In the wake of a crushing national championship game loss and the departure of star quarterback Riley Leonard, Marcus Freeman is signaling for “revolutionary changes” and a new system that will leave foes wondering. He’s even mentioned that he could bring in a two-quarterback setup, with CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey fighting for reps—an avenue he indicates could be employed situationally to create wrinkles for opposing teams. On the recruiting front, Freeman’s attention and the program’s newfound visibility, following its last season’s championship push, have positioned Notre Dame as the trendy destination for premier prospects.

Since taking over Brian Kelly in 2021, Freeman has dramatically shifted Notre Dame not only in outcomes but also in identity. Freeman’s hard-nosed recruiting and openness to embracing the transfer portal have distinguished him from his predecessor. To add more context, just last year, Notre Dame had eight scholarship transfers compared to nine in Brian Kelly’s last five seasons. And when you talk about high school recruitment, the Fighting Irish have never been this good, perhaps.

Per the Irish’s HC himself, when making an offer to any talent, he sells the brand identity of Notre Dame, apart from a shot at the National Championship. “Anything you want in any program that’s offered [to] you, you can achieve here, plus more. You’ve got a chance to win a national championship,” Freeman said before taking over Kelly in 2021.

The Irish have achieved three consecutive top-10 victories in one season under Freeman. This evolution, as discussed by On3’s J.D. PicKell and Steve Wiltfong, is placing Notre Dame in a league of its own.

In his 8th June appearance on On3, Steve Wiltfong confesses, “He [Marcus Freeman] embraces all of Notre Dame’s strengths that other people would maybe pose as weaknesses, the academic standards having to live with people that aren’t football players those are things that Marcus Freeman thinks are important and good for top recruits.”

Freeman is not fleeing from Notre Dame’s stringent academic requirements or its distinctive campus life. He’s leaning forward all the way. Where other coaches would seek to minimize the reality that Notre Dame athletes must reside with “ordinary” students (not merely other football players) and adhere to rigorous academic standards, Freeman is marketing it as a badge of honor.

Steve continues, “We’re going to hold you accountable off the field as well as on the field, but when you get through it, we graduated over 90% of our players, and you’re gonna have a Notre Dame degree in this network.” Notre Dame’s football graduation success rate (GSR) is consistently ranked among the best in the nation. The NCAA has consistently graded Notre Dame at or near 95% in football player graduation, and that’s not just for a single year—it’s been the case for more than a decade.

That’s a major recruitment selling point for recruits and their parents, particularly when you look at other high-major football schools where graduation percentages are much lower.“So those are things that they’re selling for the Irish program, along with [the fact] they had a chance to win the national championship. They were right there with Ohio State; they had to make some adjustments in that title game.”

For years, the Irish were playing a different game based on their high academic standards and Catholic identity compared to the Big Ten or SEC juggernauts. Some of the top recruits simply didn’t see themselves in an environment where you have to study hard and where religion and community are just part of daily life. Freeman? He’s leaning in. Regarding the Catholic and community side, Freeman owns it. He speaks of character development that results from being part of something more than football. Recruits such as linebacker Jakobe Clapper have taken to it, opting for Notre Dame over name-brand programs because they sensed the genuineness and sincerity from Freeman and his staff.

Marcus Freeman’s recipe for a winning culture

In a world where college football is changing fast and beginning to resemble the NFL more and more—with NIL, the transfer portal, and even revenue sharing upending it all—Marcus Freeman is a standout by doubling down on something eternal: a strong, genuine team culture. Freeman’s strategy is straightforward but formidable: he wants his players to feel appreciated, challenged, and a part of something larger than they are. He doesn’t avoid Notre Dame’s traditions, its academic rigor, or its close-knit community. “I think there’s still a lot of similarities between what college football is becoming and the NFL,” Freeman said during a recent visit with local reporters. “I still think culture wins in the NFL. As you look at some of the successful franchises and organizations in the NFL, it’s still culture.”

Freeman can envision the gap between the NFL and college closing, but instead of panicking or attempting to emulate the pros, Freeman thinks that Notre Dame’s distinct culture is what will keep the team near the top. Consider, for instance, how Freeman deals with adversity. Following last season’s heartbreaking defeat at the national championship game, he didn’t allow the team to dwell on defeat. Rather, he utilized it as a learning experience, constructing a fresh foundation for the future. “I often say that your past experiences are the foundation for your future,” Freeman said to ESPN’s Greg McElroy. He seeks players who will be able to withstand pressure, learn from failures, and motivate one another to improve, on and off the field.

“The culture is what you feel,” Freeman said. “I can tell you what our culture is. It doesn’t matter. It’s what players feel. It’s what you feel when you’re in this building. And what you feel is not going to be determined by what money you make.” He wants his players to be leaders in the classroom and the community, and this strategy is working for him: Notre Dame’s locker room is tight, the team is tough, and the program is getting top recruits who want to be part of something special. The culture is set, the talent’s stacked, now it’s title time in South Bend.