2023 Notre Dame Fighting Irish College Football Season Preview

by David “The Dominator” Hess

Everyone following me over the years knows my team is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, so it makes sense that I will be handling their preview this year. With six starters back on offense and eight on defense, plus the addition of QB Sam Hartman from Wake Forest, can the Irish get back in the National Title picture?  Well let’s dig in and see. 

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The Marcus Freeman Era did not get off to a good start as he lost the Bowl game in 2021 and then followed that up by going 0-2 to start last year. Their low point over that stretch was a home loss to Marshall as 20.5 point favorites, but Notre Dame did rebound to 9-2 the rest of the way. That includes a 45-38 Bowl win over South Carolina, which gives them some momentum heading into this year. 

The Offense:  Last year, the Irish had six starters back and they averaged just 31.8 ppg, which was 42nd in the nation. Notre Dame’s issue was inconsistent play at the QB position, but they may have rectified that problem by signing Sam Hartman from Wase Forest. Hartman has five years of experience and he threw for 12,967 yards with 110 TDs and 41 INTs in 48 games for the Demon Deacons. He will be a huge upgrade over Drew Pyne and Tyler Buchner, who split time at the QB slot for Notre Dame last year. 

The Receiving Corps is a bit thin, especially with the loss of TE Michael Mayer, who was a 2nd round-draft choice of the Raiders. Still, there are some talented receivers in this group and they have a dynamite QB that will get them the ball. Last year, the Irish were 35th in rushing, after finishing 77th the year before. Notre Dame should improve on last year’s numbers as they have back Audric Estime (920 yards, 11 TDs) and Chris Tyree (444 yards, 3 TDs) plus have added Penn State transfer Devyn Ford (667 yards the last four years). Not only does Phil Steel have Notre Dame with the 10th-best RB Corp in the nation, but he also has them with the 15th-best Offensive line as well. Getting this ground game going will only make Hartman and the passing game that much more dangerous and I can see Notre Dame easily topping 35 ppg this year. 

 

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The Defense: Before Marcus Freeman took over as head coach, he was the defensive coordinator for the Irish, but last year, Notre Dame did slip in this department. The Irish allowed 23 ppg last year, aver giving up no more than 19.7 ppg in their previous four years. Notre Dame allowed 329 ypg (22nd in the nation), which was actually a 31 ypg improvement over 2021, but still, the points allowed were worse. That was due to an inconsistent offense that put the defense in bad spots. We won’t see that this year with Hartman at QB and a dynamite ground attack. Notre Dame returns 8 starters, including their top four tacklers from last year and according to Phil Steele, they have the #`18 Defensive Line, #7 Linebacking Corps, and the #9 Secondary in the nation. Oh boy, this defense has a chance to be top ten in the nation. 

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Conclusion: Last year, the Irish had a solid defense, but the offense was inconsistent and that was the problem for them. Despite that, Notre Dame still had a 9-4 record overall, including a 9-2 finish. This year, they have QB Sam Hartman, a strong offensive line, and a powerful running game, which will all complement the defense nicely. 

Notre Dame begins with Navy (Neutral Field), Tennessee State (Home), NC State (Away), and Central Michigan (Home), so they have a nice easy slate to give Hartman a chance to gel with his receiving corps. This is important as game five is at home against Ohio State. Notre Dame will also get USC at home later in the year, but they drop have a tough road game against Clemsom on November 4th. That game against Clemson could be the one that puts Notre Dame in the playoffs or not. 

This is a loaded Irish team that will average 35+ ppg and allow less than 17 ppg and provided they don’t lose focus, as they did in the Marshall and Stanford games last year, Notre Dame has a bonafide shot at 11 regular season wins and a spot in the playoffs.      

 

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