Five recruiting cycles ago, Marcus Freeman made a scholarship offer and a recruiting pitch to Rod Heard II, a three-star cornerback prospect from Farmington Hills, Mich., who ultimately passed.
Apparently the now-grad transfer defensive back from Northwestern couldn’t say no to Freeman a second time, committing Wednesday to spending his sixth and final college season on Notre Dame’s football roster.
He announced his decision on Twitter/X, with the Irish prevailing over newly crowned national champ Michigan and Michigan State in a whirlwind portal experience that started with his transfer intentions on Dec. 28.
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The 5-11, 190-pound cornerback/nickel for the surprising Wildcats visited all three schools last week, the final one being to ND on Saturday and Sunday. He becomes the program record-breaking eighth scholarship incoming transfer this offseason for the Irish, who secured the commitment from another weekend visitor — Marshall wide receiver/kick returner Jayden Harrison — on Tuesday.
The Irish start spring semester and winter workouts next Tuesday. Update (1/13): Heard will be joining Notre Dame in June after he graduates from Northwestern.
Heard will do so as a safety, with a chance to earn a starting spot alongside returning unanimous All-American Xavier Watts. The other five scholarship Irish safeties all will have freshman eligibility in 2024, with Ben Minich and Adon Shuler as redshirts. Walk-on Luke Talich, a candidate to gain a scholarship this offseason, will be a sophomore.
Notre Dame (10-3) fashioned the first No. 1 national ranking in pass-efficiency defense in 2023, for the first time in school history, and a No. 5 standing in total defense. That's the second-highest by an Irish unit — only behind 1980’s No. 4 ranking — in the 49 seasons since Hall-of-Fame coach Ara Parseghian retired after the 1974 season with the nation’s top defense in his final run.
Northwestern finished 35th nationally in total defense in 2024 and won its final four games to finish 8-5. In the Wildcats’ 14-7 upset of Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 23, they smothered offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig’s unit to the tune of 211 total yards. Heard contributed a team-high 12 tackles and a fumble recovery to that effort.
For the season, Heard’s stat line read 84 tackles, with four tackles for loss and a sack, four pass breakups, an interception, a fumble recovery and two forced fumbles in 13 games.
According to Pro Football Focus, Heard was Northwestern’s second-highest-rated player on either side of the ball in 2023, with an overall grade of 81.9 in 853 snaps. He had strong grades for run defense, tackling and coverage.
Freeman was just getting his feet wet as a defensive coordinator at Cincinnati at the time when Heard chose Northwestern out of Farmington Hills Harrison High. His consolation — he lured another Detroit area three-star cornerback named Amad “Sauce” Gardner, who went on to earn All-America honors at UC and evolve into a first-round NFL Draft pick.
Notre Dame signed six transfers last month, with Heard becoming the seventh. The Irish are at 90 scholarships, five over the maximum they must meet by the first day of fall-semester classes in August.
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