Marcus Freeman Ranked Top 5 by PFF — What It Means for Notre Dame

Freeman's rapid rise has been earned the hard way

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman is the fifth-best active head coach in college football. What a wild journey it's been for Freeman since taking the head job in South Bend. He had two very public and, quite frankly, frustrating years at the helm, which marked the beginning of his journey.

Freeman was learning how to be a head coach while simultaneously flipping the roster, staff, recruiting, and fundraising. He's done this all under the brightest spotlight in the sport while most importantly, winning games on the field.

It was a lot, all at once.

There were excruciating and public learning lessons early in Freeman's tenure. They ranged from the names Marshall and Stanford, to 10 men on the field, and Northern Illinois. Freeman never wavered. He never threw anyone under the bus. He said the right things, owned defeat, put his head down, and worked even harder.

Notre Dame's run from week two on last year, while devastated with key injuries, was beyond impressive and felt like a major turning point for the program overall. It's great to see Freeman get his kudos, but it must be noted that he's certainly paid his dues and has earned credit the hard way.