Marcus Freeman Following Lou Holtz’s Late-’80s Blueprint at Notre Dame

Marcus Freeman is building something special in South Bend, and it's reminiscent of something that Notre Dame fans of a certain age have seen before. Specifically, it's something that echoes Lou Holtz’s title-winning formula of the late 1980s: recruit hard, build up program depth, compete for titles.

One of those classes, the Class of 1987, was the foundation for the last title team in South Bend.

The 1988 Notre Dame squad was thought to be one year away from competing for a title, but the class of 1987 stepped up much sooner than anticipated. The group featured All-Americans like cornerback Todd Lyght and defensive tackle Chris Zorich, explosive offensive threats like Ricky Watters and Tony Brooks, offensive lineman Tim Ryan and Mike Heldt and key defenders Andre Jones and George Williams.

Eleven of the recruits started at least one game as sophomores on the 1988 national title team, which won 23 straight games and went 7-1 against AP top-five teams from 1988 to 1990. Though Tony Rice had enrolled the year before and wasn't included in this class, it had enough star power without a signal-caller. Not only did this group play a significant role in the 1988 title season, but they finished 41-8 overall with a final No. 2 and No. 6 ranking in their junior and senior seasons.

It's hard to pinpoint which one of Freeman's recent classes can put up results similar to that. If the 2025 squad is on the same trajectory, that would put the Class of 2024 as the impactful sophomores like 1987. Guys like Bryce Young, Kyngston Villamu-Asa, CJ Carr, Leonard Moore, Anthonie Knapp, and Aneyas Williams all may figure prominently in the team's 2025 success. Or we can see the recent commitments of players like Joey O'Brien and Khary Adams as an indicator that the Class of 2026, currently ranked third nationally by most outlets, is the one to watch.

Whatever class is ends up being, its Freeman's year-to-year consistency on the recruiting trail that has the Irish sitting pretty. It's stacking top-10 classes that mirror the blueprint Holtz and the 1987 class put forward: elite defensive backs, explosive playmakers, trench talent, and depth across all units.

History doesn’t always repeat itself, but we can certainly get an idea of what may be coming by looking at what has been.

And the future is bright.

Real bright.