Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman spoke to reporters for nearly 50 minutes on Wednesday. The majority of that discussion was about the high school recruits Notre Dame signed at the start of the early signing period for the 2024 class.
The transcript below covers everything he said about Notre Dame's class of high school recruits. Inside ND Sports will have a notebook later with highlights of some of the other topics he discussed including the class of six transfers added to the program so far.
The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity. Questions have been mostly paraphrased.
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Opening statement:
"These 23 young men that have been committed to this place for a while and now it becomes official. I talked to every single one this morning. It’s exciting for them. It’s exciting for us in terms of what this opportunity truly provides.
“We have 23 signees from 15 states. Fifteen of those guys will be midyears here in January. One’s obviously already here with CJ [Carr]. We have a Butkus Award finalist in Kyngstonn [Viliamu-Asa]. Nineteen different players earned four- or five-star status. We evaluate off of what we see on film and what we see live and in person. We’ve gotten live evals on every single one of those players that committed, which hasn’t been something we’ve done before. But grades matter too. Those are important. If they keep score, we always say we want to win. Those matter too.
“We had two top 50 overall recruits in Cam Williams and Guerby Lambert. That was the first time since 2020 that’s happened here. The best thing to me was the zero decommitments in senior seasons. That shows that these young people want to be here. They have a close relationship to each other. It’s a strong class, and they’re a close class. That’s also credit to our coaches and Chad Bowden and our recruiting staff in making sure that we keep these guys together. Until they actually sign, there’s always people pulling at them. They say, ‘Is there a better opportunity for me?’ But they stayed committed to each other and to this university and this football program. I’m extremely happy about that.
“We addressed a lot of different needs. It’s a well-balanced class, but it always starts with the quarterback. CJ’s been our longest commitment. I think he’s the leader of this class. He’s been the one to make sure to keep this class together. The other part of that is I’ve always said we’re O-line/D-line driven. To have four offensive linemen committed and four defensive linemen committed in this class was important.
“I always say this, the core foundation of our program will still be built off of high school recruiting. I know the transfer portal is a new thing with college football. We’re going to address specific needs in the transfer portal. But our foundation of this football program will always be addressed through high school recruiting. I’m pleased with those 23 guys.
“A couple thank yous before I open it up. I want to thank our recruiting personnel staff: Chad Bowden, Butler Benton, Matt Jansen, Dre Brown, Mackenzie Zanow, Zaire Turner, Caleb Davis, Carter Auman and Madison Hahn of Anthony Travel.
"Our admissions have been amazing: Micki Kidder and Shannon Kelly for their time. Professor Chris Stevens, who’s been very impactful with recruits, with parents. He’s done an unbelievable job and been a huge asset to us. To our academic staff, Adam Sargent and his staff, for the hours and hours of meeting with recruits. It’s different. Every single recruit has to be evaluated in terms of are they a fit for Notre Dame. This isn’t just a football-only decision. The hours that are put in to making sure they’re the right fit for this place is tremendous.
"FIM, our Fighting Irish Media, has done a wonderful job. I saw the video they put out. They’re just always forward-thinking. They’re so creative. They raise the bar in everything they do.
“And then our football families. It’s important when you’re not from this place and this state, which we recruit nationally, that parents are able to speak to other parents about how they make it work with their children being so far away. That’s one of our greatest selling points. You don’t have to talk us coaches about it. Talk to the parents. The parents of our current players have been tremendous in the help and the information they’ve given to the parents of the recruits.”
Q: Why do you feel like there was less drama in the home stretch this year? Was the approach different? Did you look at different kids?
Freeman: “It starts with the relationship. 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.
“The other thing is the core. Those guys are able to develop that relationship with each other. I always tell them, don’t make the decision based off things that can change. Coaching can change. Uniforms can change. A lot of things can change. But the majority of your class, those relationships, will always be there. So continue to help each other and build a relationship. And that’s what we did.”
There were a lot of unknowns about NIL in recruiting in the last cycle. There was a lot of fear among the fan base that Notre Dame may get left behind with that dynamic. What’s your sense of how that dynamic has changed in Notre Dame’s place in the NIL space?
“Our collective in FUND has been tremendous. They’ve been committed to making sure that this football program and this university can continue to compete for championships. They do it in such a unique way, in the Notre Dame way. I am extremely pleased with what our collective, the FUND, has done, what they continue to do, the investments in our athletics program and the ability to continue to compete not just in the present but in the future as NIL continues to change. There will be change, I’m sure, in the future. But the group is committed to making sure we are in a position to compete for championships.”
Q: How important was it for you guys to sign a five-star wide receiver? What can Cam Williams add to that group?
Freeman: “I don’t know if Cam was maybe a five-star when he committed. I don’t know when he became one. But the thing that attracted us to Cam was his speed. When we’ve said, ‘Hey, we need to address speed,’ that was a part of [hiring director of football performance] Loren Landow, that’s a part of recruiting. We want to continue to enhance our speed on the outside on both sides of the ball.
“That was a thing with Cam. We saw him multiple times run 4.4s. We had him in camp. We had him live. He is a tremendous player that’s from Chicago. We have to make sure that the best players in Chicago that fit this place continue to come to Notre Dame. That was the case with Cam.”
Q: What does the running back haul say about the job Deland McCullough has done? How important is the running back position to this program?
Freeman: “I remember when Aneyas [Williams] came here for camp, we had not offered him. He was here with a lot of great prospects, and he was the best one. We offered him at that camp. Then he went on to get a whole bunch of offers. He committed probably shortly after that in the summer sometime. He is a very unique player that believed in Notre Dame but also in the development with Deland McCullough could do for him. We have a history of producing great running backs. Deland McCullough has a history of continuing to develop great running backs. There was a lot of people pulling at Aneyas. He stayed strong. He continued to come over here and be a part of this thing. I’m really excited to have him here.
“Kedren [Young] was the second-to-last home visit that I went to. I remember sitting in his home with his mother, coach McCullough and a couple of us there, his three brothers and sisters. What a unique family. What a strong mother he has. You talk about being close to a lot of schools in Texas that I know wanted him. For him to be committed to us for such a long time. He came on his official visit. He wasn’t committed then. Right after the official visit, he said this is where I want to be and this is who I believe in. For him to stay solid — I left his house saying, ‘We got a special one there.’
“I believe both of those guys are going to do tremendous things here. But both of them understand Notre Dame and want to be a part of it.”
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Q: What have you learned about recruiting since you’ve arrived at Notre Dame? How has the process changed and how have you evolved as a recruiter?
Freeman: “There’s changes in recruiting when you start talking about NIL and even transfer portal and those things that you have to continue to adapt to. We have to. As I mentioned, the FUND and their ability to help us with NIL opportunities. But the core nucleus of recruiting still comes down to relationships. That is investing time in being intentional about pouring into the relationships you have with recruits, their parents, their coaches, anybody that’s important in their life. To me, that still is why you get the majority of the recruits that you get. It’s because of the relationships.
“I have to make sure that I’m leading the charge. As the head coach, you have to. You have to spend a lot of time pouring into all recruits. It’s not just defensive recruits, not linebacker, I’m talking about all 23 of these guys. But it also takes a staff. Chad Bowden has done a tremendous job in communicating and keeping these guys together. But our positions coaches too. It’s been a focus and an important part of everything we do. We structure we have recruiting time every day of the week. Football stops. Let’s continue to develop this relationship.”
Q: There was a time when early enrollees weren’t a thing and now they are, and you have CJ Carr here for bowl prep, how important has that evolution and process been and his development getting used to becoming a college football player without classes?
Freeman: ”Yeah, I'm gonna answer that with probably two parts, like with a quarterback, I think it's unique to get here early. To learn the playbook. It’s different, especially for the quarterback and it's been great to have him here and there can be two rights, right?”
“I have recruits and parents that tell me all the time, ‘Is he gonna be behind if he doesn’t start mid-year?’
“Academically, yeah, you miss a semester but in terms of the opportunity to play football … some of the greatest players we've had as freshmen here or in my career, have been in the summer. Ben Morrison was a summer guy. I can't remember if Kyle Hamilton was a summer guy, I think he was another guy that started. When I was at Cincinnati, Sauce Gardner was a summer guy. And I'm talking about three guys that started as true freshmen. But there's also an added benefit to coming in early too and so there's no wrong coming in early or coming in the summer. It's whatever is the preference of that student-athlete but to have CJ here in this bowl practice time has been great for him in terms of the adjustment and to the expectations for football.”
Q: What makes Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa such a special linebacker?
Freeman: “He’s probably the most, I would say, right now college-ready recruit we have physically [and] mentally … comes from an unbelievable program in St. Bosco. But he’s so mature. Now, the more you talk to him he's got a goofy side to him but Kyngstonn is mature. I always said he’s like a grown man. Great parents .. 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.’
“I think back to his father, when he committed in my office saying, ‘Just take care of my boy, you know, take care of my son.’
“And it was an emotional meeting but that is just a reflection of how he was raised. As a football player, I mean, he is a physical tackler, physical in block destruction. There’s a lot of traits that he has that make him one of the highest-recruited linebackers in the country. But to get him here, get him here early … he’ll have a chance to compete right away I’m sure.”
Q: What did you like from your first time seeing Bryce Young when you extended an offer and what have you liked about his growth since?
Freeman: “Well, you know, his last name obviously tells us what his bloodlines’ like. I told him now, nobody talks about his Mom that was a track star, right? That she’d run track and I said he gets it from his mom. But, you know, he came to camp and he was this tall, skinny … he was tall and skinny. But he showed some skillsets that said, ‘OK, this guy is gonna be good.’
“And now you look at him and he’s huge. In a year, it might’ve been a year and a half, he’s gained weight. I think he’s even gotten taller. But he has the tools. He’s got everything that I’m sure his father had when he came through and he’s gonna be a great player for us. He’s a great, great person. You know, what I told him is if you don't see the value of Notre Dame by looking at your parents then if I can't convince you to come here then I'm gonna struggle, right? Because you can look at Mom and Dad and realize the power of this place and this university and so he didn't commit right away but we were able to get him to understand how important it is to get him here.”
Q: With several people pitching in on the recruiting process, how much do you think that impacts and is that maybe a factor in no decommitments?
Freeman: “Yeah, it’s huge. I didn’t get a chance to thank [associate athletic director of strategic and football communications] Katy [Lonergan]. Sorry about that Katy. She helped me with the notes but didn’t put her name down. You know, it does, like I said, it takes a village. There's so many questions that recruits want to know and we have experts in a lot of different fields and I can explain what Katy does or what Chad and his staff does or what medical people do but to hear it from them it’s important. They want to spend time with our training staff, our athletic training staff, they want to spend time with our weight room, that they want to spend time with Katy and talk about marketing and branding and stuff like that. It's important that they hear from the person they're gonna be working with [and] not just me the entire time. And so when you have a staff committed to spending time with recruits and families and answering questions and doing zooms that's when you see a class like this come together.”
Q: In many ways, this is probably your first real true recruiting class. Do you remember the first 2024 prospect you talked to and is this a roadmap for what you want to do in the future?
Freeman: “Yeah, it's definitely a roadmap for what I believe in, and what it’s gonna take for us to continue to have success in college football is build off high school recruiting in a balanced group that we have. But I don't remember the first one but I know the first commit, you know, CJ Carr and sitting on our balcony. And what a unique situation with his family and his grandfather, both grandfathers, one coaching, one playing, his father played at Michigan I remember him saying, ‘This is where I want to be.’
"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. But that's the first story I remember, the first example I remember when I think of the 24 class was CJ Carr saying, ‘This is where I want to be. I want to lead this football program in and lead this '24 class and that’s what he’s done.’”
Q: You mentioned Bryce Young. With Kennedy Urlacher and his last name that everyone knows, what about this program appeals to recruits from NFL families?
A: “When your dads are Hall of Famers, the fathers can say, ‘This game will end.’
“And you want to make a decision that will help you reach all your athletic goals. Don't cheat your athletic goal but understand the game of football ends so fast. And you're talking about guys that have played multiple years in, 13, 14, 15 years in the NFL. But I hink even talking to Brian Urlacher, he's able to tell Kennedy, ‘Hey man, this game is gonna end and so go somewhere where you can maximize your football opportunities but understand set yourself up for life after football.
“And I think that coming from the Urlacher family, a guy that didn't come here but understood the value of Notre Dame. He had a huge impact on his son Kennedy. You know, I think Bryce is different because his parents both went here. But Brian didn't and still understood how special this place was so I think it speaks volumes to guys that have played the game at the highest level. One of the best to ever do it in talking both the Urlacher’s and the Young’s but also the understanding of football, the career, no matter how long you play, it’s short.”
Q: What can you say about Guerby Lambert, just the physical player he is and the mental side … Harvard isn’t a finalist for a lot of recruits?
Freeman: “Yeah, you know, it came down to us and Harvard. And you're talking about a top-50 recruit in the country. We call him the dancing bear. That was his nickname. He was a soccer player. His whole family were big into soccer. He played soccer up through his freshman year. He's only played football for four years … started his freshman year. When we were recruiting Boubacar [Traore], I remember his coach telling me there s a kid in the next class, he’s gonna be one of the best offensive linemen in the country. From that point, we started recruiting him. For him to commit to this place because education was important, not just football, especially for his mother. Education was so important in this decision to get him here. I mean, he fits everything this program looks for.
Q: How high is CJ Carr’s ceiling here?
Freeman: “I don't know how high it will be but It's extremely high. I watch him throw the ball in practices the last couple of days. He’s got a great arm [and] his decision making … he processes information and makes decisions at a high level. But he's a freshman. The one thing you can't take into consideration when we talk about hard work, you have a role, and you know it's going to be hard work to never know how much time has to be put in to reach those goals. And so we'll see how much time it will take him but I truly believe he has such a high ceiling in terms of where he'll be as a football player. He's so competitive. 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 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.”
Q: You talk so much about families. What is it, outside a big last name, that you're looking for?
Freeman: “I think it's important to recruit families because young people … it's hard for them to see beyond the game of football. I was that person at a time, all you can see is yourself making the NFL. You're not worried about life after football. What’s important as parents, myself included, is to say, ‘OK, son or daughter, athletics will be over. What place gives you a chance to maximize your athletic opportunities but also set you up for the rest of your life?’”
“Because that's gonna be way longer than your athletic career. And so I think it's important that you have adults that maybe have played or maybe have been through college sports and athletics to be able to say, ‘Hey, son or daughter, make sure you understand that this is more than just a football decision. We say four-for-40, right? This is a decision that’s gonna last for a long time.”
Q: When you and your staff can’t agree on an evaluation, what do you look for as a differentiator mentally or physically to make you comfortable enough to accept a guy for a roster spot?
Freeman: “Every position could be different but the one X-factor is competitiveness. And you can find out how competitive a person is. There's different ways … you can talk to the coaches, watch their most important games. I want to see you show up in your most important [games]. I’ll talk about Loghan Thomas, a guy that had a shoulder injury and didn’t have to play the state championship game and he said, ‘Listen, I’m gonna play with one arm.’
“And that’s what you're like, ‘OK, this guy is competitive.’
“Hey, does he practice when he’s injured? If you're a competitor, you don’t want to get bad grades. That’s why I tell our guys, if you’re a competitor, you’re a competitor. You're a competitor in the classroom. You’re a competitor on the football field. And so those, to me, are things that we look for when we say, ‘OK, this guy and this guy are very similar in athleticism, very similar into performance on the football field. How do we find out who's more competitive?
“And your gotta ask those tough questions. You can ask a kid a tough question but to me, that’s the X-factor."
Q: Is it different in the transfer portal because you have a year to go after recruits and only a tight window to find players in the transfer portal?
Freeman: “Yeah, I wanna know how competitive you are but what type of person I want. When you talk about portal kids, you’re talking about guys that are gonna come into an established locker room and we can't bring in a selfish person. This is team. In high school recruiting, a lot of times it's just about you. It's about you. We love you. This is about you. Come to Notre Dame. When you come as a transfer portal guy, it’s about, ‘OK, you’re coming in to be a part of this team. like you're already a college football player.’
“And that to me is more important than anything, you gotta find ways to figure out who this person is as a teammate. And there’s some of that. There’s coaches. Somebody knows some coach that was around that player, it might be his former teammate, something like that. But you gotta find out, Hey, what type of person is he and what are you bringing into your locker room?’”
Q: How important is it to keep stacking complete recruiting classes from a positional standpoint with the transfer portal being the way it is?
A: ”It’s so important. As I said, I think in the opening, our core and our foundation is going to be based off high school recruiting. We don't want to continue to major in the transfer portal. And we haven't. We’ve hit specific needs, which we'll continue to do. But if you're able to bring somebody out of high school and you have them here and they understand what this place is about. That's more important than anything. I think a guy like Benjamin Morrison that comes in here and he’s a great player. I’m sure there’s many people that would love to have Benjamin Morrison on their team but he understands the value of this place. He understands what this place provides.
"We're as competitive as anybody else in NIL and so he doesn’t wanna go anywhere else. And so that to me is so important is that you continue to bring the right guys in here, their good players that believe in this place and will continue to build the nucleus of your team.”
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