Notre Dame Football Mailbag: Toughest remaining games, slow starts from Bryce Young and Jaylen Sneed, and offensive line issues
Head coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame football enters a very important part of the 2025 CFB season. There are many questions that will need to be answered.
Notre Dame football is set to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks this weekend in the first-ever matchup between the two programs. With the Fighting Irish sitting with just a 1-2 overall record right now, its back is against the wall, and Marcus Freeman’s squad could be entering desperation time. A tough stretch is in front of them, so understandably, there are going to be a lot of questions asked moving forward.
That made this week’s Notre Dame Football Mailbag even more fun than usual. Some of the questions that were asked this week centered around Bryce Young, Jaylen Sneed, offensive rhythm, and how the Irish can navigate the rest of the season. As always, thank you to everyone who submitted questions this week.
What’s the deal with Bryce Young and Jaylen Sneed?
I’m not worried at all about Bryce Young. He’s a true sophomore who is starting for the first time on the college level after coming in as a bit of a raw player. I am very confident that we will see him get better and better throughout the season. Betting on a 6-7, 270-pound defensive end with unreal athleticism is a pretty smart investment. You saw some flash plays against Purdue, and I think you’ll see a lot more the rest of the year.
As for Jaylen Sneed, I bought into the offseason hype, but he’s just the same player he always has been. He’s a great athlete, but just not a very good football player. It feels like it’s that easy of an evaluation at this point. Sneed is best served as a situational player, which can be valuable. He just isn’t a real starting linebacker, or at least shouldn’t be, for the Irish.
Offensive rhythm
The run game is something that Notre Dame is always going to center their offense around, and they should. Being able to establish early down success is how this offense wants to set the table. If Notre Dame is able to establish that running game, then that eases quarterback CJ Carr into the game, and also could allow for some play action opportunities. That’s how this offense could function best.
I don’t think the mindset changes for Notre Dame much with the playoff format. Without a conference championship game, this Irish team knows that they have to be nearly perfect to make the field. That doesn’t change that perspective. Marcus Freeman’s team will need to, in most years anyway, only lose one or less games. For this season, they will need to hope that some parity and chaos ensues.
What’s wrong with the offensive line?
The biggest issue with the offensive line is that both offensive tackles aren’t playing well in pass protection. For Anthonie Knapp, he would probably be best served moving inside, but that isn’t a move I expect offensive line coach Joe Rudolph to make, even when Charles Jagusah returns from injury. Aamil Wagner has really struggled over at right tackle, and I would argue he’s been worse overall than Knapp. Wagner will need to figure something out, and quickly in order for this unit to get back on track.
A playoff push
They do. The next four games, including Arkansas, are all pretty tricky. That includes USC, which has looked very good to start the year. The remaining stretch isn’t a cakewalk like some are pretending it is. Notre Dame had to play their two toughest games to start the year, but this schedule is far from horrible overall.
Toughest games remaining?
The next four games are a pretty tricky stretch for this Notre Dame team. It starts with their trip down to Fayetteville this weekend against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Boise State, NC State, and USC all have their own unique challenges as well, but the Trojans are the team that many will have their eyes set on. With how USC has looked so far this season, they are also the team that has my attention, and are the most likely loss remaining. Notre Dame can lose this weekend, however, if they don’t play well.
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