Irish name six new captains for the 2025 season, leaving out stars Jeremiyah Love and Leonard Moore.
On Monday, Aug. 18 Notre Dame named its captains for the 2025 football season that were collectively voted on by the players. On the defense, junior linebacker Drayk Bowen, sophomore safety Adon Shuler and redshirt junior defensive tackle Donovan Hinish, were selected. The offense named three new players in junior offensive guard Billy Schrauth, redshirt junior offensive tackle Aamil Wagner and redshirt senior transfer wide receiver transfer Will Pauling. While many of these players were expected, fans are left wondering why not Love and Moore, the two players graded among the best at their position in the country?
Six captains matches the largest number of captains under Marcus Freeman who previously had six in 2022. In 2024, the Irish had five captains led by Riley Leonard on the offense and safety Xavier Watts on the defense. All five of the captains from the 2024 season were drafted. On the defensive side, cornerback Benjamin Morrison was taken 53rd overall by the Buccaneers, Xavier Watts 96th overall by the Atlanta Falcons, Jack Kiser 107th overall to the Jaguars and Rylie Mills 142nd overall to the Seahawks. Riley Leonard went 189th overall to the Colts, staying in Indiana for the start of his pro career. Four out of five captains were seniors and all but Leonard had suited up before in the Blue and Gold Game. This begs the question why did the Irish only select one senior as captain?
Notre Dame selected a returning defensive lineman, safety and linebacker for captain on the defense, all critical positions for communication. These three players replace three captains from the 2024 campaign who played the same positions, Rylie Mills, Jack Kiser and Xavier Watts. Now just a season ago, all the captains were seniors except for Benjamin Morrison, who was coming off of an impressive sophomore season and projected a first round pick. This season the Irish don’t have the body of experience so they turn to new faces.
Will Pauling is the most surprising of the names on the list. The senior transfer from Wisconsin is only the third player to be named a captain in his first season following Alohi Gilman (2019), Sam Hartman (2023) and Riley Leonard (2024). With all other captains expected to start, Pauling sticks out as fourth in the Irish depth chart. He is listed behind senior transfer wide receiver Malachi Fields, junior wide receiver Jaden Greathouse and junior wide receiver Jordan Faison.
In Pauling's 2024 campaign at Wisconsin he caught 42 passes for 407 yards and three touchdowns. Just one season before, he caught 74 balls for 837 yards and six touchdowns with the Badgers. The surprising decision by the team and coaching staff clearly depicts Pauling’s leadership off the field for the team, but it leaves the question of on-the-field leadership, specifically from the skill position.
Irish fans might wonder why Pauling is known as a leader by example by the team, and seemingly not Jeremiyah Love? Irish fans across the country remember Love’s historically long 99-yard touchdown run in the first 12-team playoff game against Indiana this December or recall his even more impressive two-yard score of sheer grit and undeterred refusal to be stopped against Penn State in the Orange Bowl. Love is ranked as the No. 1 running back in college football by ESPN for the upcoming season, following a campaign of 1,125 yards, 17 touchdowns and 6.9 yards per carry.
Love is not known as a vocal or extroverted leader of this team, but with the pressure and expectations as one of the best backs in the country, the spotlight will certainly be placed on his back. The projected first-round pick might not be a captain but he will certainly be asked to lead one of the most fearsome ground attacks in college football.
If the Irish named one defensive sophomore captain in Shuler, how about another sophomore in Leonard Moore, who is ranked as the No. 1 returning corner by PFF. Moore was graded as the third-most-valuable cornerback in 2024 behind Heisman winner and No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter and Jahdae Barron. The true freshman played in all 16 games for the Irish, starting the final 12 games after the injury to captain Benjamin Morrison. He was graded third in man coverage in the country among all corners and returns for a highly anticipated sophomore campaign. While there is certainly no rush to promote young players to captain, Moore certainly is one of the best players in the country and is looked up to by the rest of the defense.
As opening weekend of college football approaches, the team takes on one of its toughest tests of the season on the road at No. 10 Miami. Rekindling the historic rivalry between the two programs, the Irish captains have the opportunity to lead this team to an opening statement win. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. on ABC.
