Notre Dame football: 3 takeaways from 2023 spring game

Notre Dame football held its annual spring game on Saturday afternoon and it was Marcus Freeman’s second as head coach.

And the team didn’t disappoint.

Fans got their first look at Sam Hartman in a Notre Dame jersey (OK, it was a red jersey but he had the gold helmet) and the team flashed some shiny new pieces that should help the Irish contend for a playoff spot this year.

What did we learn about this year’s team from the spring game?

3. Notre Dame is incredibly deep at linebacker

One of the things that really stood out to me during the scrimmage on Saturday was the depth at linebacker. While we already knew the Irish had really solid linebackers, I was pleasantly surprised to see Jaylen Sneed and Nolan Ziegler step up and lead their teams in tackles. I did predict Sneed to be a spring game breakout performer, and he didn’t disappoint.

Sneed could be one of the bigger surprise players in the country this year but he’ll be behind guys like Marist Liufau, JD Bertrand, and Jack Kiser in the starting lineup.

That kind of depth can go a long way, however. If any of those guys get hurt, knowing that Ziegler and Sneed are there on the bench to fill in has to be a calming feeling for Marcus Freeman.

These linebackers are going to be elite in 2023.