Marcus Freeman explains why he loves selling Notre Dame
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is known as one of the country’s best recruiters. He’s been doing it for more than a decade. He’s intelligent, relatable and eloquent. Recruits love him.
But Notre Dame affords him the opportunity to recruit in a way he has not before.
Freeman joined the inaugural episode of the Varsity House Podcast, which was released earlier this week and is hosted by former Irish defensive back Shaun Crawford, to discuss recruiting at Notre Dame and how it has changed since he was in the recruits’ shoes.
“The unique things about this place is you can sell something different,” Freeman said. “We can sell the football aspect; we’re not going to cut it short on football. We’re competing for national championships, and we’re trying to produce first-round draft picks. That’s what those big-time football players want.”
They sure do. Just look at Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State, the four teams that have sat at the top of college football in recent years for an extended period of time. In the eight years of the College Football Playoff era, those teams have won seven national championships and produced 60 of the 224 first-round draft picks (26.7 percent). Alabama had six first-round draft selections just last year.
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If you want elite talent to sign with your school, you have to — at the very least — be in the national conversation.
And Notre Dame often is. But what Freeman enjoys most about selling the Irish is something he believes is not available elsewhere.
“We also have insurance, meaning when the game is done, we have the ‘four for 40.'” Freeman said. “This degree is truly as strong as any degree in the country, in the world. I just believe we have something to offer young people that no one else in the country can.”
“Four for 40” is a common Notre Dame recruiting mantra meaning the four-year degree from Notre Dame sets one up for the next 40 years.
Freeman wasn’t bashing other schools — he’s an Ohio State alum after all. Rather, he was promoting the things that make Notre Dame unique, even if the path might be a bit more difficult.
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Speaking of Ohio State, what was Freeman’s recruitment like?
“When I was getting recruited, a coach might call you once a week during your junior or senior year,” Freeman said. “Then you go visit, and they give you the spiel.”
Freeman was a highly coveted linebacker who ultimately finished as a four-year starter and two-time All-Ohio selection. As you may know, his decision came down to Ohio State versus Notre Dame. He actually has an On3 Consensus ranking, which in his case is an average of the two recruiting services at the time — Rivals and 247Sports. He was the No. 49 recruit in the 2004 class.
“Now, it’s constant communication,” Freeman said. “It’s every day. It’s making sure you build a relationship with the guys.”
Relationship building is a strength of Freeman’s, which bodes well for Notre Dame. Recruits have spoken about his relatability and the fact that they can speak with Freeman about anything — Notre Dame, personal life, the NFL. The list goes on.
Freeman isn’t expecting anything from his staff with regard to recruiting that he isn’t doing himself. Freeman left his introductory press conference at Notre Dame, immediately hopped on a plane, and went out to talk to recruits. He’s talked about being the primary recruiter with every prospect Notre Dame considers, and so far, it seems as though he is holding up his end of the bargain.
