There’s a saying as old as time, whelp as old as the advent of sport anyway, and that is ‘defense wins championships’. During the Marcus Freeman era at Notre Dame, the Irish have cultivated a championship contending defense — one that spearheaded a run to the national title game this past season.
Along the way, Freeman’s stingy defensive units have featured some highly talented veterans, such as Xavier Watts, Howard Cross III, Rylie Miles, Kurt Hinish, Jack Kiser, and others. But, while depending on seasoned athletes — fourth, fifth, and, in some cases, even sixth year players — is typical, relying on youth and still maintaining a high standard of success is not.
However, Freeman has been able to buck that trend by implementing a blueprint that has successfully utilized his talented freshman during key situations, not just in ‘garbage’ time. As we witnessed last season, there’s an inevitable war of attrition that occurs in the sport of football. Hence, it’s imperative that when the next man is called up, he is ready to deliver on the field.
Over recent memory, we’ve seen Benjamin Morrison, Leonard Moore, Jaiden Ausberry, Kyngston Viliamu-Asa, Boubacar Traore, and Adon Shuler play significant minutes as freshman.
Thus, as we enter into the 2025 campaign, here are five freshman that could garner such acclaim, as those aforementioned, in year one at Notre Dame.