Marcus Freeman Reveals What Notre Dame Needs to Secure a National Championship

Freeman had Notre Dame on the brink last year but knows more needs to be done to finish the job

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman in the second half in the CFP National Championship college football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Marcus Freeman has Notre Dame football in its best spot in years, coming off a National Championship game appearance and being on the cusp of winning something the storied program hasn't since 1988.

However, that game obviously didn't go Notre Dame and Freeman's way as well all know. So what does Notre Dame have to improve in order to clear that final hurdle and hoist the gold trophy at the end of the year?

Freeman recently joined Front Office Sports' Next Up with Adam Breneman and spoke on a variety of topics including getting Notre Dame back on top. As you would probably expect with Freeman, he's most keen on upgrading the overall talent of the team.

"You always want to improve the talent," said Freeman, "That's the most important aspect of many great organizations is talent. And so we have to continue to increase, you know, the best players in the country that fit this place (Notre Dame), and value the things we value here."

Freeman has been around football enough to know that talent is great, but players aren't finished products when they get to Notre Dame.

"But then you got to continue to develop them, how do we develop them as an individual?"

And as has been the case with Freeman since the second he arrived at Notre Dame, culture remains the keystone to everything else fitting.

"That's so important, mentally and physically, and what type of culture we have? How do we continue to attract team-first guys when the world is me-first? And that's part of NIL, you get to be a me-first guy there. Once that's taken care of, you have to be a team first individual, and your culture needs to promote that and that's that's to me the three areas that we got to focus on is enhance the talent, enhance development, and enhance the culture."

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought:

There is nothing from Freeman in that answer that requires anything that isn't already in place. No cries for better facilities, no demands of easier admissions for players, or anything like it. It's simple - recruit at a high level, develop at a high level, and make sure the people there fit the culture.

Easier said than done, sure, but excuses are nowhere to be found.

The entire interview can be seen below.