Marcus Freeman is one of the premier coaches in the world of college football, and rightfully so. After a turbulent first two full seasons in charge and a shocking loss to NIU early in his third year at the helm, Freeman went on to guide the Irish to the National Championship game. Known for his uncanny ability to inspire the players, he has become a beloved figure both on campus and beyond.
Now situated at 1-2 to start the 2025 campaign, Freeman’s ability to lead is being put to the test. This dilemma is largely attributed to personnel factors. After Freeman’s right-hand man in defensive coordinator Al Golden left upon the conclusion of the 2024 season, he hired former Rutgers head coach Chris Ash in the same position. No. 22 Notre Dame’s defense has since struggled, and it looks to be a shell of its past self.
The Irish defense ranks 118th in scoring defense, 130th in negative play percentage and 132nd in passing defense. These numbers have been of mounting concern as Freeman is now tasked with the challenge of figuring out how to solve these glaring issues. His answer, however, does not lie in taking over defensive play-calling duty — a role he excelled at in his time at Cincinnati and as Brian Kelly’s defensive coordinator in 2021.
Instead, Freeman insists this issue is a collective one.
“I think right now we got to make sure in our football facility that we’re not pointing a finger at a call ... We’re pointing a finger at ourselves as, ‘What am I not doing to execute this call the right way?’ If I’m confused, then you better speak up and say something because you’re going to be held accountable,” Freeman said in a nearly four-minute response at his weekly press conference regarding a question about defensive play-calling.
Freeman’s answer — albeit long-winded — encompasses what his time at Notre Dame has been all about: commitment to the group. Rather than offloading responsibility of the issues solely to Ash and his defensive staff, Freeman is tackling this issue head-on. For a guy who was an All-Big Ten linebacker during his playing days, it makes sense that he’s willing to roll up his sleeves and steer the ship.
“That’s the challenge during tough times. I get excited when I talk. During tough times, there’s two options: fight or flight. And the guys that flight blame other people. It’s the call. It’s his fault. It’s this coach’s fault, or it’s that player’s fault. We gave up a big play. That corner should’ve covered him. That’s the flight mode. You deflect and blame other people,” Freeman said.
Freeman has made it clear that Ash will still be on play-calling duty and stressed that to embody the “fight” mentality, his team has no time to waste. The Razorbacks are fifth in rush offense, and quarterback Taylen Green is eighth in passing yards. In the past two games, the Razorback offense has combined for over 1,000 yards.
Arkansas poses a tall task for an Irish defense that gave up 30 points to Purdue just a week ago — a team that FCS program Southern Illinois only allowed 34 against in comparison.
“It’s a top-five offense in the country. It’s a challenge for the defense. It doesn’t get any easier,” Freeman stated.
Freeman then continued that it’s not just the star-studded Razorback offense they have to game plan around.
“And their defense is good. They got a solid defense. Number 97 [Quincy Rhodes Jr.] is a load. Their whole defensive front is big. That’s going to present a big challenge for our offensive line.”
Although the numbers don’t lie about Arkansas’ offense, Freeman may be playing nice regarding its defense. Despite the Razorbacks’ explosive offensive group, their 2-2 record reflects a likewise struggling defense. The unit let up an average of 8.6 yards per play against No. 13 Ole Miss and ranks 70th in run defense. Much like Notre Dame, had the defense played slightly sharper, there is a good chance Arkansas is undefeated and viewed as a serious playoff contender.
In order to take down the Razorbacks in what promises to be a high-scoring affair, Freeman emphasized that everybody must be brought into the program.
He concluded his lengthy statement saying, “And that starts with leadership. That starts from the top down. And that’s my job, but also Chris Ash’s job. It’s our coaches’ job. On down to our players. You have to create the buy-in to what we’re doing and the ownership of it. If we get that, we’ll get it corrected with urgency. If we don’t, if we do this, ‘It’s your fault, you shouldn’t have called that, Coach,’ then it’s going to be bad. I know our culture ain’t going to let that happen.”
Notre Dame is at the precipice of a season-defining moment. While questions abound about the subpar performances from the Irish’s once rock-solid defensive unit, Freeman has taken control of the situation. As the leader of the program, Freeman has reinforced that the team’s success rests not on one singular person, but rather everyone buying in and executing at a high level. That’s the Marcus Freeman way. That’s the Notre Dame way.
