Notre Dame football's Marcus Freeman boasts eye-opening transfer portal fact
Yesterday at 04:05 PM
Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman made a stunning statement about the transfer portal’s effect on his team. This year’s portal closes on December 28, which will come before the Fighting Irish face No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Notre Dame is riding high after a dominant home victory over the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff. And the team has not been distracted by the nationwide transfer portal drama at all.
Freeman has rebuilt this historic program in his own image and may have a team in 2024 that is better than any team former Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly put together. That is a tall task since Kelly is the winningest coach in Notre Dame football history. Still, Freeman has already developed a strong culture in his third year in South Bend. The Ohio native discussed on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” how Notre Dame stays focused during a chaotic transfer portal window.
“We always say that the guys that choose Notre Dame choose heart. There's some requirements here that you might not have everywhere else in the country, but they've chosen this place and they understand the value of obviously the football program but the education and what this university can do for you in the longevity of your life. It's a special place, special culture, special people. We haven't had a guy since the portal was open in December enter the portal and we'll see what happens after the season, but to me it speaks volumes about the young people who are committed to this program.”
Notre Dame is a legit national title contender under Marcus Freeman
Looking at Notre Dame’s activity in the portal, every player departing the program during this period put their names in way earlier in the year. The Fighting Irish are adding some players on their own in this window, but their activity pales compared to other major programs. Of course, there are still four days left in this window, and later on, there’s the spring window. However, it appears that all of Marcus Freeman’s focus is on January 1 in New Orleans.
Beating the Georgia Bulldogs will likely give Notre Dame its most impactful win in over a decade. That notion depends on how much the program valued its win over No. 1 Clemson without star QB Trevor Lawrence in 2020. Still, that victory wasn’t in the College Football Playoff. Like Clemson in that matchup, Georgia will be headed into New Orleans without its star quarterback, Carson Beck. Beck is out for the season after receiving elbow surgery for a UCL injury.
The absence of the Bulldogs starting QB does not make this team any less formidable. Notre Dame must play its best game of the season to get through to the College Football Playoff semifinals. Doing so will take a combination of talent and culture. Therefore, a week from today will reflect how much Marcus Freeman has elevated Notre Dame in the college football hierarchy and if the Fighting Irish are truly ready to win a national title.
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