It seems like Notre Dame football is at a major crossroads, with significant changes happening after an impressive 14-2 season. Despite the success, it's clear that the program's staff turnover is creating some big challenges for head coach Marcus Freeman. But it also looks like Freeman is working diligently to navigate these changes by bringing in some strong new hires.
Chris Ash replaces Al Golden
The decision to replace Al Golden with Chris Ash seems strategic, especially considering Ash's background with defensive backs and his leadership beside Luke Fickell. Golden's style was clearly popular, so it'll be interesting to see if Ash’s fiery approach can maintain that same level of success. His expertise should complement the strong defensive talent already present, but the transition could still have its bumps.
Ja’Juan Seider is a big get
With the talented trio of Jerimiyah Love, Jadarian Price, and Aneyas Williams at running back, having someone with Seider’s track record will certainly keep that position as a strength. His experience with developing 1,000-yard rushers at Penn State is a major win for the Irish.
A new GM (Mike Martin)
The search for a new General Manager is definitely an intriguing one. The evolving nature of college football’s rules around recruiting, the transfer portal, and NIL demands a savvy, experienced leader. Mike Martin seems like an excellent choice to help navigate this new era, and building out a robust scouting department could help the Irish gain an edge on the competition, especially with such a complex landscape.
Building for Long-Term Success
All in all, Marcus Freeman is making moves to stay ahead of the curve, and while there are inevitable challenges, these hires could help position Notre Dame for continued success. It's exciting to see how these changes will unfold and if they'll pay off in the long run. What do you think of these moves? Does the future of Notre Dame football look bright to you?
Sir John Yesterdaysnews42@aol.com
From Superprep.com found on line
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Clausen Favors Three
By Jamie Newberg
National Recruiting Analyst
Date: Feb 19, 2006
Who's the top prospect among the Class of 2007? It very well might be quarterback Jimmy Clausen. Clausen, from California, has three school favorites at this time - Southern Cal, Notre Dame and South Carolina.
When it comes to recruits among the Class of 2007, perhaps the most popular of the bunch, at least until he makes his commitment, will be Jimmy Clausen. Clausen, 6-3 and 195 pounds, is from Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian High School. He is a two year starter and is 28-0 thus far. Last year he led his team to another championship after going 156/231 for 2,778 yards and 30 touchdowns.
“Right now I favor Notre Dame, Southern Cal and South Carolina,” said Clausen. “I like Weis a lot at Notre Dame. I like the school and the people there. Everyone thinks I am going there but I am not leaning anywhere right now.
“USC has that winning tradition. I really like what they have done with that program and it’s very close to home, only about an hour.
“I like Coach (Steve) Spurrier at South Carolina. I love how he develops quarterback, they have lots of great athletes on that team and they are a program on the rise. Look at what they did in his first season there.
“I am just taking things day to day right now.”
Clausen is the likely favorite to become the Scout.com pre-season top ranked recruit. This west coast signal caller is the younger brother of former University of Tennessee quarterbacks Casey and Rick Clausen. The youngest is the best of the bunch at this stage. Clausen has great mechanics, a big time arm and has the football IQ you look for in a quarterback. Right now, Clausen just wants to work on the basics.
“Last year I made improvements on everything and had a good year. I just want to hit the weights and get bigger, stronger and faster. I am going to work with my quarterback coach and just try and fine tune everything.”