Notebook: Notre Dame's 2024 class represents direction under Marcus Freeman
While one game remains in the chapter of Notre Dame football's 2023 season, the Irish have already begun addressing needs for next year's group, which will look substantially different than this season.
A new quarterback will be named starter after Sam Hartman's lone season in South Bend ended with a decision earlier this month to opt out of the Sun Bowl.
Whoever that quarterback is remains to be seen, although Duke transfer Riley Leonard is expected to be the favorite ahead of returnees Steve Angeli and Kenny Minchey, and early arrived freshman CJ Carr.
Regardless of who takes the first snap in Notre Dame's season opener at Texas A&M on Aug. 31, they'll answer to a different offensive coordinator than a season ago, after Gerad Parker left on MOnday to become Troy's head coach.
Transfer portal additions, Duke defensive end RJ Oben and Arizona State nickel cornerback Jordan Clark, will be different names than who Notre Dame fans saw at those positions for the first (and only) time in 2023, when Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Thomas Harper earned starting roles after transferring from Ohio State and Oklahoma State, respectively.
Even Notre Dame's postseason schedule might look different. Instead of preparing for a bowl after Christmas, the Irish could position themselves to make the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff and host or travel in the inaugural first round, which is expected to be played at the higher-seeds' campuses in mid-December.
In an era of college football, where coaching staffs have become numb to managing incoming and outgoing transfers, recruits flipping commitments late in the process and everything in between, head coach Marcus Freeman's vision for building continuity is evident in Notre Dame's 2024 recruiting class.
The Irish, No. 9 in the Rivals 2024 recruiting team rankings, signed all 23 of their commits by 10:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday. Six of Notre Dame's signees — Carr, tight end Jack Larsen, wide receiver Cam Williams, offensive guard Peter Jones, cornerback Karson Hobbs and running back Aneyas Williams — had been committed for over a calendar year.
Notre Dame's trend of getting things done early in the 2023 class wasn't just an occurrence for the three-day early signing period. Every signee except offensive tackle Guerby Lambert, who pledged his commitment in September, was in the class before Notre Dame kicked off its regular season in Dublin, Ireland against Navy. Wide receiver Logan Saldate, a former Oregon State commit, didn't even need to visit campus before committing in July.
Notre Dame only had three decommitments in the 2024 class: Colorado DE signee Brandon Davis-Swann, Michigan DT signee Owen Wafle and Georgia Tech WR signee Isiah Canion. All three recommitted before their senior season, which is a stark contrast to the 2023 recruiting cycle, when Notre Dame lost Dylan Edwards, Peyton Bowen and Jayden Limar in December.
Since Freeman was named the head coach after the 2021 season, Notre Dame has not allowed its commits to take official visits to other schools. But instead of turning their back on commits and moving forward by giving attention to different targets in the same class or upcoming cycle, the Irish use a retention method focused on why they originally chose Notre Dame.
“It starts with the relationship," Freeman said. "It starts with you can’t relax when a kid’s committed. You have to continue to pour time in building that relationship and trust. But it’s also the ability to continue to sell Notre Dame.
"And remind them up front, this is what you’re choosing. Don’t choose this place because of a coach. Don’t choose this place because of just what you believe in NIL. There’s so many different reasons to choose this place. When they make the decision, we remind them of that."
Freeman said it's a collective effort to develop connections with recruits. The coaching staff invests time, but so does director of recruiting Chad Bowden and his recruiting staff throughout the process. During campus visits, recruits and their families hear from parents of current Notre Dame players and meet with associate athletic director Katy Lonergan to learn about marketing and branding opportunities available for an ND student-athlete.
Those relationships formed in players' recruitments carry over to their college careers. Benjamin Morrison, a 2022 signee, has blossomed into one of the best cornerbacks in college football and has become an impactful playmaker for defensive coordinator Al Golden and cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens. Freeman knows teams across the nation would love to poach Morrison from the Irish through the transfer portal, but the former Phoenix (Ariz.) Brophy Prep star already has every opportunity to flourish on and off the field.
"He understands what this place provides," Freeman said. "We're as competitive as anybody else in NIL, and so he doesn’t wanna go anywhere else. That, to me, is so important, that you continue to bring the right guys in here. They're good players that believe in this place and will continue to build the nucleus of your team.”
Freeman said the Irish will never completely ignore the transfer portal, but will explore when there are needs on the roster. Notre Dame's stability in its 2024 class directly represents the desire to build from within the high school ranks and develop in-house talent.
Competitive character
Before Freeman coached his first-ever game as Notre Dame's head coach, he received a commitment in the 2024 class from Carr, who pledged in June 2022, before his junior season.
Carr's father, Jason Carr, played at Michigan and his two grandfathers, Lloyd Carr and Tom Curtis, have close associations with the Wolverine program through coaching or playing for the university. Carr's first offer came from Michigan and head coach Jim Harbaugh in 2021, but the Saline (Mich.) High product stayed patient and waited over a year until he was ready to commit — and it wasn't to the perceived favorite Wolverines.
In June 2022, Carr sat on the balcony of Freeman's office at the Guglielmino Athletics Complex and informed Notre Dame's staff he was ready to make a decision and call the Irish home..
"I remember him saying, ‘This is where I want to be,'" Freeman said. "And when he left my office, I said, ‘That's the leader you want for your program.’ A guy that says, 'I want to create my own road.' And as a quarterback, that’s what you need. You need a leader. That's what he was and what he is. And I'm excited to see the growth of him."
Now, the four-star recruit is entrenched with Notre Dame's roster for bowl practice leading up to the Sun Bowl on Dec. 29 against No. 19 Oregon State. Carr, who visited Notre Dame 18 times during his recruitment, possesses arm talent, decision-making and processing skills that have wooed Freeman early.
But when discussing why he's a high-ceiling player, Freeman pointed out one of Carr's traits that didn't show up in high school box scores or recruiting rankings.
"He's so competitive," Freeman said. "That's the thing about CJ — he’s smart, athletic, he's talented, but he's competitive. And those are things that are hard to measure. We get him around … he comes to some junior days [recruiting events] and those things. And when he’s around some of his teammates, he’s one of the most competitive guys there is, so that’s what you're looking for.”
Landing a defensive centerpiece
Notre Dame's bond with its signees was tested when the first four Irish commits — Carr, Larsen, Williams and Jones — each lost their position coaches and primary recruiters during their recruitment process. But the four didn't waver, and that can be said for other signees like linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. The Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco senior was arguably Notre Dame's biggest win on the trail because of his five-star status and other finalists the Irish beat out — Ohio State and USC.
The Buckeyes pushed until the last moments, and Alabama even tried to throw its hat in the ring, but Viliamu-Asa stayed firm in his commitment. Freeman, Golden and defensive line coach Al Washington all played pivotal roles in Viliamu-Asa's recruitment.
Freeman said the 6-foot-3, 227-pound linebacker is likely the most college football-prepared signee in the class, given his physical and mental attributes. Freeman believes Viliamu-Asa's maturity is a direct reflection of his parents, Taliuta Viliamu-Asa and Boy Asa.
"Two of the most the strongest parents that I've been around, and his mother continually, when we were recruiting him, she said, ‘I want him to go somewhere he's gonna get a great education. I want him to go somewhere where education is important,'" Freeman said. “I think back to his father, when he committed in my office, saying, 'Just take care of my boy ... take care of my son.’"
Starting linebacker Marist Liufau has publicly declared for the NFL Draft, while JD Bertrand has accepted invitations to the East-West Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl, the latter of which Liufau will also attend. The third starting linebacker, Jack Kiser, plans to return in 2024, which means two of Notre Dame's three starting linebacker positions will be up for grabs. Inside ND Sports named Viliamu-Asa as one of five signees that could make an immediate impact in a position room filled with youth — in Jaylen Sneed, Drayk Bowen, Jaiden Ausberry, and Preston Zinter.
Digging deeper
• Five different true freshmen logged more than 100 offensive snaps this season, including two recruits who were ranked outside the Rivals250, in wide receiver Jordan Faison and tight end Cooper Flanagan.
• With Carr already practicing, 14 more of Notre Dame's 23 signees are expected to enroll early in January, including both running backs, Aneyas Williams and Kedren Young. Behind the talent evaluation of running backs coach Deland McCullough, the Irish joined Georgia, Texas and Wisconsin as the only four programs to sign two Rivals250 running backs.
• Notre Dame's 2024 class has two signees — defensive end Bryce Young and safety Kennedy Urlacher — who are sons of Pro Football Hall of Famers (Bryant Young and Brian Urlacher). Freeman said he believes recruits of NFL families are attracted to Notre Dame because of what it can do for them after their playing career ends.
• Viliamu-Asa was the first five-star Freeman has landed since becoming Notre Dame's head coach. The last five-star to sign with the Irish was offensive tackle Blake Fisher in 2021.
• Speaking of Fisher, Lambert is the highest-ranked offensive tackle to sign with ND since Fisher. Lambert, who is the No. 3 offensive tackle in the 2024 class, has a 6.0 rating in comparison to Fisher's 6.1 coming out of Avon (Ind.) High. Lambert, who chose Notre Dame over Harvad, will enroll in the summer.
• Cam Williams, who starred at nearby Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard South, is the highest-ranked receiver the Irish have signed since five-star Jordan Johnson in 2020. Freeman said Williams' speed and proximity to campus were two of the biggest reasons ND viewed him as a priority,
• With the additions of Hobbs, defensive end Loghan Thomas and safety Taebron Bennie-Powell, Notre Dame has extended its streak of signing at least one recruit out of Ohio to four consecutive classes.
• Freeman said Notre Dame will recruit nationally, and Washington has gone one step further and crossed borders in recent defensive line recruiting. Defensive tackle Sean Sevillano Jr. signed with Notre Dame and attended Clearwater (Fla.) Academy International for three years after growing up in his home country of Canada. He will be the third Canadian defensive lineman on the roster — joining Armel Mukam and Devan Houstan — who each signed in the 2023 class.
• The Irish swooped into Fort Wayne (Ind.) to sign safety Brauntae Johnson out of North Side High School. Linebackers Jaylon Smith and Drue Tranquill and tight end Tyler Eifert are other recent noteworthy Fort Wayne products who signed with Notre Dame and developed into NFL Draft picks.
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