Notre Dame football (1-0) will make history on Saturday, when it faces its first-ever FCS and HBCU opponent, Tennessee State (0-0).

Irish head coach Marcus Freeman will roam the sidelines opposite of fellow Ohio State graduate and Tennessee State head coach Eddie George.

The Irish, led by captains quarterback Sam Hartman, offensive tackle Joe Alt, linebacker JD Bertrand and cornerback Cam Hart, will attempt to win their home opener for the first time since 2021.

Inside ND Sports identifies four players — two from each team — to keep a close eye on when Notre Dame and Tennessee State kick off at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

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Through one game, Notre Dame's offensive identity isn't clear after showing off a balanced attack in its 42-3 win over Navy last Saturday.

Estimé, who rushed for one touchdown and 95 yards on 16 carries, was benched by running backs coach Deland McCollough in the first quarter last week for not protecting the football, though he did return in the second half.

The Irish have multiple advantages over Tennessee State, and offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Gerad Parker has Alt, offensive tackle Blake Fisher and the rest of the offensive line to run behind to establish dominance early. Gaps should be open for Estimé, and the running back has an opportunity to surpass the 100-yard mark.

Notre Dame's running back room is deep with options, including Gi'Bran Payne, Jadarian Price, Devyn Ford and Jeremiyah Love, but Estimé is the established starter and faces a Tigers defense that allowed 174.1 rushing yards per contest last season.

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With junior nose guard Gabriel Rubio sidelined due to a knee injury, Notre Dame's starting interior defensive linemen, Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III, are expected to manage a bigger workload.

However, Onye, who is listed as their primary backup on Notre Dame's depth chart, can seize the opportunity in Rubio's absence. The 6-foot-5, 294-pound defender made his first career tackles against Navy, and now steps into a larger role.

Later this month, Notre Dame will face its first Power 5 opponents, in NC State and Ohio State. Onye's reps against Tennessee State are important for his own development and defensive line coach Al Washington. If Onye manages all of his responsibilities and flourishes against Tennessee State, Washington should have confidence in his defensive line's ceiling moving forward.

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The Tigers' offense is expected to be led by Ellis, who returns in his second year as a starter after throwing for 1,807 passing yards and eight touchdowns. Ellis is also a threat to run as well, having scored four rushing touchdowns in 2022.

Under defensive coordinator Al Golden, Notre Dame's defense must contain Ellis and make him uncomfortable early. The pass rush — led by Mills, graduate student defensive ends Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Nana Osafo-Mensah and senior defensive end Jordan Botelho — have the advantage up front. Their pressure could lead to turnovers and help prevent Ellis and Tennessee State's offense from picking up any momentum.

Green started all 11 games last season and registered 56 tackles, including 28 solo and one for loss. He also led the team in interceptions with three. Although listed as a safety, Green plays a little bit of everywhere and is one of the most experienced players on Tennessee State's roster in defending the pass and stopping the run.

The 5-11, 195-pound Orlando, Fla., native will face arguably the biggest challenge of his career against the Irish passing attack led by Hartman. Green, who forced one fumble last season, will serve as the last line of defense for most of Notre Dame's big offensive gains. If the Irish can take advantage of Green in coverage and make him miss in the open field, the offense could churn out more downfield plays under Parker.

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