Leonard being there I think the question is will that offensive line could put an offensive line on here like will they will they be that guy to get him there and I think his his rushing ability though I think that that that'll come into play him going to be to extend plays and those type of things so for me I mean this going to be end all Beall by the quarterback we're college football for God's sake we know that so Riley Leonard's really gonna have to take that step and be those guys and I I like great house I I he he was up and down last year he came out hot and everything but I think jayen greous in there in the slot could be a fun player for them in this offense oh yeah I mean I think about like the W community and how they talk about uh you know Eugene Wilson at Florida and like great house for the first few weeks look just as good um yeah so I I think that there's a lot of upside there Riley Leonard could be an upgrade from Sam Hartman I don't think Hartman was very good for them last year you know the the PFF passing grades suggest otherwise but like I think Notre Dame certainly expected a little bit more from him I think Leonard can give them that and if that's the case then maybe the ceiling of this team is a bit higher than what their ceiling was last year 100% I I I think he is a upgrade over Hartman I I don't understand the Hartman thing maybe because he had nice hair I I don't know because I every time watch in college for seven years too so everyone recognized his name he was there and I and I never watch Notre game like game where you're like oh man Hartman can beat us you know what I mean like Riley Leonard to me is a guy that's like oh wow Riley Leonard's gonna come out there look what he did at Duke look what he did against Clemson those type of teams you're like oh he could beat these guys and that to me really stands out from the defensive side when you're 2024 Defensive Breakdown looking at what they do last year you know they were a very good unit they were top 10 in points lab per game um opponent yards per game they were top 10 at opponent points per play top 10 everything was really top 10 there from a rushing standpoint opponent rushes per game and yards per game they're about 27 28th respectively when you're looking at pass defense they did pretty well in pass defense when you're looking at that sacker centers they were top 25 unit there they got pressure there opponent yards per pass they were number three they did not give up a ton of big plays and that's what kept them in games they did not give up a ton of big plays they didn't necessarily have the explosive P plays on offense but they were definitely a bin don't break time of a defense and that's what you have to like about this team yeah and I actually think they're they're a bit better now um you know Howard cross anchoring down that nose tackle position one of the best players at his position um you know we talked about the Michigan guys a few uh a few episodes ago or a few shows ago uh Howard cross is right up there I think in those conversations Jack Kaiser to anchor down your your linebacking room I think you're feeling really really good about him as a player um Xavier Watts returning he played the most snaps of anyone on this team last year and was really solid you know up and down um but like more solid than not and then you've got Benjamin Morrison who is also one of the top players at his position you know I think a few of our our patrons that are into NFL draft stuff have him as their Corner one over some of those guys that we've talked about will Johnson Travis Hunter uh Jaden Mickey had an iffy year but I feel pretty good about his upside this year as well um you know I guess my question is like Riley Mills was really good for them last year how are they going to continue getting to the quarterback because I think secondary can lock everything up I think that they've got a ton of Talent on on this team but I do want to see just another step forward and how they're getting to the quarterback generating those sacks making that you know rewarding that secondary for being so locked down I think we're going to see it this year and that's why like you know we talked about the offense giving the team more upside I think this defense also gives the team more upside this year no I agree this secondary is a lot of fun like this secondary going through it like you're talking lock down like this secondary's got that there and and you have to really like what they kind of bring to the table there cuz uh they bring a lot of experience back in that secondary room like when you're looking at it you know some of the pieces out Notable Losses there in terms of losses you know mariss linebacker cam Hart was drafted well uh JD uh bertran he the other team in tackles so he definitely had had 76 tackles last year two and a half sacks um but you know they they it was okay like these guys you know even mariss you know he had three sacks out there cam Hart cam Hart was okay you looking at what he was able to do um four pass deflections but didn't get any takeaways didn't have any interceptions there um so guys like that then they lost some guys at the transfer portal but overall this defense on the back end is very very good I think where where you say the front end you know defensive front and everything I think that's something to know but that that that secondary it's it's solid yeah I I mean they're gonna the reason I say where can they find you know production and and getting into the quarterback it's because they're three tops four top sack leaders are on this list right here um per Pro Football Focus at least I know their sack numbers they're a little bit iffy but like javante Jean Baptist uh Lea fou JD Bertrand and asafa Mena were their top four uh depending on where you look and so how can they generate more pressure I think that's the big question from this group specifically but like you said um I I liked cam Hart a ton I think he's a fantastic player I'm excited to see what he can do at the NFL level but I don't think that they're in in bad shape in in any form with h Benjamin Morrison still out there so I think this is okay yeah I think I think they're are they're they're they're pretty good back there in terms of that camart was fine but they didn't lose an impact guy I 2024 Defensive Recruits don't think from that side um recruiting wise they did a very very good job Bryce young uh was the number six defensive lineman out there um I love the name Bryce young give me a little flashbacks there 65244 um now I'm GNA mess this up but Kingston V Assa I think is you said there um the linebacker I just did a piece on our substack writing about 10 freshman that could really play a big role for you know out there for teams Kingston was on there and I know that Notre Dame doesn't play freshman especially freshman linebackers really a lot of freshman linebackers don't get a ton of run but this dude's name just keeps getting popped up out there like when you're you hear all this stuff as I was diving in the article you know and it's free on our substack you can go check it out all I kept hearing was Kingston like oh my gosh this kid is phenomenal spring Kingston hey he can kind of do it all he's gonna be that do it all piece here like they love this kid now they're pretty deep at the linebacker position but they think that he can pretty much play all those positions there Kingston to me really stands out he's a number four rated linebacker at his position but some think he should have been number one they crushed it there Johnson the safety um Logan Thomas Leonard Moore those type of guys but really the big pieces were those first three but especially young and Kingston yeah I think Bryce young will rotate in I think we had him like a third on the dub chart um on one of the sides there but I think he's going to be a part of that rotation and and like you said this this Kingston kid also before I move off of Bryce young I wish the other BR young was also 65244 that'd be great um that would really help a lot of things but uh no I mean i' I've been reading up on Kingston as well and like the film's really exciting um but like you mentioned it's tough to see uh what like linebackers get on the field especially as true freshman and so it's it's nice to see that everyone seems to love him I think that he can be an impact player um it's going to be tough to break into the the secondary rotation so all those corners and safeties I think they're going to be waiting in the wings a little bit but that's okay um I think this was a really really good class I I specifically like Leonard Moore I like you know being 62 at corner everyone knows if you've watched this channel for a little while I like the long Corners that can bully you a little bit I I see that with him he's a little lanky a little skinny that needs to add some weight but I like the film so I'm hoping that he can kind of work out for them but you're right the the top three specifically and really the top two are going to be guys that I think can make an impact this year yeah and and for Kingston here's the two quotes that that I pulled out for the for the article I'll read those real quick but also at St John boscow 253 tackles 110 solo 22 tackles for loss eight sacks two interceptions both returned for touchdowns and then you also had five catches for 44 yards and five touchdowns on the offensive side kid can play when you're looking at that and you like that but the big thing from him is that his linebacker coach that he hey he's able to process information Max bua over there physically he's there he came in ready to go physically and then Marcus Freeman said once in a while you see a freshman say oh he's gonna have a chance to play early after the first day of Spring ball I said man I could see that and he's already done it he had the spring and now he's coming there that's that's high price from a coaching staff especially doesn't necessarily pay freshman he's a got a watch out there that can make that impact as far as transfers again they did not really go out on the transfer side and get guys um Rod herd from Northwestern coming over Key Defensive Transfers he came over as a fourstar transfer recruit 91 overall um Jordan Clark as well when you're looking at him RJ RJ Obin who could have a chance from duke he came over 64260 kind of get get in there um what are you thinking about this kind of transfer class on the on the defensive side I I hope that RJ Oben can be a factor you know he's listed as a starter I think uh you know the film's pretty good he he came in as a three star recruit four-star transfer um feeling good about his his upside I think they're going to need him to be though I think they they need to get some sack production from him um outside of that you know some Corner depth I think you know that speaks to just losing a couple of corners but outside of that um not a whole lot of impact transfers that that has them in the under Dame way and and I don't think it is now they can't it's hard to get transfers in Notre Dame just same as Michigan we talked about Michigan it's just hard to get transfers in I mean from an academic standpoint we know it and it's just one of those things nil what I've heard from from the nil just the back channels and stuff not a ton of nil and Notre D I mean they have some but again it's going to be hard to kind of get those guys in there from Impact Players - Defense Impact players though I know that you like how a cross Riley Mills is out there um Xavier watch Benjamin Morrison to me like when you're looking at it watts and Morrison you know they could be the best safety cornerback kind of Tandem in the country like they could be the two best out there um and you have to really like what they bring to the table and they're going to they're going to get turnovers if they can get turnovers this team is going to be a lot better than people think and maybe win some games there and I think it starts in that secondary yeah I think you're right I think you know another player that probably could have made this list is Jack Kaiser the linebacker where you know he's a a special player in coverage specifically but like a very well-rounded player that I think can you know help out guys like Watts help out guys like Morrison in in zone coverage and kind of taken some of that stuff off of them so I'm excited to see how this defense shapes but really Howard cross being a game Wrecker in the middle would be ideal for them uh you know make that run defense difficult if you can make that difficult your secondary is good enough even if you don't find the sack production I think this uh the the defense the P the coverage is going to be just good enough so I think uh I think this is a a team that you could find you know one of those freshman on this list by the end of it but overall just a stud star studded cast on defense right now yeah and that's really when 2024 Schedule you look at the schedule they're over under 10 and a half which is pretty high I mean I know they're a top five team but just when we going over this and stuff us nine and a half is the number that people feel comfortable with but I think that defense is why it's there big game early Tex A&M I mean that's going to be you know early hey what does that look like norn Illinois Purdue Miami of Ohio Louisville Stanford a lot of games at home like just a lot of games at home and a good schedule there versus Florida State versus army Virginia at USC to finish the year off and USC team that could be reeling at that point depending on how how they how they look in the Big 10 what do you think of the schedule what do you think of that 10 and a half number I think that A&M game is um incredibly fun with Riley Leonard playing Mike Elco um I I do think that that presents a larger challenge for Notre Dame though because Mike Alco knows Riley Leonard knows the strength weaknesses and things like that um I I think that game's going to be really tough I think Louisville's a tough game for them in the middle of the Season there Florida State obviously but I really think they run the table you know maybe USC but you know I play the quarterback game as we do with these and Ry Leonard's the best quarterback uh between those two teams so to me this looks like it's tough because I think they could drop the game against Louisville uh depending on how Louisville is playing right there at the beginning of the Season I'm gonna go under I think they I think they win 10 games I think they get in the playoff but I'm going to go just barely under here okay now before I get the not Dame fans just yelling at me in the comments I know these games are neutral sites Georgia Tech they play Mercedes Benz stadium that is a neutralite just versus on the schedule Navy they play at metli stadium so that's in New Jersey so I get that and in the Army West Point game um wait is Yankee Stadium they play Bronx Yankee Stadium and that so there are some neutral games there but let's get it twisted like that's not good you should win those games so like if you lose those games that's on you uh those are going to some home games too you guys know Notre Dame fans travel I'm going under I I I'm going to go under however I I think that if they beat Texas A&M you get a little nervous I I I think that Texas A&M could definitely win that game um but if they win yeah I think it but to your point Elco being there is gonna that plays a role and if that offensive line struggles early against Texas M you know they their defensive front is pretty good so when you're thinking of like that game that's a huge matchup offensive line versus their defensive line and how that plays out I'm going to go under as well I think that it's tough because you're looking at it really they I just I could I could see two losses right I could see 10 two pretty easily on this schedule and that makes me nervous when we're talking about it overall and really what it comes down to I think you know Notre Outro - Overall Outlook Dame needs to win probably 11 games to get in the playoff right like you you're thinking of it like and maybe 10 gets them in maybe not but I think with the how it's set up in the playoff and everything there you know that's their that's the that's Marcus Freeman's job get him the playoff the way you know Notre Dame was on there in terms of how to build out this playoff system they knew they weren't going to get a first round buy ever so they really want to kind of be in that five six seven range how do you do that you win those games and and you finish with 11 wins um I still think they can get in because they don't play a conference Championship game so there's opportunity for them to kind of sneak in there at the bottom half 1011 range um but I don't know if they don't get in I I think Freeman's safe because I think he's recruiting really well but I mean that's a do all win next year like they G to have to make it the playoff next year I think that starts getting hotter out there I think so I you know it's tough to tell if a 10- win Notre Dame team gets in because while you mentioned the not playing a conference Championship is a strength I also think that's a weakness um you know especially when the the schedule isn't tough when it looks like that it it's tough to make an argument that this team should get in over maybe even a a two or three loss team that's three losses are top five teams and so Notre Dame doesn't have that Advantage I do think you know there's potential to get in with 10 10 wins and really like I I think maybe they dro the A&M game I think they could win that Florida State game yeah um and and end up with 11 wins either way but you know they could drop the game to Stamford for all we know that that tends to happen uh more often than not in college football so I think this team is talented I think Marcus Freeman shouldn't be on the hot seat just yet um I think you know coming out of this year we'll see how it looks that I don't think they can keep hitting the portal for quarterbacks though so they need to develop mchi and Carr and and kind of uh work that way because it's just you're getting lucky in the portal um I don't think you can rely on that forever so um overall though good team I think uh a rightful playoff team if they make it I just I don't know if they can stack up with the big dogs I don't I don't really agree with the top five ranking with the athletic here yeah and I and I do think your point about that quarterback production they got a I mean they're doing a very good job recruiting and keeping guys there right and have that depth and doing there but at a certain point recruits are gonna be like hey you're recruiting these guys and you're not given opportunity to start I think that's part of that in there um and and I think that's something to kind that's a really big point I think that's a good point to say Hey you know you gotta give these guys some run those recruits need to come and you're not gonna get these quarterback recruits um wide receivers those type of guys like give him some run get him some targets I mean that's why I think great house needs to have a good year because I could definitely see him transferring out if he feels like he's not getting that opportunity so not day fans what do you think where you feel like your team is at I know you guys are a little unhinged but we love you uh you know how many games do you think you can win over under you know why you know why is Christian an idiot why am I an idiot it's always fun to go through those comments as well so appreciate you guys we will check you guys on the next video [Music] oh [Music]