FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt: ‘Watch out for Notre Dame’

FOX Sports’ lead college football analyst Joel Klatt is high on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish headed into the 2024 season.

During a recent episode of the Joel Klatt Show, the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback gave his personal top 25 list and had Marcus Freeman’s program listed at No. 6. Below is a transcript of his take on the Irish and why he thinks Notre Dame can make a big run this fall.

“The more I look at it, folks, the more I’m just convinced that Notre Dame is going to be really strong,” Klatt said.

“I think it’s an intriguing opening game because they’ve got to go to a difficult place to play in what will be hot weather at Texas A&M — tough environment, fan base desperate for a big win, going to be fired up under Mike Elko.

“Notre Dame is going to have a dominant defense. You know that’s going to happen under Marcus Freeman. They return several star players on that side of the ball, including The Nagurski Award winner from last year in Xavier Watts. Benjamin Morrison, Howard Cross — all back on the defensive side.

“Then they get a really solid offensive coordinator in Mike Denbrock. So he comes back to Notre Dame after going to LSU with Brian Kelly.  Now you’re looking at this and you’re like Riley Leonard with his experience? Mike Denbrock? That defense? Well, hold on, they’re going to be pretty good, right?

“What does that schedule look like? Well, they get A&M in the opener. Then you start rolling through the games and you’re like win, win, win, win, win. … Then you’re like, ‘Wait, hold on a second, they’re going to be 8-0.’ If they beat A&M, they’ll be 8-0 when they host Florida State at home. Do you think that’s not going to be a raucous environment?

“Because of some of their neutral-site games and games they play, they only go to a true road game three times. Their only three true road games? A&M to start the year, Purdue, and USC in the season finale. They go on a true road game in week one and then to end things with USC. In the middle of year, they only go on a true road game once.

“Watch out for Notre Dame. I know people are going to roll their eyes. … Okay, I’m just saying — they feel a lot like Washington from last year.”