Notre Dame Football 2025 Season Preview

The end of the 2024 season was definitely a bitter pill to swallow, but making it to the National Championship game especially after the way things began in the campaign, it was a remarkable ride and fun playoff ride. That being said, head coach Marcus Freeman is building something special and the hopes he can build upon that success from last year and take Notre Dame to the promise land.

Schedule

Game 1: at Miami

Game 2: vs Texas A&M

Game 3: vs Purdue

Game 4: at Arkansas

Game 5: vs Boise State

Game 6: vs NC State

Game 7: vs USC

Game 8: at Boston College

Game 9: vs Navy

Game 10: at Pittsburgh

Game 11: vs Syracuse

Game 12: at Stanford

The Miami game right off the bat is going to be tough as the Hurricanes are ranked #10 in the country and it's going to be played in South Florida. Texas A&M could be a tough matchup, but with it being at home, it's advantage Notre Dame. Playing at Arkansas could also be a tough one, it's a possible trap game. Boise State had some high hopes for this season, but with this game being at home, it should be a win for the Irish. Of course the game against USC at home should be a tough one too, but if it's anything like last season, then the Irish will be okay. Navy might possibly give Notre Dame some problems considering what the Midshipmen did in 2024, but the Irish should win this one. The rest of the schedule is relatively easy, so a 12-0 record is a reasonable expectation.

Key Losses

CB Benjamin Morrison

S Xavier Watts

LB Jack Kiser

DL Rylie Mills

TE Mitchell Evans

QB Riley Leonard

S Jordan Clark

DL Howard Cross III

CB Max Hurleman

RB Devyn Ford

K Mitch Jeter

DL RJ Oben

CB Jaden Mickey

OL Rocco Spindler

S Kennedy Urlacher

WR Jayden Thomas

OL Tosh Baker

WR Jayden Harrison

S Rod Heard II

OL Pat Coogan

Defensive Coordinator Al Golden

It always hurts losing players either to draft, graduation, transfer, or retirement. That's just the nature of college football. The bigger names like Morrison, Watts, Kiser, Mills, Evans, Cross III, and Leonard hurts the most considering what they provided. Morrison and Watts being important defensive backs as they are first round talents. Kiser, Cross III, and Kiser were very strong and important pieces on the defensive front. Evans was a solid tight end, while Leonard's running abilities and leadership was very important at quarterback and helped the Irish's run game be so great. Replacing Al Golden, who coached an elite defense, is going to be a tough job to fill. The rest of these players provided so much depth that it went to show how deep and talented the team was.

Key Additions

DL Jared Dawson

DL Elijah Hughes

WR Malachi Fields

WR Will Pauling

CB DeVonta Smith

S Jalen Stroman

Defensive Coordinator Chris Ash

Dawson and Hughes help beef up the depth on the defensive line and Stroman and Smith do the same in the defensive backs. Fields though should be a huge boost in the wide receivers corps as he gives quarterbacks a reliable option to throw to. Pauling is also depth piece in the receivers. Smith is a dynamic defensive back option if needed and Stroman adds depth.

Quarterback Battle

CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey battled on all camp long to see who the starter would be. At first, it was thought that Carr had the job, but as camp went along, some felt Minchey was winning the battle. Ultimately Freeman felt as though that Carr was his guy and gave him the job. While Carr might start the first game of the season, expect Minchey to get some opportunities during the 2025 campaign and could be the starter by the playoffs. It will be a battle all season long, but Notre Dame is in a good place quarterback wise.

Will The Defense Remain Elite?

Losing players like mentioned earlier are hard to replace. That being said, there are still a lot of players on the roster that played for that elite defense last season. That's also where recruiting plays a huge role as Freeman has to find reinforcements plus even finding some players in the transfer portal. With Golden gone, it will be interesting to see what Ash does with the defensive scheme and how he plays his guys on the roster. The defense might struggle a bit at first as they gel together, but we should all know if the defense is elite by the time the playoffs comes around.

How Will Mike Denbrock's Offense Look?

With Leonard moving on, the three headed monster at running the ball is gone. But, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price still remain and players like Anyeas Williams and Gi'Bran Payne could make the rush even more dangerous and dynamic. With Carr at quarterback, expect more throws and that's why Fields and Pauling came in to help make the receiving game more dangerous. This offense feels more balanced, but how explosive it will be and what the strongest part will be is the biggest question. The offensive line should still be a strength as well.

Build Upon 2024's Success

Obviously easier said than done, but the foundation is set to be a steadily strong team for years to come. Even when looking into the roster and how things are going to work out, this team should be even better in 2025. Freeman looks to make Notre Dame the powerhouse it used to be and bring glory to South Bend. The crazy part is that Freeman's recruiting should make them a force to be reckoned with and with more success, the better the recruiting is even with as much exposure the school had on a national scale. Whatever worked in 2024, they need to keep making that even better.

Prediction

12-0 and another deep run in the playoffs

With Carr having an elite arm with better receiving talent around him, a strong running back corps, elite offensive line, and a deep and great defense, it's hard not to think that this team could even be national champions. That being said, with how the playoffs are set up, the Irish face other incredibly talented and deep teams and it's hard to beat all of them. Notre Dame can absolutely do it, but the playoffs are a crapshoot, and it doesn't hurt to have a little luck. That being said, a deep run in the playoffs should be the standard.