3 Notre Dame true freshman who can make a significant impact for the Fighting Irish offense heading into the 2025 CFB season
We have seen true freshmen come in and play massive roles in recent years for Notre Dame. Names like Joe Alt, Jeremiyah Love, Blake Fisher, Jaden Greathouse, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Benjamin Morrison, and Leonard Moore were all able to make an impact in their first season on campus. For the 2025 Fighting Irish offense, it could […]
We have seen true freshmen come in and play massive roles in recent years for Notre Dame. Names like Joe Alt, Jeremiyah Love, Blake Fisher, Jaden Greathouse, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Benjamin Morrison, and Leonard Moore were all able to make an impact in their first season on campus.
For the 2025 Fighting Irish offense, it could be much harder for the freshmen to crack into the rotation. Head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff have done a masterful job growing the depth on the roster. There are a couple of talented youngsters that could fight for immediate playing time.
TE James Flanigan
The tight end position is arguably the thinnest on the entire Notre Dame roster right now. With the injury timeline unknown, but also not overly optimistic, the Irish will be depending on Eli Raridon as the starter. While talented, Raridon has had a long list of injuries himself. Can Arkansas transfer Ty Washington or Jack Larsen step up? That remains to be seen.
Flanigan, who is a notable Notre Dame legacy and extremely talented, will have a chance to come in and compete. He’s already advanced from a blocking perspective and is a good overall athlete. It’s conceivable that Flanigan could provide much needed depth early on.
OT Will Black
We have seen true freshman left tackles make an impact for the Irish in recent seasons, including starts from Blake Fisher, Joe Alt, Charles Jagusah, and Anthonie Knapp at the position. With how talented Black is, there is a chance that at some point in 2025 that he is just too good to keep off the field.
At 6-7 and 290 pounds, Black is an incredibly smooth mover. The talent is easy to see on film, possessing the requisite foot quickness, length, and frame to become an outstanding blindsided protector. How quickly Black can develop physically could be the key for when his timeline to start becomes transparent.
WR Antavious Richardson
For the first time in a couple of years, there shouldn’t be a massive need for a freshman wide receiver to come in and play a ton. You have Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison coming back, as well as Virginia transfer Malachi Fields being put into that room. Add in younger players like KK Smith, Cam Williams, Micah Gilbert, and Logan Saldate and that room should be the deepest it has been in years.
Even with that in mind, opportunity could still be out there in specialized roles. “Scrap” Richardson is far from a nuanced wide receiver but he is a very impressive athlete. Could he get opportunities as a gadget player to work some jet sweeps, end arounds, or even some wildcat? Maybe he could also contribute as a returner on special teams. Richardson’s unique skill set can bring a lot of possibilities to the table.
