Shared a few short videos on YouTube of Sam Hartman. I'll have a full transcript later.

Sam Hartman's advice for Riley Leonard:

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At what point do you drop Big 10 name?

AUDRIC ESTIME

On if he’s more fast than quick:

“I would agree that I'm quick, but I would also agree that I'm very fast, too. But like I said, my film speaks for itself, but I also get the opportunity to go out on a Saturday and prove that, too. So, I'm looking forward to it.”

On the trip to Ireland and if he was nervous to play overseas:

“It was definitely a great experience, and, naw, I don't think we're more nervous. It was an opportunity, and this was another business trip. This one was just a little further than other business trips. But that's the thing about Notre Dame, you get the opportunity to experience a lot of things that other schools don't. So, I'm very grateful for that.”

On the crowd in Ireland:

“Oh, yeah, it was great. I'm just so surprised how many Notre Dame fans were there, and just to be able to experience a different culture other than American culture is definitely a great opportunity that Notre Dame provides.”

On the Stanford game:

“Honestly, felt good to just go out and finish the regular season with my team like that. All the hard work we put in. We started it back in last January with winter workouts, and to just be able to finish on a high note like that. But personally, that was a career game for me. I didn't know it was my last game at that point but to look back at it and just think that I finished my career like that, is a way I feel very satisfied.”

On the tension between him and Marcus Freeman at Stanford:

“No, that was just something that... like our running back fumbled on the one-yard line, and I'm the leader, the group and the leader sometimes takes a couple of hits for other guys. But I feel that's something that I like, Coach Freeman thinks that that high of me, that I got to keep the standard to a high level, even though if it might've not be at me, I gotta keep the young guys in check. And that's just something that leaders do and deal with all the time.”

On the running back he’d compare himself to:

“I say Adrian Peterson. The reason is because he's a big guy, a big physical guy. He runs like he has to pay his bills, and that's how I run, but he's also a guy that moves like a smaller back. He's very light on his feet. He's very quick and fast. He can route run. He can run routes he can pass protect. He could do it all. So I pride my game over him.”

On the one play he’d like NFL Scouts to watch:

“I'd say probably the Central Michigan run because I showed my good vision. I was able to read and pick the right hole. I showed my athletic ability, hurdling someone, and then I showed my long speed that I can pull away from defenders, too.”

Have you met with the Buccaneers this week:

“No, I have not.”

On if he’s met with the Ravens and the prospect of playing with Lamar Jackson:

“Yes, I formally met with Ravens, and that's just a great opportunity. I had John (Harbaugh) in the room, and there's a great opportunity. They think highly of me and Lamar is a great player. They're a great team as a whole, and I think it'd be a very good fit, and I'd love to play for them.”

On McCullough becoming associate HC:

“Coach McCullough, he deserves everything that he's given. He's a great mentor in my life. He's a great coach, smart guy, but he's more than a coach. He honestly cares about his players deeply. He's a big family guy, and I really like that about him and the lessons that he taught me. I'll cherish them. They'll last for me forever.”

On if he’s met with the Cowboys:

“Yes, I met with the Cowboys.”

On what he hopes to show teams at the Combine:

“I'll hopefully show the team that I'm very athletic. I'm a big back, but I can do it all. I can run routes. I'm quick, but I'm also fast. I have long speed. I'm just an every-down back, a three-down back. I plan to show them that I’m the best running back in the draft.”

On the questions he’s been asked by NFL teams:

“It's all different types of questions. I get a lot of personality questions like how did I grow up? A lot of teams like to talk ball, but coming from a great place like Notre Dame, I got the best coaches who had to be very informed, like Coach McCullough. I met with Coach McCullough a couple of times before the draft, Coach Freeman. We've just got the best coaches, the smartest coaches and we have a lot of smart players around like Sam Harmon, like Joe Alt. I was ready for this for my coaches and for Notre Dame.”

On if he had a former or informal meeting with the Cowboys:

“It was a formal meeting.”

On what he liked about the meeting with the Cowboys:

“I just like to energy the Cowboys had. They're very energetic guys. They had smiles on their faces. I'm the guy that's always smiling, and they were smiling right back at guy me. And they're a very football savvy team and they know a lot about football, and I'm a guy that's always wants to be informed. I'm a guy that always likes to learn every day. And I feel like in that system, I'll learn, be learning every day and I'll fully maximize my ability. So, that would be a great opportunity for me.”

On his personality off the field:

“So, I'm a guy that I have a lot of secret hobbies that a lot of people might not know. I like to cook a lot. Yeah. I like to draw a lot. I like to sing, but some people might not think I'm the best singer, but I think I'm a really good singer. But yeah, I like to spend time with my family and friends. I'm a very family-oriented guy. So, every chance I get, because the business that we're in, we don't really have a lot of free time. So if I can, I'll spend time with my family and friends, watch a movie, go take a walk, read a book, all that.”

On the meal he’d make to impress someone:

“I can make a good steak, like a nice little ribeye.”

On his karaoke song:

“You pick and I can sing it. I don't know if I'm gonna sing it right now, but I can sing it all.”

I'm from Boston, how about Sweet Caroline?

“Sweet Caroline, bum, bum, bum. A little sample.”

(more)

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On Thursday, Notre Dame 2025 cornerback target Mark Zackery cut his list down to a top four.

Notre Dame is joined by Cincinnati, Michigan and Florida as finalists for Zackery.

Zackery, a four-star recruit, received his offer from the Gators after initially announcing a top 10 last month.

The 6-foot, 160-pound recruit out of Indianapolis Ben Davis is the No. 227 overall player and No. 24 cornerback in the class.

Inside ND Sports has Zackery listed as Extremely Hot on The Heat Index. He was last on campus Jan. 20 for junior day, and has visited the Irish five times in his recruitment (not including a camp in summer of 2022).

Ben Davis won the IHSSA Class 6A state championship last fall and Zackery had 39 tackles, eight passes defended, four interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He also led the Giants in receiving with 53 catches for 563 yards and six touchdowns.

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Our final update in the first edition of The Heat Index for Notre Dame’s 2025 class is the safety position and athlete designation.

Notre Dame picked up a pair of four-star safety commitments before safeties coach Chris O’Leary left for the Los Angeles Chargers. Now the Irish need to make sure they hold on to Ivan Taylor and Ethan Long.

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The Irish would like to add a third safety to the class as well, but the top options are pretty limited currently. I’ve assigned the following heat ratings for Notre Dame’s top two remaining safety targets:

Hot for JaDon Blair
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Mild for Trey McNutt
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For more details on those safety targets, follow the link below.


Notre Dame recently started pursuing Dalen Penson in the 2025 class and is being considered as a true athlete at this point. He could be a cornerback, running back or wide receiver at the next level. I’ve assigned a heat rating of Plain for Penson as his recruitment is just getting started.

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For more details on Penson, follow the link below.

Here are each of Notre Dame football's 2025 defensive commits movements in the latest positional rankings update after the new 2025 Rivals250.

DT commit Davion Dixon

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Dropped one spot from No. 21 DT to No. 22, remained nationally unranked

DE commit Christopher Burgess Jr.

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Jumped 23 spots in Rivals250, now No. 39 overall. Bumped up to a 6.0 rating and rose four spots from No. 6 SDE to No. 2

DE commit Joseph Reiff

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Dropped nine spots in Rivals250, now No. 234 overall. Dropped one spot from No. 14 SDE to No. 15

VYP commit Dominik Hulak

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Dropped two spots from No. 15 ILB to No. 17, remained nationally unranked

LB commit Ko’o Kia

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Remained nationally unranked and at his position

CB commit Cree Thomas

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Moved down 10 spots in Rivals250, now No. 233 overall. Dropped one spot from No. 25 CB to No. 26.

S commit Ivan Taylor

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Moved down 21 spots in Rivals250, now No. 111 overall. Dropped one spot from No. 11 S to No. 12

S commit Ethan Long

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Dropped three spots from No. 27 S to No. 30, remained nationally unranked

Notre Dame men’s basketball will have home contests against California, Stanford and SMU, all of whom will play their first year in the ACC.

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Next up in the first edition of The Heat Index for Notre Dame’s 2025 class is the cornerback position.

Defensive backs coach Mike Mickens received his first cornerback commitment for the 2025 class from four-star recruit Cree Thomas in November.

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The Irish are in the running for more four-star cornerbacks with the hope of adding a couple more, which could make for one of the best cornerback classes for Notre Dame in recent years. I've assigned the following heat ratings for Notre Dame's top six remaining cornerback targets:

Extremely Hot for Mark Zackery and Dallas Golden
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Medium for Trystan Haynes, Chuck McDonald III and Jahmir Joseph
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Mild for Devin Williams
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For more details on those cornerback targets, follow the link below.


Coming Friday: a safety and athlete update.

In his breakdown of the new 2025 defensive back position rankings, @Greg Smith ranked the top defensive back classes in the country. Notre Dame made the top five.

Story here:

Dennis Dodd, national college football writer for CBS Sports, discusses the push for more automatic qualifiers for conferences in the College Football Playoff, if Notre Dame should be worried about that model, if the CFP can compete with the NFL for ratings, why conference teams would still be interested in scheduling Notre Dame, what the NIL injuction will eventually lead to, who will decide the future for college athletics and more.

Then @Eric Hansen and I answer questions from Twitter and The Insider Lounge (19:48).

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In his breakdown of the new 2025 defensive line position rankings, @RivalsFriedman ranked the top defensive line classes in the country. Notre Dame made the top five.

Story here:

What kind of expectations do you have for wide receiver Jayden Thomas in 2024?

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Micah Shrewsberry, Steve Forbes and Carey Booth all took turns gushing over Notre Dame freshman guard Markus Burton after his career-high 31 points.

He's earning every ounce of praise.

"He’s one of the better guards in our league," said Forbes, Wake Forest's head coach.

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With Will Black's upgrade to four-star status, Notre Dame football's top-ranked 2025 recruiting class has 13 of its 17 commitments with four-star ratings, ranging from 5.8 to 6.0 ratings.

Link to full story:

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On Wednesday evening, Notre Dame football extended an offer to 2026 cornerback Jaelen Waters.

The 6-foot-2, 170-pound recruit attends Seffner (Fla.) Armwood, and is up to 19 offers including ND, Florida, Miami (Fla.), Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas and USC.

As a sophomore, Waters had 20 tackles and six pass deflections. He also forced one fumble.

Rivals has not assigned a rating or ranking to Waters at this time.

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Sophomore year film below:

Here are each of Notre Dame football's 2025 offensive commits movements in the latest positional rankings update after the new 2025 Rivals250.

QB commit Deuce Knight

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Remained No. 1 DUAL, dropped 18 spots from No. 34 overall to No. 52 in Rivals250

RB commit Justin Thurman

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Jumped 13 spots from No. 20 APB to No. 7, remained nationally unranked

RB commit Daniel Anderson

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Dropped three spots from No. 16 RB to No. 19, fell out of Rivals250 after being ranked No. 205 overall

WR commit Elijah Burress and WR commit Shaun Terry

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Both remained nationally unranked and at their position

TE commit James Flanigan

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Dropped two spots from No. 7 TE to No. 9, remained nationally unranked

OT commit Owen Strebig

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Remained as No. 6 OT, jumped 22 spots from No. 66 overall to No. 44

OT commit Will Black

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Dropped five spots from No. 35 OT to No. 40, gained fourth-star and was upgraded to 5.8 rating, remained nationally unranked

OT commit Matty Augustine

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Dropped five spots from No. 40 OT to No. 45, remained nationally unranked

@John Garcia Jr. has the run down on the latest offensive line rankings in the 2025 class. He ranks the Irish OL class of Owen Strebig, Will Black and Matty Augustine as tops in the country.

The shortcut to the question queue is here ...

@Eric Hansen and I will record our next Inside ND Sports podcast Thursday morning. Send us some questions you'd like us to discuss. We like to give priority to questions submitted on The Insider Lounge.

If you have multiple questions, try to be succinct and ask them separately. Thanks!

Next up in the first edition of The Heat Index for Notre Dame’s 2025 class is the linebacker position.

Notre Dame landed its first true linebacker in the class in January from three-star Ko’o Kia, though four-star commit Dominik Hulak could also end up playing linebacker if his vyper end projection doesn’t pan out. Kia got the ball rolling at the position, and now promoted linebackers coach Max Bullough can put his touch on the class.

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Notre Dame has a long list of linebacker targets that will get whittled down in the coming months, but the Irish have a handful of intriguing options. Bullough will likely get the freedom to add at least two more linebackers to the class.

I’ve assigned the following heat ratings for Notre Dame’s nine top remaining linebacker targets:

Hot for Anthony Sacca and Madden Faraimo
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Medium for Antoine Deslauriers, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Noah Mikhail, Marco Jones and Christian Jones
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Mild for Gavin Nix and Kamar Archie
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For more details on those linebacker targets, follow the link below.


Coming tomorrow (Thursday): a cornerbacks update.