Projecting Who's Staying and Who's Leaving from Notre Dame After CFP Title Game
An early blip sparked some concern in South Bend, but Notre Dame ended its 2024 season with a shot at a crown.
Yes, the Fighting Irish fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. The dream of snapping a 36-year drought ended with a 34-23 loss to the Buckeyes.
The 2024 campaign, nevertheless, was highly successful.
Notre Dame finished with an 11-1 regular-season mark, cruising into the Playoff as the seventh seed. Save for a shocking loss to Northern Illinois in September, the Fighting Irish otherwise put together a dominant year to reclaim their spot as a championship threat. They ousted Indiana, Georgia and Penn State on the path to playing OSU for the title.
While change is inevitable, Notre Dame enters the offseason with an optimistic outlook for 2025 and beyond.
Who's Staying
Jeremiyah Love-Led Backfield
The running game carried the offense in 2024, and ND's top backs can return. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price both averaged seven-plus yards per carry in the regular season, combining for more than 1,800 scrimmage yards with 24 total touchdowns before the CFP.
So Many Offensive Linemen
Love and Price are talented, of course, but a sturdy offensive line played an essential role in the rushing attack's success. However, we're not simply talking about ND's six main blockers from 2024. Two projected starters—tackle Charles Jagusah and center Ashton Craig—missed all and most of the season, respectively, but will return from injury.
Experienced Linebackers
It turns out Jack Kiser actually can exhaust all of his eligibility, and the veteran will be missed. Still, the Irish shouldn't be worried about this group of linebackers. Drayk Bowen, Jaiden Ausberry and Jaylen Sneed each logged significant snaps and notched 40-plus tackles in 2024.
Who's Leaving
Riley Leonard, QB
Look, he was never a superstar passer. But on a well-built ND roster that could lean on the running game and an elite defense, Riley Leonard was a perfectly fine QB. The transfer from Duke did most of his damage on the ground and, most importantly, protected the ball. He's out of eligibility.
D-Tackle Duo
Veteran leadership on defense was a critical part of the Fighting Irish's success in 2024, and it started up front. Notre Dame featured 2023 All-American tackle Howard Cross III and longtime contributor Rylie Mills, who stood atop the team's leaderboard in tackles for loss during the regular season. They leave substantial shoes to fill in the trenches.
Star Defensive Backs
The secondary has plenty of talent expected to return, but safety Xavier Watts is definitely gone and cornerback Benjamin Morrison may also be. Watts, a two-time All-American and the 2023 Nagursky Trophy winner, was an absolute ballhawk but has used up his college eligibility. Morrison may take his sticky coverage to the NFL because he's a potential 2025 first-round NFL draft pick.
Who's on the Way
More Receivers, Theoretically
Fortunately for ND, a shortage of impactful wide receivers didn't plague the team in 2024. Plus, the expanded Playoff helped overshadow the weakness. But a true championship-level contender does not have a leading target who closes the regular season under 500 yards. Expect the Irish to explore some options in the transfer portal.
A Top-15 Recruiting Class
Notre Dame's incoming haul ranks 12th in the country. The class contains 14 blue-chip players among 24 signees, including top-100 prospects in offensive tackle Will Black (40th overall), linebacker Madden Faraimo (61st) and cornerback Dallas Golden (81st).
Steve Angeli or CJ Carr
Ready for the Irish to be mentioned in a bunch of articles about offseason QB competitions? Leonard's departure will create what's essentially viewed as a two-man battle between Steve Angeli—the backup in both 2023 and 2024—and recent top recruit CJ Carr. Notre Dame is not expected to pursue a transfer QB.