Friday Five: Marcus Freeman’s Fast Recruiting Learning Curve
Marcus Freeman’s first media availability as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator came on Feb. 3 — National Signing Day — when several Fighting Irish coaches were made available to discuss their recruiting operation.
Naturally, a lot of the questions to Freeman focused on it. He was an attractive hire because of his on-field work and his recruiting reputation. The latter was the area where he could first make an impact.
He was asked about how recruiting for Notre Dame is different than his prior stops and gave an answer that hinted at an educational process.
“You have to find the right guys that fit and what you’re looking to do at the University of Notre Dame,” Freeman said. “The student-athlete here is very unique. I’m finding that out and leaning on our staff to find out what’s the right fit.
“I couldn’t tell you in three and a half weeks who we’re able to offer and get, but I’m leaning on our entire recruiting staff and coach [Brian] Polian and his staff to find the right guys.”
Since that day, Freeman and Notre Dame received nine 2022 defensive commitments, seven of whom are four-star prospects. The Irish’s No. 3-ranked class is buoyed by its defensive haul. The 2023 class includes a top-10 prospect in Mentor (Ohio) High defensive end Brenan Vernon.
Freeman’s first splash was helping Notre Dame seal a January pledge from St. Louis John Burroughs defensive end Tyson Ford, a Rivals100 prospect who had been leaning toward picking Oklahoma. His latest two were landing Hilton Head (S.C.) High linebacker Jaylen Sneed, the class’ highest-rated player, and swaying four-star Phoenix Brophy Prep cornerback Benjamin Morrison from Washington.
It sure seems Freeman learned in short order who fits. Being a quick study is expected when bringing in a recruiter of his caliber, but still notable when head coach Brian Kelly has previously said the process can take time and sometimes involves learning from mistakes.
Freeman describes his mindset rather simply.
“Our philosophy is to identify the top players in the country,” Freeman told BlueandGold.com earlier this month. “Period. That’s what we do as a staff. Once we do that, once we’ve identified he’s the best player in the country at his position in our eyes, let’s figure out if he’s a kid who can excel at Notre Dame.
“And if he can, let’s recruit the heck out of him and try to get him to visualize what it’s like to be a student-athlete at Notre Dame.”
Freeman had to understand how recruiting at Notre Dame works before he could push its boundaries. He had to grasp the type of players who fit and the things to sell. Once he quickly did that, his selling skills could take full effect.
The Irish’s defensive class is an indication there are plenty of top-tier recruits who are fits, but view Notre Dame as just another big-brand program. Freeman and the other defensive assistants have been successful in making those players visualize and buy into their point of view of why it’s different.
2. Offensive Recruiting
Between not landing any of the three big targets to be the second running back, Katy (Texas) High wide receiver Nicholas Anderson’s surprise Oregon commitment and a couple offensive line targets who are headed elsewhere, the Irish’s recruiting on offense is in a tough stretch when compared to their run on defense.
There will be emotional peaks and valleys when following the day-to-day of a class over an entire cycle. Not every recruit decides at once. Not every recruit who’s leaning one way stays that way, as Morrison and Anderson illustrate. To look a class at any moment before the early signing period in December and declare it a lost cause or surefire success is often premature.
Notre Dame’s offensive class has an incomplete grade right now more than it does a failing one or a concerning trajectory. It could end up as a disappointment. The path is also there for it to finish strong, because the Irish are waiting on decisions from several longtime targets.
It’s not unlike the 2021 cycle, when Notre Dame landed top-50 recruits Blake Fisher and Lorenzo Styles Jr. by October 2019, then went quiet for a while. This time last year, there was anxiety over how it would finish. But the Irish snagged top-100 guard Rocco Spindler, four-star wide receivers Jayden Thomas and Deion Colzie and four-star running back Audric Estime. In the end, eight of their 12 four- or five-star signees were offensive players.
Finishing 2022 with four-star wide receivers CJ Williams and Tobias Merriweather, one of four-star offensive linemen Billy Schrauth or Aamil Wagner and three-star running back Quinshon Judkins would be an ideal outcome. BlueandGold.com recruiting insider Mike Singer thinks it’s more than plausible.
They would join a class that received early commitments from Rivals250 linemen Ty Chan and Joey Tanona, four-star quarterback Steve Angeli, four-star running back Jadarian Price and four-star tight end Holden Staes, among others. That is eight four-star recruits once again.
3. Chris Tyree
Here’s a good quantification of Chris Tyree’s home-run ability.
There were 160 Football Bowl Subdivision running backs who had at least 70 carries last year. Only three had a higher breakaway percentage than Tyree’s 59.7 percent, per Pro Football Focus. He gained 501 yards on designed runs, and 299 of those were accumulated on rushes of at least 15 yards.
The stat measures how frequently a running back can break away and how far he can go on those runs. Tyree impressed more with the latter last season — he did all that damage on 10 carries of 15-plus yards. His breakaway plays averaged 29.9 yards.
That was higher than North Carolina’s Michael Carter, who ranked one spot above Tyree in breakaway rate. It was better than top-40 draft pick Javonte Williams (UNC) and first-team All-American Breece Hall (Iowa State).
Tyree is No. 20 in our top 25 most important players countdown, mainly because Notre Dame also has Kyren Williams at running back. I won’t be surprised if I think that’s too low when I look back at the countdown after the season, even if he remains a clear No. 2 to Williams. He has a skill that helps Notre Dame get closer to finding more explosiveness.
4. Dom Campbell
Notre Dame’s first 2022 basketball commit, Phillips Exeter Academy (N.H.) forward Dominick Campbell, is the definition of an inside-out offensive player. He’s an impressive mix of nimble and strong as a post player. He can step out to the three-point line and make shots. He’s not an explosive jumper, but he has enough above-the-rim ability. He embraces physicality.
The Irish staff has told him it sees him playing like 2014-18 forward Bonzie Colson, who was undersized but a similar inside-out presence with some playmaking feel too. A couple readers on our message board have pointed out some similarities to former Irish recruiting target and current Texas forward Tre Mitchell, which I can see as well.
Campbell was the Irish’s best bet for an early commitment. He came to campus in June as Notre Dame’s only official visitor. Outside of him, the board at forward isn’t very long despite the position being a clear need in the class. Getting him now takes away a lot of potential for stress.
5. Paul Atkinson Jr.
Campbell may be Notre Dame’s future center. The Irish’s center of the present is Yale graduate transfer Paul Atkinson Jr., who I saw in a Notre Dame uniform for the first time Tuesday during open practice.
The impressions were mostly the same as when I watched some of his Yale tape a few months ago. He’s a crafty scorer who finds ways to get position and has great touch around the rim. At Yale and in the limited practice viewing, he looks comfortable going over either shoulder. He’s not a possession-ender who will cave when double-teamed, because he has awareness as a passer.
“He has great footwork, hands and he’s crafty around the bucket,” head coach Mike Brey said. “If you help, he’s a good passer kicking it out. We’ve been at our best when we’ve had an inside guy who you can throw it to one-on-one and he has a chance at scoring.”
Brey even relayed a scouting report from Yale head coach James Jones: “You just throw it to him and he figures out a way to score.”
Last year’s center, Juwan Durham, didn’t demand double-teams very often. Atkinson is skilled enough and strong enough as a post scorer to make you think he could.
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