Notre Dame Football Countdown to Kickoff: Three Thoughts Before 2025 Opener

Last year, Notre Dame’s offensive line was superb in the ground game, helping pave the way for star running back Jeremiyah Love to average an uber-impressive 6.9 yards per carry.

As for pass protection, the Fighting Irish O-line was so-so at best. Quarterback Riley Leonard, who was fairly evasive, went down 25 times on the year in 16 games - CJ Carr will need even more time. The 1.56 sacks allowed per game ranked 45th out of 133 teams. 

But this year, Notre Dame returns three key pieces from that 2024 front five, including talented sophomore left tackle Anthonie Knapp, left guard Billy Schrauth, and right tackle Aamil Wagner. The Fighting Irish also bring back junior center Ashton Craig, who started the first three contests of last year at center before suffering an injury.

That final O-line spot – right guard – will be filled out by sophomore Guerby Lambert, who got reps on the offensive line and special teams in 2024. Extremely talented and more experienced than a year ago, expect the Notre Dame offensive line to take a step forward in pass protection and do an excellent job of keeping QB CJ Carr’s jersey clean. 

2. Notre Dame boasts a top three scoring defense

This one’s hardly a hot take. The Fighting Irish gave up just 15.5 points per game last year, which was tied for fourth in the country. Despite there being little room for improvement, we still expect the defense to take a step forward in 2025.

Leonard Moore and Christian Gray – each of whom now has a full season of collegiate experience under their belts – headline the country’s most dangerous secondary, while the Fighting Irish bring back a pair of experienced linebackers at the second level in Drayk Bowen and Jaylen Sneed. 

As for the edge, Notre Dame is deeper than it has been in years. Expect Notre Dame, which led the country in turnovers forced last year at 33, to once again create takeaways at a high level, and wreak havoc at all three levels, while holding opponents to less than 15 points per game. 

1. Week Eight vs USC will be the most important game of the year

Yes, the Week One outing against Miami carries heavy College Football Playoff repercussions. But we all remember Notre Dame falling to Northern Illinois, yet the Fighting Irish still wound up playing for a national championship a couple of months later.

Moral of the story: Notre Dame can lose. Does coach Marcus Freeman and his crew want to fall in their season-opener? Of course not. But they’d still have ample time (and resume-building opportunities) to work themselves back into the CFP discussion. 

But, come Week Eight, the pressure is truly on. Notre Dame’s home matchup with USC is its last chance to truly win over the CFP committee with a big-time victory (assuming USC hasn’t fallen apart by then).

Coach Lincoln Riley’s Trojans are versatile, talented, and have the tools to be potent. If the Fighting Irish were to drop this game, they’d have very few remaining chances to prove their ability against a worthy opponent – making the Week Eight outing an imperative must-win matchup.