How Marcus Freeman is doing what it takes for Notre Dame to compete at the top while recruiting

Marcus Freeman is firmly behind the wheel at Notre Dame. With the 37-year-old coach steering, the Fighting Irish might just drive off into the sunset.

This season, the Fighting Irish boasts the No. 10 recruting class in the nation with 18 four-star prospects. Before 2022, Notre Dame hadn’t had a top 10 class since 2014. Fueled by Freeman’s recruiting prowess, Notre Dame also currently has the No. 7 recruiting class for the Class of 2024.

On3’s own JD PicKell believes Freeman is pushing the program to new heights.

“For Notre Dame, we talk so much about the brand and how they expect to compete, and they’ve made the College Football Playoff but haven’t made enough noise. The way they’re recruiting right now under Marcus Freeman — to put it simply, this is what it takes,” PicKell said.

Notre Dame caught a glimpse of its future last season. Despite starting off the season with back-to-back losses against Ohio State and Marshall, the Fighting Irish finished the season 9-4 with a win over a hot South Carolina team in the Gator Bowl.

Onlookers shouldn’t be too concerned by Notre Dame’s early losses. Freeman became the coach last season after Brian Kelly shocked the program with his decision to become the LSU head coach. As Freeman grows more comfortable in his role, he’ll grow more dangerous on the recruiting trail.

“If you want to compete for national titles, there’s not really that many choices,” PicKell said. “There is no choice. They have to recruit in the top 10. They hae to consistently to be in that upper tier of grabbing the top talent in the country.”

Top talent such as Charles Jagusah. The five-star offensive tackle is the No. 25 player in the nation and the fourth best tackle in his class. Or, perhaps, the top talent can come at a skill position such as Jeremiyah Love.

Love is a 6-foot-4 running back out of Missouri. The four-star 2023 graduate is the No. 4 running back in his class. Freeman is getting the right guys in the car. The only question is how long will it take for Notre Dame to reach its destination.

“Notre Dame, they’re doing what it takes to compete how they want to compete and I think that’s worth noting with Marcus Freeman now running the show down there in South Bend, Indiana,” PicKell said.