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Newsstand: Where Notre Dame ranks in way-too-early ESPN top 25

IMG_7504by:Jack Soble•02/14/24•

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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. (Photo by Matt Cashore/USA Today)

ESPN’s way-too-early college football top-25 ranking is out, and Notre Dame is much higher on it than one might expect based on its 2023 finish. The Irish are ESPN senior writer Mark Schlabach‘s No. 5 team in the country, behind only Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon and Texas, respectively.

Notre Dame finished 16th in the final 2023 College Football Playoff rankings.

“The Fighting Irish weren’t bad in coach Marcus Freeman‘s first two seasons, winning 19 games,” Schlabach wrote. “But it’s time for them to turn the corner, and Freeman has laid the groundwork by adding former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard and bringing back offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, who directed LSU’s high-flying offense in 2023.”

Schlabach also pointed to wide receiver transfer additions Kris Mitchell (Florida International) and Beaux Collins (Clemson) as reasons the Irish could be better offensively to compete with some of the nation’s best defenses.

The expectation for the Irish in 2024 will be an appearance in the new 12-team playoff, and lofty rankings like ESPN’s will only reinforce that notion throughout the offseason.

Notre Dame Tweets of the day

Pre-draft love for Irish cornerback Cam Hart:

Surprise addition to Notre Dame’s Pro Day:

Pure greatness from Hannah Hidalgo.

Quote of the day

“I’m still fully committed. I still like what Notre Dame is doing. I still like where they’re going; changes happen. But with whom I’ve been talking to about what they’re going to do, I’m very confident in that.  I just have to get up in the spring and see how it goes from there.”

— Notre Dame 2025 safety commit Ivan Taylor on the status of his pledge after safeties coach Chris O’Leary left for the Los Angeles Chargers

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