Notre Dame Football: 5 Freshmen likely to make an impact on defense in 2025

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Signed LOI / Enrolling for Fall Camp

Christopher Burgess Jr. (Edge)

Whilst Christopher Burgess Jr. won’t have the benefit of participating in spring practice, he is still likely to have an impact come Saturdays this fall for the Irish. The relatively local boy from Chicago, Illinois is Coach Freeman’s second highest ranked defensive recruit — Burgess Jr. is listed as the nation’s 70th best player and ranked inside the top 10 amongst defensive linemen, according to 247Sports Composite. 

Already checking in at 6’3” / 265 lbs, Burgess Jr. has the body to play straight away. Couple his size and talent with the probability of injuries occurring along the defensive line at some point, and Burgess Jr.’s number will certainly be called upon. 

Dallas Golden (DB)

With a last name like Golden, Dallas was destined to play for the Irish. While officially being listed as an athlete by various recruiting outlets, Golden is expected to play along the back end of Notre Dame’s defense at either cornerback or safety. The Tampa, Florida native ranked as the nation’s No. 2 athlete whilst also squeaking into the overall top 100 at No. 98, according to 247Sports Composite. 

As we’ve seen in season’s past, Coach Free doesn’t shy away from sending out youthful talents to perform in the secondary. Hence, I suspect that Golden, especially considering his versatility, will get ample opportunities to contribute along ND’s last line of defense, and perhaps even get a run out as a returner on special teams. 

Mark Zackery IV (CB)

The final player that I’m highlighting is Mark Zackery IV. Residing from Indianapolis, Indiana, Zackery IV is the homegrown talent of the bunch. Whilst not as highly touted as the others on this list, Zackery IV is, still in fact, a four star recruit and the No. 2 player from the state of Indiana, according to 247Sports Composite. As such, Zackery IV will have some in-state hype surrounding him from the moment he steps foot on campus; and, once again, with Coach Free having a propensity to give youthful DB’s in-game experience, I expect Zackery IV to see the field in 2025. 

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