Live updates: Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman pre-Texas A&M press conference
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is set to address reporters for the final time before the start of the 2024 season. The Irish take on Texas A&M at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, and the game will be broadcast on ABC.
Here are Blue & Gold’s live updates from Freeman’s Thursday Zoom press conference, which begins at noon ET.
**Keep refreshing this page for real-time, written updates from Freeman’s Zoom press conference.**
What Freeman is saying
• Freeman is speaking now, asked about Riley Leonard’s competitive spirit. He talked about having the players at his house during fall camp and competing on the basketball court, playing ping-pong, etc.
“That is so contagious. Leaders and competitive people change the output of those that they lead. … Riley’s no different.”
• On Mike Denbrock and Al Golden going on the field for the game, Freeman said it comes down to the comfort of the coaches.
• Howard Cross is expected to be full-go, Freeman said. No limitations, no pitch count or anything like that.
• Gabriel Rubio is still a month out; he’s still in the rehab phase. Freeman obviously wants him back as quickly as possible, but he’s said Armel Mukam has really stepped up as a guy Notre Dame would be comfortable putting in a game.
• Freeman said Notre Dame tried to give the players a feel for what the stadium will be like, and he believes the Irish accomplished that.
“We can talk about it being a big, rowdy crowd, but until we show them examples and really until they get there, they won’t truly understand that.”
• Freeman said everyone at Notre Dame spoke highly of Mike Elko when he got there, despite coming two defensive coordinators after him.
“He’ll have them playing fast and hard.”
• The non-Kiser linebackers will have to have a second helmet, one with a green dot and one without. That’s the rule regarding helmet communication.
• Taebron Bennie-Powell and Styles Prescod came into Notre Dame with pre-existing injuries, Freeman said.
“We have to make a decision, do we fix it now and have them miss the season and have the spring ball, or do we wait after the season?”
He said both were probably redshirt guys and it would be best to get their shoulders fixed.
• Tae Johnson got injured right at the end of camp. It’s a foot injury.
• That will do it for the press conference.
