Live updates: Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman Texas A&M week press conference

Texas A&M week is here for Notre Dame, and Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman is here to talk about it. Watch Freeman speak live to the media at 12:30 p.m. ET via the YouTube video player below and/or follow along with real-time, written updates of what Freeman is saying at the bottom of this page.

WACTH: Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman Aug. 26 press conference

What Freeman is saying

Keep refreshing this page for live, written updates of what Freeman is saying.

• Freeman says this is the healthiest fall camp he’s been a part of at Notre Dame. He gives credit to the Irish strength and conditioning staff for that.

• Freeman says everybody who makes the trip to Texas A&M will be needed. Early theme of his press conference is the nature of a college football season being unpredictable. “The first depth chart does not dictate the value of you on this team or what the future will hold.”

• Freeman says there were 16 Notre Dame players who received at least one vote to be a team captain. He says just one vote in an honor. The Irish settled on five captains last week.

• Freeman says he’s got a lot of respect for Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko. It’s the two coaches’ second meeting in as many seasons. Notre Dame beat Elko’s Duke Blue Devils last year.

• Freeman: “You can do it in practice, but you got to do it in a game against an opponent when it matters.”

• Freeman: “I’m confident this team is ready and will be ready when we go face Texas A&M on Saturday.”

• Freeman says he tells all of his players that every day you should be trying to take someone else’s job. Anthonie Knapp and Sam Pendleton clearly took that message to heart and beat out experienced players to earn starting nods along the Irish offensive line.

• Freeman says Notre Dame piped in crowd noise and even went through situations where you cannot hear sideline to helmet communication in anticipation for the conditions at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.

• Freeman says the Texas A&M defensive line is going to present challenges to any opposing offensive line regardless of experience. He says the counter to that is Notre Dame offensive linemen going against one of the best defensive lines in college football in every practice.

• Freeman on the Texas A&M defense: “You’re not going to be able to trick them. They’re sound.” That’s a credit to Elko.

• Freeman says there are three “OR”s on the Notre Dame depth chart at wide receiver because there is confident in all six players to make plays in any game. He says it doesn’t matter who runs out as starters.

• Freeman points out the power on the right side of the Notre Dame offensive line generated by center Ashton Craig and right guard Billy Schrauth.

• Freeman says the Notre Dame linebackers will be the ones tasked with wearing the green dot for sideline to field communications. Only one allowed on the field at a time.

• Freeman is asked about opening a season away from home for the third a third-straight season. “At the end of the day it’s about the execution between the white lines.”

• Freeman says Notre Dame’s depth has continually improved since he’s been the head coach. “It’s not often you can lose Joe Alt and still feel confident about the left tackle that’s going into the game. We do.”

• Freeman says there were half a dozen guys from the offensive side of the ball who were nearly named team captains. He says that so you don’t get swayed by four of the five captains being defensive players. The offense has leaders too.

• Freeman says he is confident Riley Leonard can go out in front of 100,000 people and perform up to the high standard people have for QB1 at a place like Notre Dame.

• Freeman quips that he’s thanking God for an unseasonably hot week in South Bend to get the players acclimated for what the weather is going to be like in Texas.

• Freeman cites Mike Norvell and Florida State when asked if the season-opener can catapult his team into the rest of the season. He says it can, but you also can’t lose everything in Week 1. There are still 11 more games to play.

• Freeman says Christian Gray is no longer just a freaky athlete playing defense. He’s a true corner, probably this team’s No. 1 corner a year from now.

• Coming back from shoulder surgery, Notre Dame junior corner Benjamin Morrison asked head coach Marcus Freeman if he could take contact in fall camp for the sake of his own re-acclimation to the game.

• Freeman says he has a lot of respect for Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein, who Freeman tried to hire for the same job at Notre Dame ahead of the 2023 season. Klein stayed at Kansas State but is now in College Station.