The college football season is upon us and so is our annual Top 25. This year Yahoo Sports revealed the teams from No. 11 to 25 at once before we publish each of our top 10 in separate posts in the days leading up to Week 1. That continues with No. 8 Notre Dame.
Previously: 11-25, No. 10 Oregon, No. 9 NC State
No. 8 Notre Dame
Over his 12 seasons at Notre Dame, Brian Kelly coached the Fighting Irish to two College Football Playoff appearances, one BCS title game appearance and seven seasons with double-digit wins.
Five of those double-digit win seasons have come in the last five years, but Kelly decided to exit South Bend for the lure of LSU and the SEC. Kelly’s shocking departure came even with the Irish still a potential playoff team last fall, but the move opened the door for the school to promote from within.
The choice to succeed Kelly was Marcus Freeman, who impressed the Notre Dame brass during his lone season as defensive coordinator. Just 36, Freeman had risen quickly through the coaching ranks, including a four-year run as the DC at Cincinnati. Now he’s been handed the reins at one of the biggest jobs in college football. Is he up for the task?
Though there was some turnover on the coaching staff, support for Freeman has been staunch among the Notre Dame administration. There were also very few transfers after Kelly’s departure.
During the time Freeman has been in charge, the Irish have seen a substantial uptick in recruiting. According to Rivals, Notre Dame’s 2022 class finished No. 6 in the nation. Better yet, the Irish currently rank No. 1 in both the 2023 and 2024 team rankings.
Notre Dame came close to a national championship multiple times under Kelly, but the Irish’s talent level did not quite compare with the elite teams in the country. With this level of recruiting, Freeman is trying to clear that final hurdle.
While those promising prospects won’t arrive for a few more years, Freeman still inherits a pretty strong roster. How strong? We’ll find out when the Irish are put to a significant test when they face Ohio State in Columbus to open the season.
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