The sounds of summer have begun to dwindle away. Carried by the breeze that welcomely enters. The dog days, and the brutality of it's impatient wait, are now over. We sit on our stoop, tensely looking on the horizon for something real to hold onto. Something more than a dream.
Photo by The Irish Tribune
For Notre Dame, the offseason offered no such respite. There was no time for thoughts to be collected. Even when Marcus Freeman did take his lone family vacation in Alaska, he was seen staring at his phone awaiting the official decision of 4-star safety, and now commit, Jadon Blair.
Such is life for the staff of a program that eagerly claws itself toward the top of the college football hill. Even before Notre Dame's victory over Oregon State, the chaos had just begun.
There was a massive shift on the offensive side of the ball, some expected, some not. Here's a summary of what happened in roughly a month's period of time:
Notable Offensive Transfer Subtractions:
WR: Chris Tyree
WR: Braylon James
WR: Tobias Merriweather
WR: Rico Flores Jr.
TE: Holden Staes
Within what seemed like a flash of light, the entire aerial attack was re-engineered. What was already a depleted WR room, was completely obliterated - Reduced to Jordan Faison, Jayden Thomas, Jaden Greathouse, Matt Salerno, Deon Colzie, and KK Smith. All transfers happening within the span of a few days.
Much was made of their departures, and the primary reason. Much of that in regard to Chansi Stuckey. Freeman swiftly showed Stuckey the door after the news persisted. A difficult decision that had to be made.
Questions were rightfully raised as to how well Freeman truly knew his team. The developments behind closed doors seemed questionable. The wave of transfers did as well. One or two disgruntled players? That could be understood, that's just the cost of dong business in the modern era of college football. But this was a mass exodus.
The Irish fan based sat in it's darkness, and fell into a pool of pity. But Freeman would do no such thing.
Notable Offensive Transfer Portal Additions:
QB: Riley Leonard
WR: Beaux Collins
WR: Kris Mitchell
WR/KR: Jayden Harrison
Of course, Riley Leonard's arrival to Notre Dame seemed all but a done deal for much of the offseason, perhaps much longer than that, even. Regardless, Notre Dame once again acquired the best portal quarterback available in the portal.
The mass exodus at Wide Receiver casted doubt on if Leonard would stay with Notre Dame. But that was only conjecture. As Riley Leonard helped recruit Beaux Collins from Clemson, Kris Mitchell from FIU, and Jayden Harrison from Marshall. Each offering unique skillsets that were once noticeably absent.
Coaches Out:
Wide Receiver Coach: Chansi Stuckey
Offensive Coordinator: Gerad Parker
Coaches In:
Wide Receiver Coach: Mike Brown
Offesnsive Coordinator: Mike Denbrock
The players weren't the only one's moving around. Wide Receiver Coach, Chansi Stuckey, was let go. Gerad Parker, and long time friend of Marcus Freeman, took the Head Coaching post at Troy.
The offensive staff may have now been vacant in two key areas, but the opportunity to upgrade at both spots became glaringly obvious. And Freeman had his men for the job in mind.
Notre Dame hired Mike Brown, the 10th highest paid WR coach in the country from Wisconsin. Brown took a drop in title, as he was also Wisconsin's assistant coach. His reputation for development is well known, and long needed. Notre Dame's receiver room spanning back to 2017 has been plagued by poor development, and/or inadequate recruiting.
Stuckey changed the narrative around recruiting, but the room left much to be desired in the way of development. He was subsequently relived of his duties.
When Parker left for the head coaching position at Troy, there were names that began to emerge. Kirby Moore out of Missouri being one of them. There was a famliar name, however, that was widely written off at the outset. And that name was Mike Denbrock. A close friend of Brian Kelly, Denbrock lead the nation's most effective offense at LSU with his high powered aerial attack that was accompanied by Jayden Daniels, Brian Thomas, and Malik Nabers.
LSU, and it's respective insiders, felt there was no feasible way that Denbrock would leave Baton Rouge for South Bend. His loyalty to Kelly, the talent at LSU, and the contract buy out that Notre Dame would have to fork out were all fair, contributing factors that reinforced this belief.
What wasn't taken into account was Denbrock's respect for Freeman. The masses also neglected to acknowledge that Notre Dame actually had an objectively more talented roster than LSU's. It was also ignored that Denbrock had coached at Notre Dame under two different head coaches. The lure for Notre Dame was always strong for the now best offensive coordinator in the country. But money matters.
Notre Dame not only made Denbrock the highest paid offensive coordinator in the country, they out bid Texas A&M in the process. The public figures show his contract at Notre Dame is $600,000 more valuable than his contract with the Tigers. Freeman had his man in mind, only unlike the last offseason, he got his way. Signaling emphatically that Notre Dame is serious.
The changes didn't end there. Much less dramatically, Notre Dame inked a long awaited extension with Al Golden. This contract made him tied as the 5th highest paid defensive coordinator in the nation.
They also added RJ Oben from Duke, who Joe Alt stated was the most difficult to line up against all year. As well as Jordan Clark form ASU, slated to start at the nickel position and potentially contribute at a similar level Thomas Harper did - although it's debatable if that's going to happen.
The staff is in place, and the board is set. Notre Dame now has arguably the best coordinator duo in college football. They also have the players capable of bringing their respective visions to life.
In light of recent developments on the left side of the offensive line. And in the midst of recent recruiting missteps, it can be difficult to remember how strong of a statement Notre Dame made with these offseason moves.
Every team has their flaws. Even the ones that win it all. Georgia's "generational" defense had far from an elite secondary in 2021 . Michigan didn't have much of an aerial attack to speak of in 2023. Even LSU in 2019 - the best team assembled, perhaps ever, had moments where their entire defense looked vulnerable, and in turn, looked more than beatable.
Notre Dame's perceived weaknesses start and end with the left side of the offensive line. It's never an ideal scenario to have a unit that has 0 starts, or in-game snaps together. You never want to be in a spot where you're forced to wheel out a true freshman left tackle, especially against a defensive line like A&M's. Especially in a place like College Station.
But it also isn't ideal to lose perhaps your most talented running back before week one. It isn't a good thing when your entire offensive line is frankly, in flux. Anyone telling you that Jay Bateman being your defensive coordinator is anything more than concerning, would be lying. Connor Weigman isn't unproven per se, but he isn't a proven commodity either. The linebacker and secondary for A&M has potential, but that's where it ends. Point is, the Aggies have a lot of pending answers across their roster.
It's week one, every roster has it's questions that won't be answered until the game begins. It's what makes the offseason so agonizing. However, the offseason offers us clues as to what a team's blueprint is.
Notre Dame's blueprint is now clearly drawn. It's a team that possesses athleticism at every single position. It's players are lean, athletic. It has a unique blend of veteran presence and youthful talent. On offense, they have a running back room that rivals the best in the nation. They have a dynamic playmaker at quarterback, with a proven track record. They also have one of the best tight end rooms in the country. The receiver room has been reported as a major improvement from years past.
The defense features the best secondary in college football. It welcomes back Xavier Watts, the best defensive player in the country. It's Linebacker room has five players that can contribute at a major level, in multiple ways, all lead by a sixth year senior in Jack Kiser. The defensive line is athletic at Vyper and strong end, as well as deep. On the interior, Rylie Mills and Howard Cross have the potential to be among the most disruptive in the country.
To list out every player that will contribute on Saturday would take too long. One would be hard pressed to find a time where that's been the situation in Notre Dame's past. It would be an easier write-up to list out those who won't contribute instead. That speaks volumes to just how talented this roster is.
Make no mistake, this is not just being said. You as the reader are owed objectivity. This article isn't the only thing pointing to Notre Dame being just a bit different than in years past. Behind closed doors, Freeman, the players, and the staff have exhibited a quiet confidence that they haven't been able to comfortably project since his arrival. Secretive as they may have been all camp, one theme has been consistent - this team is good.
Question marks on the left side of the line don't change that fact. And it certainly doesn't change the fact that A&M's roster and staff, while good, aren't as good as Notre Dame's. Not on paper, not now. That isn't an indictment of A&M, few teams have the talent Notre Dame does. And even fewer have it's depth.
Before the first leaf falls, Irish nation will find out what it truly has on Saturday. More than empty promises on paper. Come Saturday evening, we'll all have film to prove these claims, bold as they may come across.
My final prediction? 21-10, Irish.
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Nice high level summary. Thanks!