Everything Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said on ESPN’s SportsCenter

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman spent about seven minutes speaking to ESPN SportsCenter anchor and Fighting Irish alumna Hannah Storm on Thursday afternoon. Here is everything Freeman said.

On Duke quarterback transfer Riley Leonard

“For me, personally, I was able to really evaluate as a defensive guy last year as we got ready to play him. we know the talent he has. The pocket presence. The ability to run. The ability to make good decisions. What I’ve been most pleased with is his leadership. He’s come in and become a great teammate to the guys that were already here and has really stepped up his leadership in these six months that he’s been here.”

On what questions Notre Dame needs to answer in the season-opener against Texas A&M

“You’re going to get a lot of questions answered in fall camp. The ability to go against a great opponent — I’m sure coach [Mike] Elko will have that program ready to roll — that’s the ultimate test of any competitor. I want to see us be able to execute for four quarters. That’s head coach speak. We all want to see that. There will be some adversity in a loud environment and a well-coached team. I’m excited to bring this group down there and see what we can do.”

On what Notre Dame has along the offensive line in 2024

“They have truly gelled together. That is such an important aspect of having success on the offensive. We have to replace our two tackles. One went in the first round. One went in the second round. But I’m confident in the young talent that we have and the guys that are ready to step up. They’re truly gelling. I’m looking forward to having a great fall camp and what these guys can do.”

On what the 12-team College Football Playoff means for Notre Dame

“I’m a proponent of college football, so to give more teams an opportunity to win a national championship and make the playoff, I think it’s going to be a great situation and something new. Something great for college football.

“As far as our season and our mindset, we still have the same approach. Our job is to try to go out and win every game we play. The biggest focus will have to be on that period from the end of Week 12 to the first-round playoff. That’s where we’ve done some really forward thinking in terms of what would we do during that time period. Our mindset hasn’t changed. It will be a longer season. If we take care of business and do what we need to do, we know the season is going to be long. The depth is going to be important. But our approach is to go out and win every game we play and continue to improve as a football team each week.”

On the factors that need to be considered before the playoff

“You got to take into consideration a lot of our young people will be taking finals. So usually when they were taking finals in previous years, coaches were on the road recruiting. Coaches won’t be on the road recruiting anymore. We have an early signing period with recruiting. So all of these different elements in terms of, OK, when are we going to practice and coincide that with finals and, OK, what time are we going to get certain aspects of running the football program done and then what is going to be our development during that time? How much are we going to practice? Those are just all different situations and things we’ve discussed as a sports performance staff and football program. I think we have a good plan in place.”

On promoting Zaire Turner to director of player personnel

“She’s qualified. She’s done an unbelievable job. Our general manager, Chad Bowden, who runs our recruiting department, approached me with this when we had an opening for our director of player personnel and I thought it was just the greatest idea because she’s qualified and we know she’ll do a great job. She’s a critical part of making sure we have a successful program. I was extremely pleased to let her know about the promotion. I’m confident that the job she’s been asked to do will get done at a high level.”

Two-minute drill … rapid-fire questions

How many unread text messages do you have?
“One. It’s a text I have to reply to and I didn’t have a chance to, so I kept it on unread. I don’t want my text messages to fill up.”

Who is the most famous person on your contact list?
“Oh, man. Most famous? … Ryan Clark. I was just with him.”

What are three words to describe Clark’s son, Notre Dame cornerback Jordan Clark?
“Smart, aggressive, playmaker.”

Did you actually lose teeth in a Cam Heyward chest bump?
“I lost two teeth, my front two.”

The Leprechaun mascot does pushups after every touchdown. How many pushups can you do?
“Uhhh, 70 … I’m going tp say that right now. You didn’t say full extension, you know?”

What overall rating would you have given yourself in a college football video game? (He was a 96 back in the day at Ohio State)
“Not great. High 80s, maybe? Maybe mid-80s. I wasn’t a great football player.”

What rating would you give your team?
“Really high. They have to live up to that expectation. But that rating is based on potential, it’s going to be really high. Now we got to go and do it.”

How do you feel about Dan Hicks calling Notre Dame games this season?
“I tell you what, he is an ultimate professional. But the thing I respect about him most is he has a great wife. So he’s going to make this program better.”

Which famous female alum would you like to have on the sideline this season?
“The one I’m talking to.”