3 things to be most excited about Notre Dame football heading into the future, and their continued progress to build a championship winner

It was a magical season for the Notre Dame program, but it ended on the wrong note on Monday night in the national championship game. The Ohio State Buckeyes came out on top, and were the better football team overall. The Fighting Irish will now be forced to pick themselves up, and to improve this […]

Ryan Roberts National College Football Writer
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrate a touchdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes by wide receiver Jaden Greathouse (1) during the second half the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrate a touchdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes by wide receiver Jaden Greathouse (1) during the second half the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It was a magical season for the Notre Dame program, but it ended on the wrong note on Monday night in the national championship game. The Ohio State Buckeyes came out on top, and were the better football team overall. The Fighting Irish will now be forced to pick themselves up, and to improve this offseason.

It’s never easy to see the positives after a defeat, but there is a lot of things to take away from this team that could be essential for growth into the future. There are three things in particular that should have Notre Dame fans very excited for what is to come. The 2025 season has a chance to be even more special.

Rise of Marcus Freeman

After the Northern Illinois loss early in the season, a lot of people had their doubts about Coach Freeman, and that skepticism was deserved. From there, we saw personal and team growth. The team rallied behind their head coach, and clearly believed in him. One of the biggest parts about being a good coach is self-evaluation, and the want for growth. Coach Freeman has both of those qualities, and it shows. The future is bright with him in South Bend, and you can bet that he will continue to grow.

A lot of talent coming back

There are no moral victories, but it would have been interesting to see how a healthy Notre Dame team would have fared on Monday night. The silver lining is that the Irish are set to bring back a lot of talent for 2025. That includes running back Jeremiah Love, wide receivers Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison, offensive lineman Charles Jagusah, Ashton Craig and Billy Schrauth, pass rusher Boubacar Traore, basically the entire linebacker room, safety Adon Shuler, and both starting cornerbacks, among others. There is a very real argument that the 2025 team will be much more talented than the team we saw play in the championship game.

Chip on their shoulder

This Notre Dame team was at its best this season when everyone counted them out. They routinely responded when their backs were against the wall, and fed off of the constant reminders of defeat. You can bet the team coming back will use the loss to the Buckeyes as fuel. I would hate to play this team early in the 2025 season because of it.