Live updates: Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman Dec. 10 press conference
The Gator Bowl is officially less than three weeks away. No. 21 Notre Dame (8-4) and No. 19 South Carolina (8-4) will kick off at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Irish head coach Marcus Freeman is scheduled to speak to the media a few times before then. He’s at the press conference lectern today at 3 p.m. from Notre Dame Stadium to give initial updates on his team as it begins initial preparation for the bowl.
Follow along below for live updates.
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Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman Dec. 10 press conference live updates
• Freeman starts by saying it was a busy week of recruiting. “It’s important. Development of your roster, development of your team. The enhancement of your roster.”
• Freeman says today was a good practice. Third practice post-USC. The Irish have another practice tomorrow. These practices have been about going through reps. South Carolina prep begins in earnest next week.
• Freeman says the Notre Dame quarterback situation remains undefined. Tyler Buchner and Steve Angeli have both gotten first-team reps. “We’ll sit down next week and say, ‘Hey, what’s the plan?’ as we really get ready for South Carolina.”
• Freeman says the Irish offense is “at a different point” than where it was when Buchner started the first two games of the season.
• Freeman says recruiting visits feel a lot different this year compared to last year because he has a much better understanding of the entire Irish roster.
• Freeman says the ability to look into the transfer portal and investigate who the players in there are is a big part of roster management in today’s era of college football. “We can’t just take anybody. We have to get the right fit for our program.”
• Freeman says Gator Bowl messaging is about respecting the opportunity and respecting the opponent.
• Freeman on his “whirlwind” of a week on the recruiting trail: “We’ve been on the west coast in California and on the east coast in North Carolina. At every stop, people love Notre Dame.”
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• Freeman says the production lost by Michael Mayer and Isaiah Foskey cannot be replaced by one person. “You replace that production with multiple people and schematic changes you make.”
• Freeman: “Your only focus right now as you get close to the game is winning the game.”
• Freeman: “I love Drew Pyne. Part of that love for him was to say, ‘We’re possibly looking to the transfer portal to take a quarterback.'” He added, “Drew made the best decision for Drew. I say that because he made it.”
• Freeman says he does not anticipate any more Notre Dame players entering the transfer portal or opting out for the NFL Draft before the Gator Bowl.
• Freeman says TaRiq Bracy and Tobias Merriweather practiced today, and “both of them are good to go.”
• Freeman says as far as he knows, the admissions process for admitting undergraduates from the transfer portal has not changed in the last year.
• Freeman says Buchner probably will not take contact before the Gator Bowl. “You just can’t take that chance of getting the quarterback hit and hurt in practice.”
• Freeman was asked directly if he’d welcome Pyne back at Notre Dame if he withdraws his name from the transfer portal. “If that happens, we’ll look and see if that’s what’s best for our program and the individual.”
