The Future Of Notre Dame Under Marcus Freeman Couldn't Be Brighter

The future is bright in South Bend with a powerhouse program that's just getting started.

Jan 18, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman talks to the media during 2025 CFP National Championship Media Day at Georgia World Congress Center, Building A. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Silver Lining After a Painful End For Notre Dame

2024 was a very adventurous year for Notre Dame and Coach Marcus Freeman.

After a 1-1 start that included the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows just days apart, the Irish rattled off 13 straight wins to find themselves on the brink of the next national championship that has been chased after for most of my life.

At the end of this thrilling but stressful journey, Notre Dame fell short in the title game, and the Buckeyes ended up with the trophy.

Losing a title game is a unique pain for a program, its media, and fan base. To come so tantalizingly close to accomplishing this feat, only to lose in the final game of the year, stings and cuts deep.

Marcus Freeman and the positives from last year going into 2025

As the dust has settled and time has passed, I've begun to reflect more on Notre Dame's impressive run in 2024 and have come to a very encouraging conclusion about the program.

The 2024 Irish team almost won the title and is nowhere near the most talented and athletic squad Marcus Freeman will have in South Bend.

The Irish were plagued horribly with injuries and had certain aspects of the team that were not at what I'd measure to be of "title-winning" caliber, such as the pass game overall. And Notre Dame still almost won a national title.

While it still hurts that the Irish didn't get across the finish line last season, based on the terrific recruiting, development, and coaching from this coaching staff, the Irish should be back in the mix almost every season for the foreseeable future.

And there's a real chance to actually win it all, and not just get there.

Upcoming Irish teams will be deeper, more talented, more athletic, and hopefully more healthy than the 2024 group. Notre Dame's title run was not a blip on the radar, the Irish have arrived and have a great chance in the next 3-4 years to make it back to the title game and leave it with a different result.

Nothing will take the pain away from a national title game loss, but knowing how bright the future looks certainly makes this bitter pill a bit easier to swallow.

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