LSU HC Brian Kelly makes an admission about Notre Dame in the National Championship that may surprise many

When Brian Kelly decided to leave Notre Dame and take the job at LSU, it was a surprise to many.

Kelly has now completed three seasons at LSU and he won 10 games in the first two before winning nine games in 2024.

LSU’s season ended with a 44-31 win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl. The Tigers are returning QB Garrett Nussmeier next season and they’ll look to take a step forward.

Though Kelly is not well-liked by Notre Dame folks, he did make a sort of surprising admission on his rooting interest in next week’s National Championship game between the Fighting Irish and Ohio State.

“I’m happy for all those guys, I pull for them,” Kelly said, via CBS Sports. “A lot of the guys there that are on both sides of the ball, I recruited. Obviously, I want to see those guys win it all, and I think they’re in a great position. Totally excited for those guys.”

Notre Dame has beaten Indiana, Georgia, and Penn State to advance to the final game in the College Football Playoff. Kelly and the Tigers fell short of making the CFP this year, but he will be in the corner of his former team, which still has players that he recruited while there.

The Irish are an eight-point underdog against the Buckeyes, who have gone down an impressive road to make the big game. The Buckeyes have scored wins over Tennessee, Oregon, and Texas to earn the right to be in the National Championship.

Even if people in South Bend are not fond of Kelly, he is not letting that get in the way of rooting for Notre Dame in the big game. The National Championship will be played on Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET in Atlanta, Georgia.