There’s no better day than today to think about all the things you are thankful for. When it comes to Notre Dame football, the program has come a long way over the past several years under head coach Marcus Freeman. When comparing the trajectory of the team to what it was previously under Brian Kelly, it is truly night and day. 

Aside from Coach Freeman being just generally a more likable person than Kelly, both by the players, parents, and fans alike, he has shown a tremendous ability to be flexible and adaptive in a constantly evolving College Football landscape. That has made Freeman stand out in the best ways possible, even amidst constant change. There are so many things to be thankful for about Freeman and the Fighting Irish program, but let’s narrow down the list a bit. 

Here are what Notre Dame fans should be more thankful for, both now and into the future. 

Complete recruiting shift 

Kelly did some good things on the recruiting trail at times, at least when you could get him off of the golf course, but it was anything but consistent. With Freeman in place, the recruiting operation has taken a massive step forward. This program has been a lot more consistent in that regard, pulling in complete classes without many holes. That balance has been important. 

Aside from the recruiting ideology, Freeman is the definition of a grinder on the trail himself. The effort he puts in is incredible, and there aren’t many better closers in the county. As the team has more and more success on the field, the recruiting is only going to get better. The ceiling is very high when it comes to talent acquisition in the Freeman era. 

A progressive mindset 

In the volatile world of the Transfer Portal and NIL, it has forced programs to adjust on the fly. While Notre Dame wants to be a team that majors in high school recruiting and retaining talent, we have seen Freeman’s program also be willing to hit the portal to fill in gaps on the roster. They are also adjusting to the NIL space, and the Irish have suddenly become very competitive in that regard. 

The fact that Freeman has accumulated a 42-12 overall record as a first-time head coach in the most volatile era of college football is pretty incredible. It’s a testament to his work ethic and ability to adapt. 

Big game preparation 

For the first time in a long time, Notre Dame fans can feel confident going into the biggest games on the schedule. In just a three-game stretch in the playoffs last year, Freeman won as many games against Top-10 teams than Kelly did in 12 years with the team. Even when the Irish come out on the wrong side on the scoreboard, Freeman’s teams tend to be ready to play, and are in it until the very end. 

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Ryan Roberts