Live updates: Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman Dec. 16 press conference
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman will speak to the media on Saturday, Dec. 16, just 13 days before his No. 16 Fighting Irish (9-3) take on the No. 19 Oregon State Beavers (8-4) in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 29. Follow along below with real-time, written updates provided by Blue & Gold at the bottom of the article.
What Notre Dame head coach Marcus is saying
**Keep refreshing this page for up to the minute updates of what Freeman is saying.**
• Freeman starts by saying “there have been a lot of moving parts” with the Notre Dame roster in the last two weeks. He says there is clarity in the roster for the Sun Bowl, and all attention has been turned to Oregon State.
• Freeman says what sticks out about new Notre Dame wide receivers coach Mike Brown is the ability he has in developing wideouts and the energy he brings to the team. Also remarks on the husband, father and person he is.
• Freeman: “We’ve turned the page to opportunity 13.”
• Freeman says freshman Charles Jagusah is all but locked in as the starter at left tackle for Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl. Tosh Baker and Aamil Wagner are fighting for the right to start at left tackle.
• Freeman says the three main linebackers Notre Dame will use in the Sun Bowl are JD Bertrand, Jack Kiser and Jaylen Sneed.
• Freeman says activity in the transfer portal never really ceases, even with a football game to be played coming up and national signing day on Dec. 20 — just four days away.
• Freeman: “I believe that Notre Dame will continue to be at the front of every new opportunity that college football presents.”
• Freeman says he disagrees with any player’s choice to opt out of a bowl game, including Sam Hartman’s going that direction, but he loves his guys no matter what and respects their right to do what they believe is best for their respective futures.
• Freeman says the biggest thing with quarterback Steve Angeli making his first career start in the Sun Bowl is putting him in positions to have success from a scheming perspective.
• Class of 2024 quarterback recruit CJ Carr is on campus at Notre Dame and going through bowl practices before he technically even signs with the Irish. Freeman: “Today he was slinging the ball around. He’s going to be a great player. It’s just good to have him here.”
• Freeman says there is not a plan for Notre Dame to play two quarterbacks in the Sun Bowl. It will be Steve Angeli’s game. Kenny Minchey will back him up in traditional fashion.
• Freeman confirms linebacker/vyper Kahanu Kia will be back with the program in January after his Mormon mission trip.
• Freeman says the Notre Dame recruiting effort is widespread. Everyone has a role. It’s not pinned on one or two guys like Chad Bowden or Dre Brown. There are a lot of people behind the scenes that are making this such a great operation.
