Notre Dame Football

Two weeks away from opening the 2024 season, Notre Dame has landed on Riley Leonard as its starting quarterback.

Head coach Marcus Freeman announced on Saturday that Leonard will lead the offense against Texas A&M on Aug. 31.

Marcus Freeman was asked if Riley Leonard is Notre Dame's starting quarterback. He simply said, "Yeah, he's been with the ones."

No big charade or announcement for the Fighting Irish's QB1 designation this year. Not necessary. It's Leonard.

— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) August 17, 2024

The expectation has been that Leonard would be starting for the Fighting Irish since he transferred from Duke in December. He couldn't play in the Blue-Gold game this spring after undergoing ankle surgery in March to repair a developing stress fracture.

It was the second procedure on Leonard's right ankle in two months. He had tightrope surgery in January to correct a high-ankle sprain suffered in Duke's 21-14 loss against Notre Dame on Sept. 30.

The high-ankle sprain kept Leonard out for the Blue Devils' next game against North Carolina State. He attempted to play through it in back-to-back games against Florida State and Louisville but was a combined 16-of-39 for 190 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions before being shut down for the rest of the season.

Leonard told The Athletic's Pete Sampson on July 24 that he's been fully cleared since mid-May and might have been able to play in the Blue-Gold game if it was a regular-season contest.

Per Tyler Horka of Blue and Gold (h/t Nick Schultz of On3.com), Leonard separated himself from the other quarterbacks on the roster early in camp and has been the "alpha" in the quarterback room.

Steve Angeli, Kenny Minchey and C.J. Carr are the other QB options on the roster for Notre Dame.

Leonard was the No. 8 quarterback and a 4-star prospect in the 2024 transfer portal, per 247Sports.com. He had a terrific 2022 season with 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 63.8 completion percentage in 13 games for the Blue Devils.

Expectations are high for the Irish going into this season. They're ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press preseason top 25 poll that was released on Monday. This marks the third time in the last four seasons they have been ranked in the preseason top 10.

Notre Dame has won at least nine games in each of the past seven seasons, with at least 10 victories six times during that span.

Notre Dame University unveiled new home jerseys Friday that will be worn during the 2024 college football season.

The most notable aspect of the jerseys, which were shown in photos on X, is the gold ND logo emblazoned on the sleeves:

Notre Dame is different ☘️

As seen on @FirstTake our 2024 home jerseys are officially official#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/qxEh0O0dEW

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) July 19, 2024

While the jerseys are similar to what the Fighting Irish wore last season in that they are navy blue with white numbers featuring gold trim, the ND logo was white rather than the new gold coloring, which matches the team's helmets.

Notre Dame is coming off a 10-3 season in 2023, which concluded with a dominant 40-8 Sun Bowl victory over Oregon State.

It was the team's second full season under head coach Marcus Freeman, and they showed improvement after going a somewhat disappointing 9-4 in 2022.

Notre Dame has now won double-digit games in six of the past seven seasons, but it made just two College Football Playoff appearances during that stretch and failed to advance past the semifinals.

Reaching the CFP won't be quite as big of a challenge this season as it was in years past since the field is expanding to 12 teams.

Still, there is some uncertainty surrounding the Irish after they lost several key players to the NFL, including quarterback Sam Hartman, offensive tackle Joe Alt and running back Audric Estimé.

The biggest addition to the 2024 squad is quarterback Riley Leonard, who transferred from Duke and is expected to be Notre Dame's starting quarterback throughout the 2024 campaign.

If Leonard stays healthy and plays well, the Fighting Irish have a solid chance to make their first CFP appearance under Freeman, and they will look good doing it with their new uniforms.

Notre Dame is set to welcome a trio of recruits with famous lineages to campus next year.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers stars Jerome Bettis, Plaxico Burress and Ike Taylor posed for a picture with their sons, all of whom are committed to join Notre Dame as part of the class of 2025.

Legacy 🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/xV6mZGWFFS

— Elijah Burress (@elijahburress) June 17, 2024

The moment was especially meaningful for Bettis, who starred for Notre Dame from 1990 to 1992 before going on to have a standout career in the NFL that earned him an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His son, Jerome Jr., chose to follow in his footsteps by committing to the Fighting Irish in March.

Like Burress' son Elijah, Bettis is rated as a 3-star wide receiver by 247Sports. Taylor's son, Ivan, is currently the highest-rated commit in Notre Dame's 2025 class as a 4-star safety and the No. 5 player at his position in 247Sports' composite.

Despite having recognizable last names, it will be up to the three youngsters to forge their own paths if they want to achieve the same success as their fathers. Bettis alluded to that when he committed to Notre Dame three months ago.

"One of the biggest things was changing my number, and so me really getting my number away from his, that was a big step for me realizing that at the end of the day, I'm my own man," Bettis told ESPN's Tom VanHaaren. "I love my dad and I love everything that I guess comes with him being my father, but at the same time, I create my own legacy and my own journey"

It will surely be fun for the former Steelers teammates to watch their sons suit up together for the Fighting Irish next year.

Tyler Buchner's very unique college athletics career is coming full circle with a return to Notre Dame's football team.

Four days after helping the Fighting Irish lacrosse team repeat as national champions, Buchner announced he will be re-joining the football team as a walk-on wide receiver for the 2024 season.

Tyler Buchner is returning to Notre Dame’s football team as a walk-on wide receiver. Former Irish starting QB spent last fall at Alabama and this spring with ND’s National championship winning lacrosse team 🤯 https://t.co/DcFxkR4eb4

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) May 31, 2024

Kyle Kelly of On3.com noted Buchner would count toward Notre Dame football's 85-man scholarship limit if he appears in a game and isn't on scholarship as a lacrosse player.

It's unclear if Buchner has a lacrosse scholarship, but his announcement does note he told his parents he "would pay my way through school because I only wanted to be at Notre Dame."

Buchner originally committed to Notre Dame in March 2019, two years before he was going to graduate from high school.

After arriving on campus in 2021, Buchner spent his first two seasons with the program playing sparingly. He was the backup to Jack Coan as a freshman.

Buchner entered 2022 as the starter, but a shoulder injury suffered in a 26-21 loss to Marshall ended his regular season after two games. He was able to return to help lead the Irish to a 45-38 victory over South Carolina in the Gator Bowl.

Following the 2022 season, Buchner entered the transfer portal and landed at Alabama. Tommy Rees, who was Notre Dame's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Buchner's first season with the program, was the Crimson Tide offensive coordinator in 2023.

Buchner only threw 19 passes in two games for the Crimson Tide. The California native entered the transfer portal in December 2023 as a lacrosse player, even though he hadn't played the sport since high school.

Soon after entering the transfer portal, Buchner announced he was going back to Notre Dame. He had one assist in 10 games for the Fighting Irish lacrosse team this season.

Notre Dame finished the 2024 lacrosse season with a 16-1 record, including a 15-5 victory over Maryland in the national title game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Monday.

Notre Dame president Rev. John I. Jenkins described the NCAA's proposed $2.7 billion settlement on Thursday—that would allow schools from the five major conferences to directly pay players via a revenue-sharing plan—as "undesirable in many respects and promising only temporary stability," but he also called it "necessary to avoid what would be the bankruptcy of college athletics."

He also called on Congress to pass legislation that would supersede state laws, directly state that student-athletes aren't employees and would protect the NCAA and its schools from further potential anti-trust lawsuits:

A statement from President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., on House v. NCAA settlement:

“The settlement, though undesirable in many respects and promising only temporary stability, is necessary to avoid what would be the bankruptcy of college athletics."

“To save the great…

— University of Notre Dame (@NotreDame) May 24, 2024

It's hard to imagine Jenkins' comments will be all that popular among college athletes or advocates in favor of considering those athletes as university employees.

“Congress must.” Rev. Jenkins, I regret to inform you that Congress doesn’t have to do s*** https://t.co/9tMiOvVWIl

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) May 24, 2024

I agree, it seems like the gamble is predicated on Congress giving the NCAA an antitrust exemption (and a declaration that college athletes can't be employees or unionize). Maybe Charlie Baker knows something that we don't, but hard to see a bill like that passing anytime soon.

— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) May 24, 2024

While NIL deals allow athletes to sign endorsement deals and profit off their likeness, until Thursday, schools were not directly paying those athletes. Thursday's settlement won't legally establish college athletes as school employees—that fight will persist separately—but it does represent the first direct payouts from universities to student-athletes.

The NCAA and its five power conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC) will create a revenue-sharing system to pay student-athletes over the next 10 years if the settlement is approved, with individual schools paying from a pool of $20 million per year.

Both current athletes and former athletes—who were unable to profit from NIL opportunities dating back to 2016, given the NCAA's prior restrictions—would be eligible for the payouts should they opt into the settlement. The proposed payments would begin in fall 2025.

"I'm hugely proud," the co-lead counsel for the student-athletes, Steve Berman, told ESPN's Dan Murphy and Pete Thamel. "This is a revolutionary change I never thought would happen when I started this. I'm thrilled for the student-athletes because this will be life-changing for all of them."

The NCAA and university presidents like Jenkins clearly don't agree. Given that they long benefited from the efforts of unpaid college athletes in a multibillion dollar industry, however, that response shouldn't come as a surprise.

But the courts and public opinion continue to bend toward the athletes. It wouldn't be a surprise if college athletes are eventually considered university employees and paid a salary from their schools. Thursday's settlement felt like another step in that direction, even if Jenkins and his kind fight against it, tooth and nail.

The NFL isn't the only football-related scheduling event being released this week.

ESPN announced on Tuesday that College Gameday will be at College Station for the Notre Dame-Texas A&M game for Week 1 of the college football season on Aug. 31.

COLLEGE STATION, WE'RE COMING TO YOUR CITY FOR WEEK 1 📍 @NDFootball at @AggieFootball 🙌 pic.twitter.com/X4SsymVzqE

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) May 14, 2024

The network also announced the Fighting Irish-Aggies matchup will cap off an ABC tripleheader that will start with Clemson vs. Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at 12 p.m. ET, followed by Miami vs. Florida at 3:30 p.m. ET.

ESPN previously announced College Gameday will have its first-ever broadcast outside of the United States for the Week 0 game between Florida State and Georgia Tech on Aug. 24 at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.

Notre Dame and Texas A&M look to be in very different spots heading into the 2024 season. The Irish won 10 games last season for the first time under head coach Marcus Freeman. They are viewed as a potential top-five team with the addition of Duke quarterback Riley Leonard in the transfer portal.

Texas A&M ended the disappointing Jimbo Fisher era after a 6-4 start last season. ESPN's Pete Thamel noted Fisher's firing cost the school more than $76 million from the buyout on his contract.

Mike Elko, who was Leonard's head coach at Duke for the past two seasons, was hired to turn the Aggies around. He spent four years as Texas A&M's defensive coordinator from 2018 to '21 prior to his two-year stint with the Blue Devils.

This will be the sixth game all-time between Notre Dame and Texas A&M. The Aggies won the most recent matchup 24-3 at Kyle Field on Sept. 29, 2001.

Four Notre Dame offensive linemen—Zack Martin, Ronnie Stanley, Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey—landed in the first round of the NFL draft from 2014 to 2018.

Every player in that group has enjoyed great success at the next level and earned lucrative second contracts as well.

Now Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt is on a trajectory to join that elite quartet.

Alt has long been considered one of the NFL's top prospects, and he went into this draft as the top option at offensive tackle, per most analysts. He's fifth overall/OT1 on the B/R NFL Scouting Department big board, and B/R NFL scout Brandon Thorn offered a pro comparison of a "bigger/stronger Jake Matthews," who has now played 10 years for the Atlanta Falcons.

If that's the case, then Alt is in for a long, fruitful NFL career. He found a home with the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 5.

Alt looks the part so far, but he's flanked by some intriguing prospects for the Fighting Irish. Of note, it wouldn't be a big surprise to see running back Audric Estimé make some NFL waves.

The 5'11", 221-pound Estimé, who doesn't turn 21 years old until September, just rushed for 1,351 yards and 18 touchdowns. He's No. 1 at his position on the B/R NFL Scouting Department big board, with a pro comparison to a "turbo-charged Gus Edwards."

The Gus Bus has found great success in Baltimore before moving onto the Los Angeles Chargers. He's hard to take down and has proved to be efficient as well, and if Estimé is a faster version of him, then he'll find his NFL niche easily.

Elsewhere, keep an eye out for cornerback Cam Hart and offensive tackle Blake Fisher. Hart's size (6'3", 202 lbs) could serve him well. Fisher was the less heralded offensive tackle at Notre Dame, but he did well enough as a two-year starter at right tackle to make some noise in the predraft process. He ended up with the Houston Texans at No. 59.

Linebacker Marist Liufau also landed in Day 2, going in the third round (87th overall) to the Dallas Cowboys. The two-year starter amassed 95 tackles over the past two years.

And with that, here's a look at the Notre Dame crew and where the Fighting Irish players ended up.

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Notre Dame NFL Prospect List

OT Joe Alt: Los Angeles Chargers (Round 1, Pick 5)

RB Audric Estimé: Denver Broncos (Round 5, Pick 147)

CB Cam Hart: Los Angeles Chargers (Round 5, Pick 140)

OT Blake Fisher: Houston Texans (Round 2, Pick 59)

LB JD Bertrand: Atlanta Falcons (Round 5, Pick 143)

LB Marist Liufau: Dallas Cowboys (Round 3, Pick 87)

Edge Javontae Jean-Baptiste: Washington Commanders (Round 7, Pick 222)

CB Thomas Harper

QB Sam Hartman

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Notre Dame NFL draft prospect list via NFL.com.

Any team looking for someone with leading-actor looks at the quarterback position now knows where to turn during the 2024 NFL draft.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted Tuesday that an NFL talent evaluator said "Brad Pitt" when asked for a comparison for Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman.

While that was a humorous moment, an AFC executive suggested Hartman will have some limitations on the field and said he "doesn't have the ability to be an NFL starter. More of a quality backup. Really like him as a guy and a player, but he doesn't have the arm strength and athleticism that you need in my opinion."

Hartman started his collegiate career at Wake Forest and transferred to Notre Dame for the 2023 campaign. He ended up completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 2,689 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions during that one season with the Fighting Irish and helped lead them to a Sun Bowl appearance.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department did not project any teams taking him in the first three rounds in its latest mock draft. It also didn't rank among him the top 250 overall players or top nine quarterbacks in its latest big board of prospects.

It is fair to be concerned with Hartman's upside, especially as a prospect who will turn 25 years old before the 2024 NFL season. That is older than some current starting quarterbacks who have been in the league for multiple years.

Hartman might not become an NFL star during his football career, but perhaps he could turn to acting if things don't work out.

After all, he's already landed quite the comparison when it comes to Hollywood.

Even though most analysts would agree NIL rules allowing college athletes to make money is fair, former Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman believes there are some drawbacks to the policy.

Speaking to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, Hartman called NIL "a slippery slope" and urged players to be astute when making decisions that impact their future:

"There's certain circumstances where it's used really well, and then sometimes I think it's just misconstrued for guys to kind of jump ship and say, 'Hey, there's a little bit of money getting flashed at me right here. I'm going to go do this.' And then that money's not as much as some people might think it might be."

Hartman certainly benefited from the NCAA's decision to adopt an NIL policy in 2021. He had a $1.2 million valuation last season after transferring from Wake Forest to Notre Dame.

Pryor noted Hartman's decision to play for a prominent national program like Notre Dame helped him score deals with Google, Under Armour, Beats by Dre, Dove, Dollar Shave Club and Mizzen+Main.

Speaking to Andy Staples of On3.com earlier this year (h/t Nick Schultz of On3.com), Hartman said there is some risk of disrupting team chemistry and the locker room environment if players start trying to focus on how much money they are making compared to others on the roster:

"As leaders in the locker room and at Wake and Notre Dame, [it] was like, 'Guys, the only way to this falls apart is people start pocket-watching and start wondering, why is this guy making this and I'm making that?' And it happens naturally. But if it's something that's in the dark corners, that's life. But as soon as it becomes the main focus and football is not, then that's when you struggle."

Leaders from different conferences have long called for some sort of federal regulations regarding NIL. Congress has presented multiple bills that would create national NIL rules, but none of them have been passed thus far.

Hartman knows as well as anyone the difference NIL has made in college football. He began his college career in 2018, three years before NIL came into being, and played five seasons at Wake Forest.

Under normal circumstances, Hartman would have finished his college career after the 2022 season. But the NCAA granted players an additional year of eligibility stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Hartman took advantage of it by transferring to Notre Dame in an attempt to better position himself for the NFL. His NIL deals with the program were an added bonus.

The move paid off, with Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy telling Pryor that Hartman likely improved his draft stock by two rounds as a potential Day 3 pick in the fourth or fifth round.