Notre Dame is a top-10 team in CBS Sports’ post-spring top 25
The one player who could trigger notable Notre Dame movement in post-spring practice top 25 rankings spent the Blue-Gold Game on the sideline donning an ankle brace.
Quarterback Tyler Buchner did not play the April 23 spring exhibition due to an ankle sprain he suffered while walking down a flight of stairs a few days earlier. The sophomore-to-be would have commanded all eyes in Notre Dame Stadium and on Peacock had he played. The Blue-Gold Game was the public’s lone look at him until he presumably takes the field as the starter Sept. 3 at Ohio State.
A promising showing would have lit the fuse on the hype. An unremarkable or bumpy one would have created some unease. Either would have elicited an over-reaction — and likely some meaningful movement in spring rankings.
His day off, though, leaves Notre Dame just about in the same spot it sat a few months ago, at least according to CBS Sports’ updated offseason top 25. CBS national college football writer Dennis Dodd ranked the Irish No. 7 in his way-too-early top 25 in January. His latest version, released Wednesday, has Notre Dame at No. 8.
“The Marcus Freeman Experience begins,” Dodd wrote. “The [36]-year-old defensive coordinator was probably the only logical hire when Brian Kelly left less than a week before Selection Sunday. The first-time head coach takes over a giant.
“There is plenty of talent around for the Fighting Irish to win 10. Michael Mayer is a John Mackey Award candidate at tight end. Northwestern safety All-American Brandon Joseph is a huge add from the transfer portal. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees made the decision to stay — with Freeman, in a package deal — after overtures from Kelly.”
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Notre Dame has appeared as high as fifth and as low as the teens in way-too-early and post-spring top 25s. USA Today’s Wednesday rankings has the Irish at 13th. ESPN’s late April top 25 refresh slotted them sixth.
Dodd ranks four Notre Dame opponents in his top 25: Ohio State (No. 2), Clemson (No. 11), USC (No. 14) and BYU (No. 22). The Buckeyes, Trojans and Cougars moved one or zero spots from his January ranking. Clemson, though, dropped two spots from ninth to 11th. The Tigers play at Notre Dame on Nov. 5.
“I’m not buying that Clemson won 10 in an ‘off’ year,” Dodd wrote. “The conclusion here is that program declined in general and needs to get its mojo back quickly. Something is up with [quarterback] D.J. Uiagalelei’s game. It has to be fixed for the Tigers to ascend back to the top of the ACC.
“Both coordinators left. Dabo Swinney continues to complain about NIL and the transfer portal. That can’t be good for transfers looking at the Tigers. The question has to be asked: Is Clemson’s dynasty over when its ceiling for 2022 is only the ACC title?”
