Notre Dame Football 2023-24 Classes Are The Foundation For 2026
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This is the most talented roster Notre Dame has had in quite some time and that's not to discredit the 2024 and 2025 rosters. From top to bottom, the overall level of talent across the board is deep, fast, long and athletic. The goal of any head coach at a program like Notre Dame is to stack recruiting classes. Head coach Marcus Freeman is fresh off of bringing in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country in 2026, but it's the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes that are going to anchor this 2026 football team.
The foundation will be laid by 2023 recruiting class featuring players like Drayk Bowen, Christian Gray, Adon Shuler, Jaden Greathouse and Boubacar Traore. The 2024 class brings in the star power on this roster with players like CJ Carr, Leonard Moore, Bryce Young, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Tae Johnson. Both of these classes were underrated coming into college and now, they're the anchors for this 2026 football team. Were they overlooked? Absolutely. Why were they overlooked? That's what we dive into on today's edition of the Irish Breakdown Podcast.
You can watch the entire show here:
Here are some of the main topics we discussed on today's show:
On The 2023 Recruiting Class…
"This class will be the heart and soul of this year's football team. When I look at this roster, by and large with the exception of players like Jason Onye, Ashton Craig and Jaylen Sneed, the 2023 recruiting class has spent the most time under Freeman and have been with him through the growing pains.
"They experienced the heart-breaking loss to Ohio State in 2023. They experienced the highs and lows of the 2024 season and that's when this class started to emerge. Players like Drayk Bowen and Christian Gray started to make their presence felt. The majority of the leadership on the roster will also be from this class. They're going to play a major role in the overall success of this team."
On The 2024 Recruiting Class…
"This is where the star power on the roster comes from. I love the 2023 recruiting class for the leadership, experience and high-caliber talent they bring to the roster. But when you look at the 2024 class, that's where the star power enters the conversation. Just amongst the starters, you have guys like CJ Carr, Leonard Moore, Bryce Young, Guerby Lambert and Anthonie Knapp. That doesn't even get into guys like Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa or Cam Williams or Micah Gilbert.
"If Notre Dame wishes to win a national title, they're going to need both of these classes. You'll need the 2023 recruiting class for all of the experience, playmaking ability and the leadership they bring to the table. But you'll also need the 2024 class for the top-level talent and star power they bring to the table. The 2026 season is a big year for Notre Dame and both of these recruiting classes will play a vital role in their overall success."
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