Five key storylines for Notre Dame football as spring practice opens

Notre Dame football head athletic trainer Rob Hunt on Jeremiyah Love

Rob Hunt, head athletic trainer for Notre Dame football, on how Jeremiyah Love was able to avoid knee surgery and perform in four postseason games.

SOUTH BEND — When Notre Dame football opens spring practice on Wednesday, the must-do punch list for fourth-year coach Marcus Freeman will feature efficiency and the acquisition of answers.

As sports performance director John Wagle and head athletic trainer Rob Hunt made clear in a recent news conference, this 25-day compressed version of spring ball won’t be the all-encompassing slugfest of years gone by.

Here’s a look at five key storylines as the reigning national runners-up work toward the Blue-Gold Game on April 12:

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Pecking order at QB

In the first true Irish quarterback competition since Freeman’s debut spring in 2022, practice repetitions will be divvied carefully among Steve Angeli, CJ Carr, and Kenny Minchey.

There seems little chance for meaningful separation at this stage of the offseason, but that doesn’t mean every throw won’t be charted and every public comment carefully parsed in an attempt to handicap the race.

The finesse part of the deal is pushing the candidates in a competitive setting without pushing any of the principals into the spring transfer portal when it opens for 10 more days, starting April 16.

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Chris Ash on benefits of NFL experience

Notre Dame football defensive coordinator Chris Ash on creating a ‘positionless defense’ and using concepts from his four seasons in the NFL

Sorting out the offensive line

Redshirt freshman tackle Guerby Lambert and third-year tackle/guard Charles Jagusah should get plenty of first-team reps as position…

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Publish date : 2025-03-17 12:19:00

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