College football is a relentless machine. Seasons end, trophies are hoisted, seniors graduate, and a new wave of talent surges in to fill the gaps. But in this never-ending carousel of players, coaches can’t afford to be short-sighted, especially when it comes to the most critical position on the field—the quarterback. And right now, Notre Dame’s head coach Marcus Freeman finds himself under the glaring spotlight, grappling with a quarterback conundrum that threatens to derail the Fighting Irish’s momentum.
Fresh off their nail-biting run to the National Championship, Notre Dame should be riding high. Instead, there’s a looming shadow cast over South Bend, and it’s not from a rival team. The problem? Freeman’s quarterback strategy—or lack thereof—is sparking serious concern. With star quarterback Riley Leonard moving on, the Irish find themselves staring down a precarious depth chart, and insiders are sounding the alarm.
Yes, the roster is brimming with talent: CJ Carr, Kenny Minchey, Steve Angeli, and Blake Herbert—all highly rated prospects. But here’s the kicker—not a single one of them holds that coveted 5-star status. While stars aren’t the end-all-be-all in predicting college success, it’s hard to ignore that Freeman has managed to stack 5-star talent in almost every other position on the roster, except the one that matters most. Could it be that quarterback recruitment is Freeman’s Achilles’ heel?
The Insider Bombshell: Is Freeman Blind to QB Recruitment?
On the Locked on Irish podcast, Notre Dame insider Tyler Wojciak didn’t mince words when asked, “Which position does Notre Dame need to elevate beyond the obvious?” While most might expect him to highlight defensive lines or wide receivers, Wojciak’s immediate answer was crystal clear: “Quarterback.”
Wojciak acknowledged that Freeman had made strides in quarterback recruiting, pulling in solid 4-star talents like Minchey and Carr. But he didn’t shy away from pointing out Freeman’s glaring misses. “They had Deuce Knight committed for a long time, and then he sort of strung them along before flipping to Auburn,” Wojciak revealed. Knight, rated a 5-star recruit in the Class of 2025 by On3, was supposed to be the crown jewel of Notre Dame’s future offense. Losing him wasn’t just a recruitment setback—it was a gut punch to the program’s credibility.
And Knight isn’t the only one who slipped through Freeman’s fingers. Wojciak also brought up Dante Moore, another 5-star phenom who flirted with the idea of donning the blue and gold but ultimately chose Oregon. “Quarterback recruiting is like a crapshoot,” Wojciak admitted. “There are 5-stars who flame out in college, sure. But the best way to hedge that risk is to keep bringing in those high-caliber players.”
For Freeman, a defensive mastermind, stacking elite talent on that side of the ball comes naturally. But his struggles to land top-tier quarterbacks are becoming an uncomfortable narrative—one that he’ll need to rewrite fast if Notre Dame hopes to stay competitive on the national stage.
Riley Leonard Breaks His Silence on Freeman’s National Championship Blunder
As if the recruitment woes weren’t enough, Riley Leonard himself has now stepped into the spotlight, addressing a lingering controversy from the National Championship that’s been gnawing at Irish fans ever since the final whistle blew.
For those who watched every grueling second of the game, the most memorable—and infuriating—moment wasn’t just Notre Dame’s collapse against Ohio State’s relentless offense. It was Marcus Freeman’s puzzling decision late in the 4th quarter. With the Irish trailing by a significant margin, Freeman opted to kick a field goal instead of going for it on a critical fourth down. The kicker missed anyway, making the decision look even worse in hindsight. But according to Leonard, the seeds of Notre Dame’s downfall were sown much earlier.
Leonard revealed that the first drive of the game—an 18-play, 9-minute, 45-second masterpiece that ended in a touchdown—might have been Notre Dame’s undoing. On paper, it was a thing of beauty. But behind the scenes? Leonard was paying a heavy price. The quarterback ran the ball eight times during that opening drive, pushing his body to the brink against Ohio State’s bruising front seven. By the time he reached the end zone, Leonard was visibly spent, even seen vomiting on the sideline.
“That drive obviously didn’t feel too great on my body,” Leonard admitted. “I had a lot of time to recover on the sideline after that, but I was definitely a little hurt out there. It probably looked like I didn’t run the ball as much the rest of the game, and a little bit of that was due to the circumstances—we were down a lot by halftime.”
While Leonard stopped short of outright blaming Freeman, his comments subtly underscored the toll that aggressive play-calling took on both him and the team. Freeman, after all, doesn’t call offensive plays, but as head coach, the buck ultimately stops with him.
The Road Ahead: Can Freeman Right the Ship?
Marcus Freeman is no stranger to pressure. He’s built a formidable defense, navigated the high-stakes world of college football recruiting, and led the Fighting Irish to the brink of glory. But the quarterback question remains a glaring, unresolved issue—and it’s one that could define his tenure at Notre Dame.
To stay in the national conversation, Freeman will need to not only learn from the National Championship heartbreak but also shake off the stigma of being unable to land elite quarterback talent. The stakes are sky-high. Can Freeman pivot and secure a game-changing QB recruit? Or will this blind spot continue
