Joel Klatt: Marcus Freeman Will Win National Title At Notre Dame
01/22/2025 01:52 PM
Marcus Freeman's Fighting Irish might've come up just short in Monday's national championship game but one college football analyst still has a ton of confidence that the he'll deliver a title to the folks of South Bend.
On his self-titled podcast, FOX's Joel Klatt revealed that Notre Dame's performance was enough to make him a believer in the program as long as they can retain their 39-year-old coaching star.
"After last night, I think Marcus Freeman, if he decides to stay there— Obviously, he's going to have NFL suitors whether it's now or in the subsequent years. If Marcus Freeman stays at Notre Dame for any length of time, I think he wins a national championship at Notre Dame," Klatt explained. "I think they are an upper crest, elite program."
"That second half had a level of grit and toughness that can only be forged through a great culture," he added. "And he's building a great culture at Notre Dame."
Freeman had reportedly received interest from the Chicago Bears before the team ultimately decided to pursue Ben Johnson.
"To hear that the Bearshave interest, it's humbling," Freemansaid ahead of the CFP final. "It's the NFL. But it's also a reminder of with team success comes individual success. I have put zero thought into coaching in the NFL. All my attention has just been on getting this team prepared for every opportunity we have in front of us."
Notre Dame fell to Ohio State, 34-23, at the top of the week after a strong first drive and a pretty impressive late game comeback before the Jeremiah Smith dagger.
Still though, not many would've picked the Irish to make it as far as they did prior to the season and finishing second in the polls is still something that ND can be proud of.
Related: ESPN Predicts Notre Dame's Starting Quarterback For 2025
