Heading into the game against Syracuse, most Notre Dame fans expected this Fighting Irish team to come out with a dominant victory. I’m not sure many expected a 70 to 7 win, especially when the final score doesn’t even adequately tell the full story for how lopsided the contest truly was. The game was littered with pick sixes, a special team touchdowns, and Syracuse not getting on the scoreboard until there was less than ten seconds left in the game. 

While superstar running back Jeremiyah Love and a stingy Irish defense will get the majority of the headlines, not enough people will be talking about the performance that safety Jalen Stroman put together. The former Virginia Tech transfer ended the game with eight total tackles, two tackles for loss, and his first career interception, which he returned for the first touchdown of the game. 

He also blocked a punt that led to another score, Stroman accomplished all of that in just the first half. 

Earlier in the 2025 college football season, it was a struggle for the 6-1, 205-pound safety. For whatever reason, and more than likely a combination of several reasons, Stroman looked a tick slow on the field. He wasn’t playing confidently, wasn’t making enough plays, and frankly, he looked like a complete dud of a transfer portal acquisition. That’s especially true considering the ascension of redshirt freshman star Tae Johnson, and the descent of Stroman’s playing time over the last several games. 

Perfect timing for a Jalen Stroman breakout 

Notre Dame was met with some unfortunate news this week when Johnson injured his hand during practice, costing him a chance to play against the Orange on Saturday. While head coach Marcus Freeman made a comment after the game alluding to the possibility that the Indiana native could play next week against Stanford, that feels very unlikely. The good news, however, is that it does sound like he’ll be back for the College Football Playoffs in some capacity. 

In Johnson’s absence, the depth of the safety room was sure to be tested. Stroman passed that first test against Syracuse with flying colors. You never want to see a player get hurt but the situation does offer a chance for the defense to create depth. As a veteran of the group, Stroman’s whole presence is about raising the floor of a talented room, and he did just that this weekend. 

Not only did Stroman look serviceable, but he looked really good overall. When Johnson gets back, this might offer some options to get creative on the back end. Perhaps there are some three safety alignments to take advantage of, or maybe you just feel better about mixing and matching the skill sets between those two, as well as Adon Shuler and Luke Talich. 

Coach Freeman has consistently preached complimentary football during the course of his tenure. At the core, it’s about people stepping up when your team needs you most. That’s what Stroman did this week. As Notre Dame hopefully gets healthier and healthier here moving forward, the added depth could end up paying huge dividends during their quest for a national championship. 

College Football

The prophecy has already been written about Notre Dame superstar Jeremiyah Love and his chances to win the Heisman Trophy 

Jeremiyah Love’s Heisman chances have already been etched in stone.

Ryan Roberts