Marcus Freeman’s Uphill Battle: Is Notre Dame’s Window Closing?
Notre Dame football under Marcus Freeman has been a rollercoaster. After leading the Irish to their best season in nearly three decades, Freeman now finds himself at a crossroads. The recent championship loss was a gut punch, but it’s the coaching departures and recruiting setbacks that have fans worried about the program’s trajectory.
Defensive Shake-Up: Al Golden Out, Chris Ash In
Defense was the backbone of Notre Dame’s success last season, allowing just 15.5 points per game. Losing defensive coordinator Al Golden to the Cincinnati Bengals was a major blow, but Freeman moved quickly to bring in Chris Ash. However, Ash’s track record—especially his disastrous tenure as Rutgers’ head coach (8-33)—has drawn skepticism.
Joe DeLeone of College Football Addiction summed up the concern:
> “None of [the Rutgers players] had anything good to say about him… A lot of them didn’t think he exuded the traits of being a very highly successful coach.”
That being said, Ash’s past success as co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State (where he helped lead them to a national title) suggests he still has the potential to succeed. The key question is whether he can adapt and restore Notre Dame’s defensive dominance.
Recruiting and Staff Exodus: The Real Nightmare
Freeman’s struggles don’t end with his coaching staff. Notre Dame has lost key defensive players like JD Bertrand, Xavier Watts, and Howard Cross III. Meanwhile, former GM Chad Bowden—who was instrumental in recruiting quarterbacks like Sam Hartman—bolted for USC, reportedly tripling his salary.
Losing recruiters in today’s NIL-driven landscape is brutal. Freeman now faces an uphill battle to retain and attract top-tier talent while also reshaping his coaching staff.
Is Freeman Running Out of Time?
With all these setbacks, Freeman’s job just got significantly harder. While Notre Dame still has talent—players like Peyton Bowen and Ben Minich offer hope—the margin for error is razor-thin.
Freeman proved last season that he could build a championship-caliber team. But with the defense in transition, recruiting losses piling up, and major staff changes, the pressure is on. Can he steady the ship, or is Notre Dame’s window already closing?
What do you think—can Freeman turn this around, or is the Fighting Irish’s momentum slipping away?