Notre Dame fans know better than most that every season brings a fresh dose of hope and uncertainty, especially when it comes to balancing offense and defense. As Marcus Freeman gears up for the 2025 campaign, the spotlight is on a reshaped offense that’s brimming with promise. But just as the offense finally looks ready to make some noise, a big question mark is looming where the defense once stood as an ironclad wall. 

On the offensive side, receivers who didn’t quite fire on all cylinders last year suddenly look like they might be ready to explode onto the scene. New faces, fresh energy, and flashes of brilliance have everyone wondering: can the passing game make the leap fans are begging for? Meanwhile, the defensive side has been a rock in recent seasons: steady, physical, and dominant. But with college football’s ever-spinning carousel of coaching changes and personnel moves, nothing stays fixed forever. That’s the beauty of this game.

The defense has been the cornerstone of Notre Dame’s success in recent years, with Al Golden’s leadership playing a huge role in turning the unit into one of the nation’s most physical and disciplined groups. David Pollack laid it out plainly during his chat with Brent Rollins on See Ball Get Ball. “Al Golden being going to the Bengals like this is a big deal… they were obviously the best team in man coverage a year ago. It didn’t matter who they played. They manned them up. They played physical and they won. It was like 80%, man. Like it was crazy number,” he said. Golden’s defense was a key reason Notre Dame reached the College Football Playoff final last season, consistently shutting down opponents with relentless man coverage and physicality that overwhelmed even the best offenses.

Al Golden’s defensive mastery was one of the biggest reasons Notre Dame soared during the 2024 season. The Fighting Irish boasted a top-five scoring defense, allowing just 15.5 points per game, a testament to their stingy, relentless approach. Their pass defense was especially dominant, ranking fourth nationally in passing yards allowed per game (169.4) and leading the country in completion percentage allowed at just 52.1%.

Now, with the $9 million weapon headed to the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, the Fighting Irish have turned to Chris Ash to fill that huge void. Ash is no stranger to college football prestige; he brings a solid track record as a seasoned defensive coach. Before joining Notre Dame as DC, Ash was the defensive coordinator at Ohio State, where he contributed to the Buckeyes winning a national championship in 2014. He also has head coaching experience at Rutgers and has earned respect for defensive scheming during his years at Wisconsin and Texas. While Ash’s credentials are impressive, there is no question that succeeding Golden, who engineered one of the country’s best defenses last season, is no small task.

The reality for Notre Dame fans is that this transition on defense comes with uncertainty. Ash has the knowledge and experience, but replicating the exact success of Golden’s physical, man-heavy approach will take time, and the 2025 season will serve as a testing ground. With the offense showing signs of explosive growth, the defense is currently where the questions are, and the departure of a defensive guru like Golden means Marcus Freeman’s staff has a critical balancing act ahead.

A better receiving corps this time

David Pollack laid it out plainly and gave a detailed look inside what’s been happening on both sides of the ball for the Irish. On the receivers, Pollack pointed to a clear transformation: “Here’s what we saw last year from Notre Dame we did not see great receiver play and guys on the outside that you were like oh my gosh they’re going to win.” That’s a fair criticism, to be honest. The only thing that held Notre Dame last year was the receiving corps. The 2nd and 3rd leading receivers didn’t even combine for 1000 yards. But when it was showtime, they showed up.

Pollack continued, “ But Jaden Greathouse in the playoff, like that dude he showed me he’s legit, man. Like Faison [Jordan] showed more during the regular season. Then Greathouse, you’re like, ‘Where did where was this at?’ Because all of a sudden he became really dynamic in the last, you know, two games.” In the last two games, Greathouse went for 100+ yards and had 2 TDs in the championship game. So he showed up, a bit late, but still. Pollack also name-dropped Michael Faison, and with Greathouse, they are creating a dynamic and exciting wideout group. 

And now, with the addition of transfer Malachi Fields, who comes off back-to-back 800+ yard seasons at Virginia Cavaliers, the receiving group is shaping into one of the more versatile and dangerous units in the country. Fields’ proven production and physicality give Notre Dame a much-needed boost in experience and reliability on the outside. Together, Greathouse, Faison, Collins, and Fields could finally push the passing game from a question mark into one of the Irish’s true strengths heading into 2025.

That offensive promise certainly has Notre Dame fans buzzing, but the looming question remains on the other side of the ball. While the receivers are heating up and the offense looks ready to break new ground, the defense is facing a significant shakeup that could test the team’s balance and resilience. With a coaching change that has some raising eyebrows, will this once rock-solid unit hold its ground?