Notre Dame storylines to buy into following the first week of fall camp heading toward the 2025 college football season 

Biggest Notre Dame storylines you should buy into early in fall camp.

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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We are only a week into fall camp, but there are already some storylines being created. Some are extremely positive for Notre Dame football, while others have Fighting Irish fans a little bit anxious heading into the 2025 season. With anything this time of the year, there are some to believe and others to disregard. 

There are several storylines that I am fully buying into, and maybe a couple of them are spearheaded by hope. Regardless, there is certainly a lot of positivity in the air. Here are those narratives to buy early on after the abbreviated action. 

The running back usage 

Heading into the 2025 college football season, the running back position has a strong argument as the best on the Notre Dame roster. Everyone knows how special Jeremiyah Love is, and Jadarian Price is pretty dang good as well. Add in the depth of Aneyas Williams, Kedren Young, and Nolan James Jr., and this unit is littered with future NFL talent. Irish fans have been begging for this team to utilize more two-running back sets in the offense, and that seems to be becoming a reality this offseason. At least that’s the word around fall camp. 

Offensive line continuity 

Leaving spring practice, the offensive line felt pretty solidified. Barring injury, the starting group was going to consist of Anthonie Knapp, Billy Schrauth, Ashton Craig, Charles Jagusah, and Aamil Wagner. With the arm injury to Jagusah, the Irish staff was forced to find an answer at right guard. After some early conversations around some options for a replacement, it seems like Sullivan Absher is going to get that opportunity. While you never want to have to deal with injury this early, having a solidified starting unit this early in camp is a big positive for an offense breaking in a new starting quarterback. 

EDGE depth 

With Boubacar Traore seemingly back to full health, and the Notre Dame staff showing some load management, that gives a lot more confidence that the pass rush will take a major step forward. If this position group remains healthy, that unit should be a ton more productive in 2025. Traore, along with Bryce Young, Joshua Burnham, Junior Tuihalamaka, and Loghan Thomas has a chance to be a potent group. That doesn’t even count Jordan Botelho, who will be back at some point this fall as well. 

Elite secondary… again 

Over the course of the first week of camp, we heard good things about several wide receivers on the team, but the defense has managed to win most of those matchups so far. We already know about cornerback Leonard Moore and safety Adon Shuler, as well as Christian Gray hopefully becoming a more consistent version of himself in 2025. The conversation has mostly centered around younger players like Tae Johnson and JaDon Blair. If they do become the breakouts some believe, this has a chance to be another elite secondary this season under Mike Mickens.

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