Notre Dame Notebook: Marcus Freeman Talks Leonard Moore, Jordan Faison, Bryce Young

Notre Dame is both in an enviable and yet unenviable position as it prepares to face Georgia on New Year’s Day in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Fighting Irish are among eight teams that are still playing for a chance to win a national championship, but they will play their biggest game of the season to date next week without defensive tackle Rylie Mills, who became the fourth defensive starter to be lost to a season-ending injury last week.

Mills, who had started 29 consecutive games before injury his knee in last week’s first round playoff win over Indiana, joins Jordan Botelho, Boubacar Traore and Benjamin Morrison on the undesirable list of defensive starters whose seasons have ended prematurely due to injury (center Ashton Craig saw his season end after three games due to injury as well).

The list is one the team would rather not have but after the losses of those players, others have stepped up to keep the Irish pushing forward toward the goal of a championship.

“I think it's a great reminder that the future is uncertain,” Irish head coach Marcus Freeman said when asked about how several reserves have more than aptly stepped into starting roles over the course of the season. “So, you might not be a starter today or you might not be playing today, but the future is uncertain. Just continue to focus on improvement — individual improvement — and on Saturdays, continue to choose to put the team in front of yourself and then, all of the sudden, you might be thrust into a meaningful situation with not even knowing or expecting it. I think that's more important than anything is that we all recognize that the future is uncertain. The guys that are playing now, there's a lot of guys that are different than the guys that started the year off in fall camp and at Texas A&M. But we're going to need everybody. That's so important, because you can't wait ‘til you need somebody to, all of the sudden, make them feel like they have value to the team.

“Those guys that maybe aren't starting week one, they know how much value they have to this football program and your value isn't determined by your role on this team,” Freeman continued. “I think that's just, to me, when you bring that up about guys that weren't starting or weren't playing early in the season that now are being called upon, it's just a great reminder that: Don't make a decision today that's going to affect the rest of your career. Don't make a decision today because of a temporary situation that's going to impact your future forever. Just know that the future’s uncertain. Work as hard as you can to be the best version of you, and elevate, and let's see what happens in the future.”

On Leonard Moore

Leonard Moore is one of a handful of those players who have been thrust into a starting role after an injured player went down with injury. Moore made his first career start on Sept. 28 against Louisville when fellow cornerback Christian Gray was a game time scratch.

Moore led the Irish with 7.0 tackles and forced a fumble in that game and then he became a full-time starter alongside Gray two games later after Benjamin Morrison’s season-ending hip surgery. He has 37 tackles, two interceptions and is tied for second on the defense with 8.0 pass breakups. Most recruiting services rated the Round Rock, Texas defensive back as a three-star prospect, but Irish secondary coach Mike Mickens pounded the table for the Freshman All-American.

“When Mike Mickens says, ‘I want somebody,’ I've learned to trust Mike Mickens,” Freeman remarked. “That's through our time in Cincinnati, and our time here with Benjamin Morrison, our time here with Leonard Moore. He's a great evaluator. He is a great evaluator, and it was no different with Leonard Moore. He said, ‘This is a guy, I believe, that can help us and will be a great football player. Nobody knew how quickly he would develop, but I remember doing a home visit with Coach Mickens at his house, and spent some time with his mother and father, who are just some of the brightest individuals I've ever been around.

“I think all those things helped him develop into the football player he is today,” Freeman continued. “He has God-given ability, athleticism, but he's a very intelligent individual and a very competitive individual that I think helped expedite that process of where he's at right now. Again, it's a credit to coach Mick for standing on the table for Leonard Moore and his evaluation, but also credit to his upbringing and how he was raised.”

On Jordan Faison

Jordan Faison’s five-catch, 115-yard performance in last season’s Sun Bowl ratcheted-up the expectations entering the season for the sophomore wide receiver. His seven receptions for 87 yards against Indiana last week are the high-water marks for any Irish receiver this season.

Faison injured his ankle in the season-opener against Texas A&M, forcing him to miss three games and is now finally looking like he has shaken off the affects of that late August ailment.

“Yeah, I think it delayed (Faison’s impact),” Freeman explained. “It’s often called delayed gratification, right? He plays lacrosse, and so he misses spring ball. Has a good training camp, and then he goes and he gets an ankle sprain versus A&M that kind of set him back for a couple weeks and you're starting to see him get back to being the Jordan Faison we know we can be. I mean, the guy is always in the right position. He's always making the play. He's a gamer, who's also a great practice player, too and it's just good to see him perform at a high level right now when it matters the most.”

On Bryce Young

It looked like another defensive player may have suffered a serious injury last week when defensive end Bryce Young left the Indiana game. He was attended to by Notre Dame’s athletic training staff after recording his first career solo sack as well as a tackle for loss in last Friday’s win over the Hoosiers.

In addition to playing Notre Dame’s field defensive end position, Young is also tied for second in the nation with three blocked kicks as a freshman. He was not listed on Notre Dame’s injury report this week and is expected to be a full go against Georgia.

“He played really, really well,” Freeman said of Young’s game against IU. “He's played well all season. He's a difference-maker. To be a true freshman and playing at the level he's playing at, he's got some great genetics. Make sure you give Mom a shoutout, too. But he prepares the right way and is performing at a high level, and he's a huge part of what we're doing defensively and we're going to need another big game out of him as we get ready for Georgia.”