Multiple Notre Dame opponents have true freshmen that are creating a lot of buzz heading into the 2025 College Football season
Younger talent that Notre Dame needs to be prepared for
Following Notre Dame football announcing CJ Carr as their starting quarterback heading into the 2025 college football season on Tuesday, all the attention can now turn to the talented opponents in front of them. While the Miami Hurricanes and the matchup on August 31 is the top priority, the Fighting Irish are left to navigate a bit of a tricky schedule. There are some really talented football players they have to game plan for in the future.
On3 put out their College Football Preseason True Freshman All-American team on Tuesday as well. That list included three players that head coach Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame program will face in the future. Neither is a major household name, but that could change soon.
The first player to know will come in that first game against Miami. Defensive lineman Donta Simpson has been creating a ton of buzz this offseason, and the 6-3, 281-pound athlete should play a prominent role inside for the team. The Florida native was underrated from a recruiting rankings perspective, rated as a three-star player, No. 606 overall player, and No. 67 defensive lineman in the 2025 recruiting class on the 247 Sports Composite ranking.
On October 11, Notre Dame will welcome the NC State Wolfpack to campus. They have a true freshman offensive lineman named Isaac Sowells, who looks like he might be the starting center for the team. Nicknamed “Spike”, Sowells was rated as the top overall recruit for NC State in the 2025 class. Despite being just 6-2 and 300 pounds, Sowells ended up ranked as the No. 104 overall player and No. 4 interior offensive linemen in the class according to 247 Sports.
The Wolfpack were able to beat out a long list of impressive programs for Sowells. Some of his top offers include Miami, Penn State, South Carolina, Louisville, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Indiana, West Virginia, Duke, Vanderbilt, and Wake Forest among many others.
If Sowells does start at center, he will be the best friend for sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey. The offense, in theory anyway, has a ton of playmakers to work with. Solidifying the offensive line up front will be huge, and Sowells will be a massive part of that formula.
The other true freshman that was mentioned on that list was Syracuse defensive back Demetres Samuel Jr., who has also dabbled on the offensive side of the football for the Orange this offseason. At just 17 years old, Samuel is a very advanced athlete for his age. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Samuel was rated as the No. 244 overall player, No. 18 safety, and No. 38 player in the state of Florida in the 2025 recruiting class.
Head coach Fran Brown and Syracuse managed to win out against some legitimate contenders for Samuel. That list included Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida, Miami, Auburn, Texas A&M, and Nebraska among many, many others. Samuel is projected to start at cornerback for the Orange this fall, and a lot is expected of him.
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