Apr 12, 2025; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman waits to run onto the field during the Blue-Gold game at Notre Dame Stadium. Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Rival Coach Scouts Notre Dame Football Ahead of 2025 Season

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By Nick Shepkowski | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 12:20 AM ET

Notre Dame football came within one victory of ending its 37 year national championship drought last season, making it all the way to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game before falling to Ohio State.

Was that College Football Playoff run a one-off for Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish or is the program set to challenge for the title regularly going forward?

College football preview magazines are out in full force as we approach the official start of summer, and my favorite part in them has almost always been the quote from anonomous sources. Sometimes they're jibberish while other times they're spot-on.

Athlon Sports has its college football preview magazine out for the 2025 season and in the Notre Dame preview, quotes an opposing assistant coach about the Fighting Irish.

"They might've had the same ending in the national title game, but football people understand the difference between the kind of roster (Marcus) Freeman has built vs. the staff before. National titles are the standard here, but this is definitley a changed program for the better. ...

With (Steve) Angeli gone, it seems like (CJ) Carr is the favorite to win the starting QB job. ...

If (Jeremiyah) Love doesn't have a Heisman season, it might be because there's so much quality at that position. They've got a lot of talent in the backfield. ..

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

It's a safe bet you're going to see a lot more mixed coverages with (Chris) Ash as the DC. They were dead to rights against Ohio State on the outside playing man. That defense is really talented, even losing some key leaders. ...

Overall, this is the most consistent we've seen the program in a long time."

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Takeaway:

The excitement around Notre Dame football hasn't been this high in a very long time, and that's something I think the opposing assistant coach is trying to say. However, consistency has to be earned, not given.

Under Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame hasn't yet been a consistent powerhouse. In his first year as head coach, the Fighting Irish fell to 9-4 after a run of four-straight 10-plus win seasons. A year later, Notre Dame finished 10-3 after beating Oregon State in the Sun Bowl.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

2025 is the season that Freeman and Notre Dame can prove they have staying power. The question isn't whether or not Notre Dame can make the CFP again with a first year starting quarterback, but instead if it can make another serious run at playing in another national championship game.

Only after Notre Dame makes noise in the playoffs regularly will the consistency actually be there in the way the quoted opposing assistant suggests.

This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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