Underrated Notre Dame defender could play a much bigger role during the 2025 CFB season than most Fighting Irish fans realize
Notre Dame has an underrated defender that Fighting Irish fans need to know
Heading into the 2025 college football season, Notre Dame is expected to have one of the very best defenses in the entire country. Most know the biggest names on that unit, including preseason All-American Leonard Moore, Adon Shuler, Christian Gray, and Drayk Bowen. It is a deep, and incredibly talented group of players overall.
On paper, the Fighting Irish secondary has a strong argument as the top in all of college football returning this season. With Moore, Shuler, Gray, and DeVonta Smith, that group has a tremendous baseline to build off of. While some won’t talk about him enough, there is an extremely underrated Notre Dame defender who is going to have a huge impact in 2025, sophomore cornerback Karson Hobbs.
If you look at any depth chart projection right now, you are going to see the 6-1, 190-pound cover man listed as the backup nickel to Smith. How much could he possibly contribute as a backup nickel? The short answer is a lot.
While Hobbs may have that “backup” label next to his name, he has gained the trust of Mike Mickens, head coach Marcus Freeman, and the Notre Dame staff. There is a reason to believe that Hobbs is going to play a lot in that position, but that isn’t where all his reps may come. With freshmen Dallas Golden and Mark Zackery IV currently listed as the backups at the field and boundary cornerback spots respectively, it will be interesting to see how much confidence this staff has in each of them to begin the 2025 season.
Is there a chance that Hobbs could be the first cornerback off the board in either of the three spots? We won’t know until the season officially begins, but it wouldn’t be shocking one bit. Hobbs has the combination of size, physicality, and long speed to play all three at a high level. It is very possible that No. 21 could be playing a larger role than most people realize this year.
If there is an injury that happens, I imagine Hobbs will be where the staff turns. If someone needs a break and a breather, I imagine Hobbs will be where the staff turns. If Notre Dame wants to get another defensive back on the field in some subpackage looks, I imagine Hobbs will be where the staff turns. The sophomore has a chance to have a major say on just how good this Irish defense can be this season.
Hobbs was originally a member of the Notre Dame 2024 recruiting class, but was largely underrated by the major recruiting platforms. The 247 Sports Composite ranking had him pegged as a three-star, the No. 629 overall player, No. 58 cornerback, and No. 23 player in the state of Ohio for the 2024 class coming out of Archbishop Moeller in Cincinnati, Ohio.
If the early flashes are any indication, it appears some of those rankings got it wrong with Hobbs. If not, this upcoming season will more than likely prove that fact as he becomes a valuable member of the Irish elite secondary.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish News
Latest intel on the Miami Hurricanes that Notre Dame football fans will want to know heading into their Week One matchup
Latest Miami Hurricane Intel heading into their Week One matchup against Notre Dame
