Notre Dame Football

HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 211

HAND: 9¾"

ARM: 31⅜"

WINGSPAN: 75¼"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.8

3-CONE: 7.19

SHUTTLE: 4.34

VERTICAL: 28.5"

BROAD: 9'1"

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POSITIVES

— Above-average pocket toughness. Willing to hang in there and move around as necessary.

— Accurate thrower in rhythm to all three levels. Can lead receivers effectively in those instances.

— Functional and methodical processor when kept clean. Cycles through his read efficiently without guesswork or jamming in bad throws.

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NEGATIVES

— Poor arm strength. Struggles to add velocity and tighten the arc of the ball. Too much air under many of his throws.

— Below-average athlete. Lack of explosive ability will get him caught in and around the pocket more often in the NFL.

— Struggles when pass-rushers crowd his throwing space. Loses too much velocity when trying to throw; too slow as an athlete to move away from them.

— Accuracy to all levels dramatically falls off without a clean throwing area and base.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 GM, 191-301 (63.5%), 2,689 YDS (8.9 AVG), 24 TD, 8 INT; 45 ATT, 123 YDS (2.7 AVG), 3 TD

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NOTES

— Born July 29, 1999

— 3-star recruit in Wake Forest's 2018 class, per 247Sports

— Transferred to Notre Dame in 2023

— 57 career starts

— 2021 second-team All-ACC

— Attended 2024 Senior Bowl

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OVERALL

Sam Hartman is a run-of-the-mill pocket passer with solid processing ability and lackluster talent.

Hartman spent most of his career in Wake Forest's nonsense "slow mesh" offense, which is a variation on all of the RPO offenses that litter college football. Though it taught Hartman little in terms of real NFL processing, it did force him to become used to taking hits and to be quick on the draw. Both of those traits showed up well for Hartman in a more normal environment at Notre Dame.

Similarly, Hartman throws well in rhythm, both with and without the help of RPOs. He does well to place timing routes in front of receivers for yards after the catch, and he throws deep balls with good touch.

Hartman badly lacks the traits to be a serious NFL starter, though. He struggles to get velocity from clean pockets, let alone when his throwing area is crowded. Hartman also loses a lot of accuracy when his throwing platform is disturbed.

There isn't much to Hartman as an athlete, either. He's not bad once he gets to stride out, but he lacks the explosiveness to quickly leave the pocket. Hartman will not be useful in the run game and will rarely escape sacks in the NFL.

Hartman has a path to adequate spot-starter play behind a quality offensive line and with the help of RPOs. However, Hartman's game is not conducive to tight NFL pockets. His arm strength will require him to play with perfect decision-making and timing in the league, which is hard to expect of any player.

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GRADE: 5.1 (Backup/UDFA with Roster Potential — 6th/7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 263

POSITION RANK: QB11

PRO COMPARISON: Bailey Zappe

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

While the SEC and Big Ten continue to load up on powerhouse programs and the college landscape dramatically shifts due to realignment, Notre Dame's new athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, told Heather Dinich of ESPN that the school feels "as secure as ever" in its independent status.

"We are now in as good of a position as we've ever been in the modern era of college football to be independent," he continued. "You see all the conference realignment, you see everything that's happened, I think our position as being independent in football quite frankly is certainly more unique than ever, but also more valuable than ever."

He cited a television deal with NBC, the new College Football Playoff deal—which reportedly will earn Notre Dame $12 million annually starting in 2026, per Dinich, a figure that would raise to $18 million in seasons they qualify for the CFP—and a partnership with the ACC for sports other than football and hockey as a reason for that security.

While the CFP deal won't pay Notre Dame as much as SEC and Big Ten programs (over $21 million per school), it has the possibility of exceeding ACC schools (over $13 million each) and Big 12 programs (over $12 million each).

Granted, the ACC appears to be in flux, with Clemson and Florida state suing the conference over the conference's grant of rights and exit fees. If those schools find a palatable means of departure, it's possible that North Carolina and Virginia could follow suit as attractive options for the SEC and Big Ten based on their geographical positioning and, in the case of UNC, its iconic basketball program and strong overall Olympic-sport offerings.

That would potentially alter the forecast for Notre Dame in other sports, though its status as an independent in football feels fairly viable though at least the six years of the new CFP deal starting in 2026.

"When you step back and look at the totality of those three elements—the NBC relationship, the ACC Network relationship and the CFP—we're in an incredibly strong position relative to the rest of the college sports world," Bevacqua noted.

And it remains "fundamentally important to Notre Dame to stay independent in football," he added, as the school attempts to maintain a national brand in the sport.

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard underwent a second surgery for an ankle injury, per On3 Sports' Tyler Horka.

Leonard, who transferred to Notre Dame after three seasons at Duke, originally suffered the injury last September while playing for the Blue Devils. He aggravated the injury again a few weeks later.

There's no timetable for his return for now, but Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said the surgery went "extremely well."

"Riley Leonard will be out a few weeks due to an additional surgery he had on his ankle on Friday to address a stress fracture that was beginning to develop," Freeman said. "Basically, the surgery was to exchange the current plate he had in his ankle with a new one.

"The doctors thought it went extremely well. The overall prognosis and health of his ankle is excellent. So, we'll see when he can get back. We're not putting a timetable. We know it's going to be a few weeks. We're not saying he's out for the spring. There could be a chance he comes back and participates in some capacity during spring ball."

After joining Notre Dame in January, Leonard underwent tightrope ankle surgery to try to correct the injury from the fall. He managed to get back on the field by the start of spring practice on March 7, but now will have to miss some time as he recovers.

In seven games last year, Leonard notched 1,102 passing yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. He showed promise in 2022 during his sophomore season with the Blue Devils, throwing for 2,967 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions in 13 games.

Now with the Fighting Irish, Leonard is looking to get back on the field quickly to prepare for what he hopes will be a big year.

According to Horka, junior Steve Angeli will be Notre Dame's QB1 in spring practice until Leonard is back on the field. Angeli saw limited action in 2023, but started for the Irish in the Sun Bowl, throwing for 232 passing yards and three touchdowns on 15-of-19 in the 40-8 win.

Notre Dame is coming off a 10-3 season in the second year of the Freeman tenure. The Fighting Irish will have a new quarterback under center in Leonard after Sam Hartman's time came to an end, and Leonard is trying to match Hartman's success from last year.

The son of one of Notre Dame's most famous alums is following in his father's footsteps.

Class of 2025 wide receiver Jerome Bettis Jr., the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis, committed to Notre Dame on Sunday, per ESPN's Tom VanHaaren.

A 6'2", 195-pound prospect from Woodward Academy in Georgia, Bettis is ranked as a 3-star prospect by 247Sports' composite. He chose to attend Notre Dame over offers from Texas A&M, Duke, Louisville and Ole Miss, among others.

Bettis is ready to embrace the comparisons to his father, who starred for the Fighting Irish from 1990 to 1992 and was a first-round selection in the 1993 NFL draft before going on to star for the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The youngster began his youth football career as a running back wearing his dad's No. 36, but he switched to wide receiver in seventh grade and changed his jersey to No. 4 in eighth grade in hopes of forging his own path.

"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 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."

Bettis added that Notre Dame made him comfortable throughout the recruiting process because it was made clear that he was being pursued for the player he is and not because of his famous last name.

"They made sure super early on that it was known they recruited me for me and not my father," he said. "They wanted me to know that they want Jerome Bettis Jr. at Notre Dame because of what he can bring, not just because of what comes along with me and my name. That's something that was really important to me, because I wasn't sure how they viewed me and my dad and the entire situation, so for them to reassure me was great."

HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 235

HAND: 9¾"

ARM: 30⅝"

WINGSPAN: 74⅞"

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40-YARD DASH: N/A

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: N/A

BROAD: N/A

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POSITIVES

— Team captain who shows leadership skills with his pre-snap communication, helping teammates get lined up and pointing out potential threats.

— Physical run defender who isn't afraid to throw his body around and has some pop behind his pads when coming downhill or blitzing.

— Good at reading zone runs to put himself in a position to get unblocked tackles for short gains.

— Decent lateral movement skills to scrape or work over the top as a run defender.

— Solid at reading the quarterback's eyes and anticipating throws to put himself in a position to make tackles after the catch against short throws.

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NEGATIVES

— Undersized with short arms and will be a 24-year-old rookie.

— Lacks the strength and sand in his pants to hold his ground when he isn't blitzing or is going against offensive linemen who can survive his initial contact.

— Gets stuck on blocks, even against tight ends.

— Has subpar speed, which hurts his sideline-to-sideline range against the run and ability to cover deep routes in man coverage versus running backs and tight ends. Gets caught flat-footed in coverage, too.

— Has a habit of diving at ball-carriers' feet when tackling, leading to misses.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 76 TOT, 7.5 TFL, 2.5 SK, 5 PD, 1 FF

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NOTES

— Born May 5, 2000

— 4-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Injuries: 2022 (Groin, missed 1 game; Left wrist, played through in 2021 but missed spring practice), 2023 (Concussion, missed 1 game)

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OVERALL

JD Bertrand was a team captain at Notre Dame who took command of the defense pre-snap, which could make NFL teams fall in love with his leadership. He also showed a high football IQ to put himself in a good position to make plays as a run defender and in coverage, and he's a physical player who likes to throw his body around.

However, Bertrand struggles to take on blocks against the run. He gets pushed around by offensive linemen and gets put on the ground too often. Good blocking tight ends will also wheel him out of his gap, and his short arms lead to him getting stuck on blocks.

Overall, the former Golden Domer will need to make a name for himself on special teams in the NFL. He has the potential to be a solid backup linebacker in a blitz-heavy defense.

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GRADE: 5.8 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 188

POSITION RANK: LB14

PRO COMPARISON: Jack Sanborn

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

HEIGHT: 5'11"

WEIGHT: 221

HAND: 10¼"

ARM: 32⅜"

WINGSPAN: 76½"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.54

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL: 38"

BROAD: 10'5"

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POSITIVES

— Great power and balance. Consistently bounces off tacklers and plunges forward through contact.

— Very good vision and footwork. Calm, controlled runner who understands how to use blocking leverage.

— Very good speed at the second and third level. Real threat to rip off explosive gains.

— Comfortable pass-catcher, particularly in the underneath area.

— Good pass protector. Smart, energetic player with the bulk to back it up.

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NEGATIVES

— Poor stop/start ability behind the line of scrimmage.

— Average burst to and through the line of scrimmage. Wins more by ramping up.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 210 ATT, 1,341 YDS (6.4 AVG), 18 TD; 17 REC, 142 YDS (8.4 AVG), 0 TD

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NOTES

— Born Sept. 6, 2003

— 4-star recruit in 2021 class, per 247Sports

— 14 career starts

— 2023 second-team All-American (AP)

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OVERALL

Audric Estimé is a plus-sized running back with much better footwork and home run speed than meets the eye.

Size and strength are the foundation of Estimé's game. At 221 pounds, he's a sturdy runner who excels between the tackles. Estimé can run through defensive linemen at the line of scrimmage and bounce off defenders at the second level. He also does well to push the pile in short yardage and plunge forward for extra bits of yardage when being tackled.

Estimé is a smart runner as well. He plays with smooth, controlled feet, especially for a bigger back. Additionally, Estimé shows impressive vision. Not only is he a decisive runner, but he excels at reading the leverage of blocks and making quick, smart decisions based on that. Estimé rarely runs himself into trouble or misses an open gap.

The scariest part of Estimé's game is his long speed. Though he can take a few steps to really get rolling, Estimé has serious home run speed. If he gets the angle on someone at the second or third level, he can absolutely take one all the way. That's rare for a player his size.

Estimé has some passing-down value as well. He's a useful receiver in the underneath area with soft hands. Even better, Estimé is a high-energy pass protector with impressive awareness and a quick trigger.

The only drawbacks with Estimé are his quickness and stop/start ability. At times, Estimé can get hung up in traffic behind the line of scrimmage because he doesn't have the immediate burst to get around it. Estimé also needs a few steps to reach his top speed rather than being someone who can access it instantaneously.

Overall, it's easy to see the appeal with Estimé. He's a very young, well-built runner with threatening long speed and a good baseline for how to be a smart NFL runner. Estimé would fit best in a downhill run game that features gap runs, such as Baltimore or Detroit.

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GRADE: 7.5 (Potential Impact Player — 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 43

POSITION RANK: RB1

PRO COMPARISON: Turbo Gus Edwards

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 239

HAND: 9⅝"

ARM: 34"

WINGSPAN: 79"

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40-YARD DASH:

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL:

BROAD:

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POSITIVES

— Good size and frame with long arms and solid movement skills overall.

— Shows good eye discipline and peripheral vision to locate threats coming into his area when playing zone.

— Can be an effective blitzer with a decent hand-swipe move and the change of direction and agility to get pressure as the looper on line games.

— Takes on blocks with his hands and is physical at the point of attack against the run.

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NEGATIVES

— Questionable instincts. Freezes and will get caught out of position versus zone runs, and has slow run-pass transitions versus play action.

— Lacks functional strength to hold his ground when taking on blocks against offensive linemen.

— Angles are too shallow versus outside runs, limiting his range.

— Has bad habits when tackling. Will be too high with his pad level and dive at ankles, which will lead to more misses in the NFL.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 44 TOT, 6.0 TFL, 3.0 SK, 2 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR

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NOTES

— Born Feb. 9, 2001

— 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings

— Injuries: 2021 (Broken ankle, missed entire season)

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OVERALL

Marist Liufau could be a solid backup/rotational linebacker in the NFL. He has a good frame with at least decent movement skills to help in coverage, and he has experience playing multiple linebacker spots in college, giving him some positional versatility. He's also a solid pass-rusher for an off-ball 'backer, which adds more value to his résumé.

Liufau's biggest issue is a lack of functional strength, which shows up the most against the run. He's already about 240 pounds, which is big for a modern linebacker, and he doesn't have much room for growth on his frame. In other words, he might already be tapped out in that area of his game.

Overall, Liufau likely will have to prove himself on special teams to begin his NFL career, but he can be a decent depth piece on Day 3 of the draft.

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GRADE: 5.6 (Backup/Draftable — 6th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 212

POSITION RANK: LB17

PRO COMPARISON: Kamu Grugier-Hill

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

The University of Notre Dame confirmed Tuesday that it will be featured in the upcoming EA Sports College Football 25 video game.

When the return of the EA Sports college football video game franchise was first conceived in 2021, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick released a statement in which he said Notre Dame would not be involved "until such time as rules have been finalized governing the participation of our student-athletes," however, Swarbrick made Notre Dame's involvement official in a new statement released Tuesday:

Statement from University VP and AD Jack Swarbrick on EA Sports College Football video game series and continued support of our student-athletes and NIL https://t.co/vOLotEq0hT pic.twitter.com/q576dwFnCx

— Notre Dame Football PR Team (@NDFootballPR) February 20, 2024

The institution of rules allowing NCAA student-athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL) in 2021 opened the door for the return of EA Sports' iconic college football series, which has been dormant since the release of NCAA Football 14.

EA Sports' first foray into college football video games occurred in 1993 with Bill Walsh College Football. It eventually evolved into College Football USA and then the well-known NCAA Football franchise, which started with NCAA Football 98.

In the years that followed, the NCAA Football video game series became a favorite of gamers and sports fans alike, and it was oftentimes heralded even more than Madden due to the immersive experience.

The one major thing missing for NCAA Football video games compared to professional sports games was the names of the players.

Since players could not be compensated for their name, image and likeness at the time, all players in the game were unnamed, although most of them had the same jersey number as their real-life counterpart, and their player model usually resembled them to at least some degree.

Diehard fans of the franchise and college football went so far as to edit the names of every player themselves, which allowed gamers all over the world to play with accurate rosters.

The NIL battle put a stop to the NCAA Football video game series due to the belief that it was unfair for student-athletes to go uncompensated despite their likenesses essentially being featured in the games.

Since NCAA athletes are now allowed to be paid, College Football 25 is in the works, and it figures to be the most accurate and in-depth college football video game ever thanks to the inclusion of legitimate player names and likenesses.

While it remains unclear if every FBS football program intends to participate in College Football 25, Notre Dame's inclusion is huge.

Notre Dame is one of the most storied and history-rich programs to ever be part of the college football landscape, having won 22 claimed and unclaimed national championships.

Although no official release date has been announced, College Football 25 figures to be released prior to the start of the 2024 college football season, and Notre Dame will indeed be in the game.

Elijah Burress, the son of former Michigan State and NFL wide receiver Plaxico, has committed to Notre Dame, per ESPN's Blake Baumgartner.

Burress, a 3-star prospect, is considered to be the No. 36 wide receiver in the Class of 2025 and the No. 11 player in the state of New Jersey by 247Sports. He hails from DePaul Catholic in Wayne, New Jersey.

Last season, Burress caught 25 passes for 434 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games as a junior.

Along with Notre Dame, Burress holds offers from Duke, James Madison, Marshall and others.

Burress adds to an extremely talented Class of 2025 for the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame has the No. 1 recruiting class so far according to 247Sports, holding six 4-star recruits and counting. Notre Dame also has the No. 9 recruiting class for the Class of 2024.

Burress' father, Plaxico, played for Nick Saban at Michigan State from 1996 to 1999, recording a then-program record 1,142 receiving yards in his final season to go along with 12 touchdowns.

He was taken eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, who he played for his first five pro seasons. He played for the New York Giants from 2005 to 2008, but was then out of the league until 2011, when he joined the New York Jets. Plaxico finished his career with the Steelers in 2012.

In his 11-year career, Plaxico recorded 8,499 receiving yards and 64 touchdowns.

Burress joins 4-star cornerback Ivan Taylor in his commitment to Notre Dame. Taylor's father, Ike, played with Plaxico in Pittsburgh, where he was a cornerback.

HEIGHT: 6'6"

WEIGHT: 310

HAND: 10"

ARM: 34⅜"

WINGSPAN: 83"

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40-YARD DASH: 5.2

3-CONE: 7.76

SHUTTLE: 4.73

VERTICAL: 28"

BROAD: 9'6"

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POSITIVES

— Very good arm length with stiff, heavy hands to jar, press and keep defenders at his fingertips.

— Has the initial quickness and burst to reach his landmarks in the pass and run game.

— Physical, imposing presence as a run-blocker. Can dent, displace and drive defenders off their spot on double-teams and angle-drive blocks.

— Mixes up his sets with active, light independent hands to keep rushers guessing and disrupt their plan.

— Well-versed run-blocker with experience executing a variety of concepts.

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NEGATIVES

— Not very adept or fluid at resetting, refitting and recovering once edged.

— Will get caught on his heels and pressed into the pocket against the forklift technique and speed-to-power moves due to high, late hand placement.

— Benched against Louisville after oversetting, two-hand striking and getting beat clean inside for a strip sack.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 starts at right tackle

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NOTES

— Born March 25, 2003

— 4-star recruit from the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— 27 career starts at right tackle

— Training under Duke Manyweather in preparation for the combine

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OVERALL

Blake Fisher is a two-year starter at right tackle inside Notre Dame's 55-45 run-pass split, zone-based offense. Fisher is built like a power forward with a long-limbed, high-cut frame and build with good athletic ability and play strength.

Fisher wins as a run-blocker using stiff, heavy hands and very good arm length to establish first meaningful contact, dent and feed his target over as the drive man on double-teams and angle-drive blocks. He does a nice job in the second phase of the block to "step on the toes" and get his hips through defenders with good strain and steering ability to stay attached through shed attempts to secure rush lanes off his backside.

Fisher has good quicks and burst to close space on his climbs with overwhelming power to erase backers once latched. He does have an upright play style that can get him outleveraged on contact when his initial strike is off-target, causing him to struggle to regain leverage in time against slippery run defenders.

In pass protection, Fisher is fluid and quick out of his stance into his signature 45-degree set while mixing in vertical and flat, aggressive sets depending on the concept and alignment. He works independent hands to evade and disrupt the rusher's plan, has the length and strength to keep them at his fingertips, and has the redirect ability to stay attached and cut off inside counters. However, he's sometimes late resetting his hands once his initial approach goes awry, which causes his feet to get stuck, the corner to shorten and him to lose cleanly at the top of the drop.

Overall, Fisher is a young, long and powerful blocker with good athletic ability who can be an asset in the zone run game at tackle. He has more of a boom-or-bust element to his game as a pass protector that will require a plan for development before becoming a consistent starter, but he has the runway and traits for that to happen within his rookie contract.

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GRADE: 6.9 (Potential Role Player/Contributor — 4th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 93

POSITION RANK: OT9

PRO COMPARISON: T.J. Clemmings

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.