Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman met with the media on Wednesday morning at Notre Dame Stadium following the first Irish spring practice session, at the Irish Athletics Center.
Here's everything the fourth-year ND coach had to say. Answers are largely verbatim. Questions may have been edited for brevity and clarity.
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OPENING STATEMENT
“It was good to be back out there with this group of guys. We just finished up our strength-and-conditioning phase, and I think [director of football performance Loren] Landow and his staff did a tremendous job of physically getting our guys ready and prepared for spring practice. It'll be a progression for us as a team in terms of what we're asking to do in practice, but it was great to just be out there with the guys and really getting prepared and then focus on improvement. Always the focus in the spring is how do we get better as a team? How do you get better as an individual? And I thought the guys did a good job the first day, but not much to really recap practice other than that. And so with that, I'll just open up for questions.”
Q: It feels like last month that we were in Atlanta. How do you refocus, recalibrate from the longest season in Notre Dame football history?
Marcus Freeman: “You take off one hat and put on another. And I mean that's the reality of the profession of a coach, but a head coach is that you don't have much time to recalibrate. You’ve got to move to the next thing, and we've been obviously really busy from the end of the season till the first day of spring ball. But it's understanding things you need to address on that day and the ability to direct your attention to those things that need to be addressed. So, I'm recalibrated enough, ready to go. I'm excited for spring practice.”
Q: When were you ready for spring? Like 'OK, I've put 2024 behind me, and it's 2025 from here on out.'?
MF: “Today. Today. There's just been a lot of stuff to do and handle from, as you said, the end of the end of season ’til now. And so, you have to plan for spring weeks or months ago, but the reality is I really didn't focus on the practice until we got out there today. It was good to be out there and really to turn all your attention to actually practice.”
Q: A lot of teams have either modified their spring games or gotten rid of them together. Did you consider eliminating your spring game and how did you alter spring football in total?
MF: “We moved spring back. I think when I first put our spring practice calendar. It was last year sometime when we decided when the spring game was going to be. So, I decided after the season, we had to move the start of spring practice back about two weeks. And the reality is I did not want to cheat the strength-and-conditioning phase, the development phase of our team.
“I think it's really important and there was an integration of different guys based on the amount of plays they played last year in terms of when they started that strength/conditioning phase. So, that's why I decided to push it back two weeks to get started. And we will have a spring game. It will be a version of a spring game. Again, it's important to me to use that as an opportunity — one, to let our players perform in front of our fans. But two, it's a chance to really integrate our community and our fans with this football program.
“I think that's so important to me is to give the opportunity to fans that maybe typically don't get the opportunity to come to a Notre Dame game. Or if they do, to give them another opportunity to come and engage with our players. I don't want to take away from that. There's a lot of pros and cons for each decision, but that went into my decision of keeping our spring game. I want to use this opportunity for our team and our football program to make sure that we are really interacting with our fans.”
Q: How nice was it to have running backs Jeremiyah Love and Gi'Bran Payne out there back from injuries, and what did you see from them?
MF: “Gi'Bran has looked great. His progression back to play from last year's injury, to see him running around in winter conditioning drills, has been really good. He's such a driven, motivated individual, works tirelessly to put himself in a position to perform. And so, it's great to see him back out there.
“And J-Love is J-Love. I'm glad he's out there Day 1. He's a guy you're probably going to have to hold back more than he wants, because he's a competitor. He wants to get out there and wants to improve his skill set, and he's working on different things. But it is really good to have both of those guys out there.”
Q: We noticed Jordan Faison out there practicing. Last year, he didn’t do much with spring football and focused on lacrosse. Is there more of a tilt toward football this spring than there was last year?
MF: “Yeah, we enhanced it. It's still a collaborative effort between the lacrosse program and coach [Kevin] Corrigan and the football program. And [associated athletic director for sports performance] John Wagle has been helping out with, ‘Hey, what's the load? And how much can his body take? And to me it's still lacrosse season, and that's what I told Jordan.
“If you are making the decision to play lacrosse, you have to be committed to your team and how can we tailor and adjust our schedule to make sure that he's getting enough work in to continuously improve as a football player? But understanding that he has a commitment to the lacrosse team and we're working together well.
“He's getting football, probably getting more football in this spring than he did last year. I think it was important that we gave Jordan a really significant time away from football or lacrosse after the season. It was important that we gave his body time to rest before he got integrated in lacrosse.”
Q: What have you seen from transfers Devonta Smith, Jared Dawson and Jalen Stroman in terms of maturity and leadership that they've brought to the program?
MF: “Yeah, I've had a longer relationship with Devonta, just because of him growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and me being in Cincinnati for four years. I got to really know him and his family through recruiting. Great family. He's a great young man and obviously did some wonderful things at Alabama when he was there. And so he brings a leadership aspect. He's a tremendous athlete that's played a lot of football at a high level. And I think the integration into our defense, what we're asking him to do, is not going to be such a curve for him.
“With Dawson and Stroman, Stroman's not practicing. He had to get surgery on, I think, it's his collarbone or some type of shoulder [injury]. We had to fix that, and it was important to get that done before we get in the fall. And at the end of the day, it's a progression for everybody to be ready for the season, and it’s important. And if that means you're out for the spring, how do we get you better and make sure by the time we get to Week 1 of the season you're ready to roll? And so, I love what I've seen on film. I've enjoyed spending time with all three of those guys, and I think all three of them will help. I know all three will help us.”
Q: What are your impressions of the pros and cons of having played so late into January?
MF: “I just look at all the pros. Again, that's how I look at life and look at every situation we're in. There's pros. And to be able to play in the National Championship Game and have the season we had last year, obviously, it did a tremendous amount for this football program. And I think for us, it's the ability to not shy away from some of the success we had last year. And I have a strong belief that your past creates the foundation for your present.
“That's what I told our players, is that the experience that you've had in the past must create this new foundation for the present and help you prepare for the opportunities that lie ahead. And so, we have to use some of the experience — the goods, the bads — that we went through last year to make sure that our foundation is higher as a football program in March and spring of 2025 than it was of 2024.
“And it's important that we understand that even if you're a transfer. And you'll always hear me talk about expectations and relationships, and they're in a relationship with us. So, they went through last year with us no matter if they were physically with us or not. And it's important that they see some of the highs and the lows, but the lessons that we learned last year, so they can use that to set their foundation for this '25 season. And so, we have to use every experience that we had in 2024 as a pro to help us as we move forward in '25.”
Q: What are your early impressions of being on the field with new defensive coordinator Chris Ash?
MF: “I've known Coach Ash for quite a while. He was the defense coordinator at Ohio State with Luke Fickell. I got to know him, and we spent some time together after his tenure as head coach at Rutgers. And so, I've gotten to know him personally before we hired him as the defensive coordinator. I've been extremely pleased. Probably more than anything is the leadership, the ability to get three position coaches that have been here to be teammates. And I've been really pleased with that. Our coaching staff is close. Our defensive coaching staff has spent a lot of time together.
“We are going to do similar things that we've done in the past and maybe some things that are different. In order to get on the same page, you have to spend time together. I'm really pleased with the leadership coming from that defensive staff, the camaraderie, the unity, and yeah, it's all going to reflect in the way our defense plays and I'm really, really happy with that entire defense, but especially what Coach Ash has done.”
Q: What will be the structure of the quarterback competition, the timeline, etc?
MF: “I don't know if there's a perfect science that I'm going to be able to tell you right now that this is exactly how we're going to do it. But the general theme of it's they're all going to get reps with the 1s. They're all going to get reps that we split. I'm talking Kenny (Michey), Steve (Angeli) and CJ (Carr). They're going to split reps, and each day could be different, but it's important for us to communicate with them beforehand. And no matter if they like what group they're going with or not — it shouldn't matter — that we're upfront and honest with them and then we give them feedback after each practice, and we'll name a starter when a starter clearly shows that he's the best quarterback.
“I don't want to put a timetable on, and I refuse to do that. To me, if you don't have a decision made by then, it's going to frustrate you. And there's no need to put a timetable on it. You let those guys compete, and when a starter is determined, we're going to announce it. But again, I'm excited. I truly love competition. I think it's going to make all three of those guys better.
It is the first true competition with three guys that I've been a part of. But I think it's going to be a fair competition. I know it's going to be a fair competition. I'm really excited for it and looking forward to seeing how everyone in that room enhances, but also at some point somebody's going to be named a starter.”
Q: You had two potentially great comeback stories — tight end Kevin Bauman from last year and now back this year and defensive lineman Jason Onye back from a personal leave last season. What are you hoping to see from them this spring that might tell you how much they can contribute for you in the fall?
MF: “More than anything, I'm proud both of them are out there. You're talking about one recovering from a physical injury and one from a mental health injury. I'm proud that both of them have put the work in to be able to go out there and be a part of this football program. Those are really good football players, and we'll see how they practice and what that means for the season. But as of today, I'm proud to see both of those guys out there and the work they put in to get to this point. I know there's a tremendous amount of work. I think we'll need both of them. I do. I think both of them will help his team, but who cares? Credit to you for putting the work into being out there for spring practice.”
Q: What do you want to see as you evaluate the process of establishing player leadership and what role does spring practice play in that process and that growth?
MF: “I think you'll see a different type of leadership. I want it to be organic. I want it to be authentic. That's what I look forward to seeing in spring. Who's the guys who are going to be energy-providers? Who's going to be the guys that at times need to challenge other guys? Who's going to be an older guy that puts his arm around a freshman? Those are all different things that you observed in terms of leadership. And we have to continue to help our young people that we view as leaders understand what leadership is. I don't know if you have the — I don't know how old [Jack] Kiser was — the 26-, 25-year-old guy who can tell the older guys what leadership is. But I do think we have a good group of leaders spread out amongst the team.
“At some point you're going to name captains, but as I've always said, man, captains don't mean you're a leader. You can have more leaders than captains. I'm excited to evaluate the leadership on the field. I've seen the leadership in the weight room. I've seen the leadership when they've been running. You can see leadership actions, but to see it in spring practice, I'm looking forward to seeing it.”
Q: What's the challenge of trying to build your offensive system around a different type of quarterback when you are going through a quarterback battle?
MF: “I would think they all have similar skill sets, right? Kenny might argue with me that he's as good a runner as Riley [Leonard], but I don't know. I think they all have similar skill sets, with the ability to throw it. The ability, if they need to, to keep the ball in their hands and extend the play or have an option to run the bal. As we look at it from the big picture, 'OK, we knew what Riley's strengths were. We knew what Sam Hartman's strengths were. Now we have an idea of what the collective group in that room, the strengths are.’
“And so, how do we tailor what we do offensively to fit the quarterback? And what are we going to ask that guy to do? You've heard me say it many times, great coaches call or ask their players to do what they do well. It is not a play call that you created. It's calling what your guys do well. And that's the objective of the spring, how can we tailor what we do offensively and call things that we believe our quarterback can perform well?
Q: What was your thought on re-imaging the administrative portion of the staff and the general manager role under Mike Martin with the changes in the sport?
MF: “With success, your guys continue to get opportunities, and you want that. I've always said that you want to develop your players to have success and go to the next level. You want the coaches, you want the support staff all to get opportunities. And when you have success, a lot of times those guys are going to be attractive to other programs. But with change, it creates an opportunity to bring in new personnel. And with any change, you want to feel like you enhance what you're doing. And that means, OK, you lose one guy, do you replace him with the exact same or do you kind of be creative and say, ‘OK, what do I see college football kind of going? And maybe who has strengths in that area that I see college football going?’
“If we lost this strength with a staff member, how do we replace that in another way? I'm extremely pleased with the people that we've decided to bring in to be a part of this program. I think at the end of the day, the most important thing is that you're people of character. That's most important to me, that we bring in men and women of character. This place attracts people of character, I believe. But then you're competent and you do what's required of you, you're the best at what you're required and asked of. It's been a short timeframe, but I'm excited for all the personnel hires we've made.”
Q: What was the biggest attraction to Mike Martin, specifically, as GM?
MF: “Actually for me, probably before his competence were the things I heard about his character — who he is to work with and work for. I think that was extremely important to me, that you fit the culture we have in our football program. That's probably what attracted me to him more than anything. And then the ability to understand the competence he has for his position and the value and experience he has in evaluation. As you see college football moving forward, the value you put in individual players financially and those types of things, I think it was important to have somebody in that role that understands that and has experience doing that. And he does, and he's done a tremendous job.
“But you know what? He's a really good recruiter, too. He's a great communicator, and he takes a lot of pride in making the people that work with him and around him better. That's a part of leadership. You make those around you better. And I love that part of him. The ability to attract recruits to Notre Dame, we had to replace that, and we lost in some personnel. And I'm happy with the people that we've decided to replace that with.”
Q: What do you see as Mike Martin's responsibilities?
MF: “He's the general manager. He's going to be the face of our personnel department. When potential student-athletes come on campus, he's going to have important conversations. It's going to be about relationships. I don't care if you're the general manager, the head coach or a position coach or a recruiter, it's going to be about relationships. And he leads our personnel department.
“But the other expectation is to make sure that we're recruiting the right guys and not wasting time on the wrong guys. And that once we identify you as the right guy, that's going to help us continue to elevate, then what's the plan to make sure that we do whatever it takes to get this person to come to Notre Dame and choose Notre Dame?”
Q: How important was it to have the people who have stayed, like Carter Auman, Becca Sites, Deland McCullough II? And them getting the other folks up to speed in terms of how things work around here when it comes to recruiting?
MF: “You always want some stability in terms of people who have been here and understand the expectations. So, the new personnel doesn't always have to come down and say, 'How do you want this Coach? How do you want this done? Or what do you want me to do?' They can be able to help in that transition phase. And so, obviously Carter and Becca know this place really well. They've been here for many years, went to school here. And Deland II has been a valuable member of our recruiting staff and our personnel department. So, I'm thrilled to keep those three here.”
Q: Could you point out some of their strengths that stand out for each of the quarterback candidates that could allow one of them to stand out to be eventually be the starter?
MF: “They've all got great arms. They all can throw the ball. One's a senior that has been here that has experience. One's been here going into a second year and one's going into his third year. Is that a strength or a weakness? I don't know. That's to be determined. I think all three have the ability to extend plays with their legs. They all three make really great decisions. There's nothing I'm going to say right now to say, 'Hey, they're separated.' Those three are competing. And I look forward to the competition. And at the end of the day, when one clearly shows that he's the best person to lead our offense, then he'll be named a starter.”
Q: How does having an incomplete receiver room in the spring impact the QB competition?
MF: “[Jaden] Greathouse will be here. Faison is limited, but it isn't like there's a whole bunch of people coming in June that's going to be different. We're going to have to count on some of these guys. You're going to have to count on Faison, Will Pauling and the new guys that are here, some of these young guys — KK Smith and Elijah Burress and Jerome Bettis, the Micah Gilberts. You're going to make them better and also we're going to evaluate you.
“The one thing I've learned more than anything when you evaluate quarterbacks, it isn't the final result that always tells you if they've done a good job or not. Other people see it that way. Other people see, 'Did the guy catch the ball or not? Is it interception or not? What's the result or what's the outcome?'
“But when you spend time understanding their process, a lot of that times, it's not their fault. We can evaluate a quarterback based on his decision-making and not look at the result of the outcome of the play. That doesn't always matter, and that's what we'll be able to do when you're talking about utilizing some younger guys that are less experienced. But at the end of the day, it's about making the team better. Yeah, there's competitions, but the overarching theme is let's get better as a team. And guess what? There's going to be some young guys in that wide receivers room that get better fast, and that's going to make our team better.”
Q: After you had three offensive coordinators in three years, you obviously get some carryover now with Mike Denbrock. How much does that help all of these guys who have been with him for at least a year now?
MF: “{QBs] coach [Gino] Guidugli's third year too. And so that camaraderie, that consistency is important. I think it's going to help everybody enhance faster. We've really, really preached the details of our offense. How do we continue to enhance the details of our offense? Well, you're not enhancing the details if you ain't got a great foundation. Well, we do have a great foundation, so now they're able to enhance the details of our offense. So it's exciting. It's definitely an added benefit knowing that you have consistency in your coordinator, but you also have consistency in your quarterbacks coach.”
Q: The decision to move Devan Houstan from the defensive side to the offensive side, what went into that?
MF: “We want to give him an opportunity to maybe contribute to our football program more than he has in the past, and we think he has some skill set that would translate to the offensive line.”
Q: With the truncated roster that you have during the spring, how much team offense, defense building can you actually do right now? Or is the focus more about individual improvement and then gathering together as a team toward the end with the spring?
MF: “It's always like this in the spring. You don't have the complete roster that you'll have in the fall. But I'll tell you this, if these roster limits end up happening — which we don't know yet — it'll be closer to the amount of guys you probably have in the spring and it'll be somewhere right in the middle. The thing about the springs, you go good-on-good. You don't have scout teams. I don't care if you go 1s versus 2s or 2s versus 3s, but it's good-on-good. You don't have scout teams.
“So the spring, in terms of this spring versus last spring, won't change in terms of the structure. Maybe the length of the practice changes and all those things, but the structure of practice in terms of your individual periods, your group periods, your good-on-good periods, your team periods, that won't change. It is completely different than the fall, because you truly getting the scout teams.”
Q: Do you sense that there are some guys that feel like they're battling for roster spots right now with the 105-roster limit possibly coming?
MF: “I'm sure. But you waste time daydreaming about an uncertain future. Who cares? You should be focused on being the best version of you. And I don't care if you're worried about being on the 105, you're worried about being a starting quarterback or you're worried about being the backup tackle and you're a true freshman, stop wasting time on things that don't matter. The future's uncertain, so focus on being the best version of you today. That's all that matters. Don't worry about what group you're going with. Don't worry about, maybe I'll be cut in the 105. Focus on being the best version of you and the rest will take care of itself.”
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