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?
Not exactly sure how many will be taken in 2021, but with a small class that only got smaller with the Bartleson news, I’m gonna base this off a 22 man class. I’m also gonna go off guys that currently have offers, as there are a few guys I’d like ND to pursue that haven’t received one yet.
QB - Buchner
RB - Shipley
WR - Colzie, Jayden Thomas, Troy Stellato
TE - Berrong
OL - Fisher, Spindler, Tengwall, Milium. 2 tackles and 2 guards seems like a good mix.
DT - Rubio
DE - Koht, Bowers, Armitage. Fwiw, I also think Bowers is athletic enough to play Buck or Mike and id like to see that
LB - Branden Jennings, Bryce Steele
S - Walters, Slocum
CB - Styles, Ceyair Wright, Daylan Carnell, Dyson Mccutcheon
Lot of really talent guys not mentioned that could be changed out depending on preference and so on, but this would be a really strong ND class and one that likely gets them back in the top 10 range for recruiting.