Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, April 19, 2024

Heil to the Kiser: Jack Kiser leads the way for Irish linebackers in 2024

By JOHN BAILEY Associate Sports Editor

The rich smokiness of burning hickory from woodfired grills in the parking lots melded with the sweet scent of 621 sugar maples and 517 red maples on Notre Dame’s campus to create a tantalizing aroma only present for one day each spring in South Bend. This smell announced not only the changing of the seasons but also the triumphant return of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football for the 90th Annual Blue-Gold game.

The Irish, coming off an undefeated regular season and College Football Playoff birth, entered the 2019-20 season with championship aspirations. The coaching staff felt confident that their top-20 recruiting class, highlighted by early enrollees Kyren Williams, Zeke Correll, Jay Bramblett, Jacob Lacey and Jack Kiser, would help the team compete for their first national title since 1988. Unable to wait until July to begin practice, these six recruits graduated high school early to work with the team and earn valuable reps.

“At the time, we were just trying to make plays and make names for ourselves,” Kiser said, arriving at Notre Dame on the heels of a legendary high school career featuring more than 11,000 yards of offense and 198 touchdowns.

“It’s a pretty unique situation, though, if you look at it: the offensive line that we were going against, all five of them are in the NFL. We got so much better just playing with our hands, physically. We had no idea how much that was creating for us developmentally. I think without those days playing ball together, not even playing a real defense, really made us so much closer and at the same time made us a lot better football players.”

Though the 2019 recruiting class would lead Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff in the 202021 season, they once again failed to get over the hump and claim the program’s elusive 12th championship.

Six years later, Kiser stands as the sole player on the roster from that first spring scrimmage. Correll transferred to North Carolina State last December and Williams looks primed to star as the feature back for the Los Angeles Rams in his third NFL season.

Gone too is the old version of Kiser, a 215-pound rover linebacker who relied on speed and starred on special teams. After adding 17 pounds of muscle, Kiser now plays a more physical and aggressive game as the starting Will linebacker in Al Golden’s defense. Rarely do sixth-year players experience such physical growth this late in their careers, but the addition of Loren Landlow, the Director of Football Performance, has catalyzed Kiser’s improved physique.

“[Landlow] really brought a new kind of methodology in terms of how he does it,” Kiser said. “There’s a lot of stuff that’s the same, but there is some stuff that’s different and a new type of energy that made going in the weight room every day fun and exciting.”

“It’s been really interesting going into my sixth spring. You’d think everything’s going be the same, that you’ve kind of been through it, but fortunately for me, everything has been different with a lot of new experiences and a lot of new people in the building. It’s been a really fun spring and it’s made me a better football player for sure.”

Linebackers coach Max Bullough applauded Kiser’s growth in the weight room, believing his added bulk will help him absorb more contact throughout the season.

“He’s always known what to do, but he’s finally starting to take even more control of the situation,” Bullough said. “Then more so, it is as simple as you got to go take more shots. You’ve got to take calculated risks, and you’re smart enough to know when those are. Don’t make dumb decisions, but you have to take calculated risks. It’s not enough to do your job. We have to get the ball carrier down, and we have to make big plays.”

A dependable reserve linebacker during his first four years at Notre Dame, Kiser took another step forward last season, posting a career-high in total (62) and solo (41) tackles. He finished as Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded player on the Notre Dame defense and the second-highest-graded linebacker (minimum 350 snaps) in the FBS, behind only Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper.

For the defensive coaching staff, Kiser began to emerge at a higher level during prep for their Sun Bowl matchup

with Oregon State.

“I thought Jack’s December was incredible,” Golden said. “I thought Jack really focused on some things in December, and then if you look at him now, he’s 235 pounds and just strong.”

“Jack could always run, but now he’s strong. He’s playing bigger in the box but still has the catch-up speed that you need to cover and do all those things. So, I’m really excited about Jack, and he’s really had a good spring.”

Much like Notre Dame legend and former teammate Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Kiser’s value comes from his versatility, having experience playing the Will, Rover and Mike linebacker positions. His ability to play multiple positions allows Golden to experiment with personnel packages and rotations.

Though bursting with talent, Notre Dame’s linebacker room lacks experience following the departures of JD Bertrand and Marist Liufau to the NFL. Kiser’s knowledge of the scheme and ability to command the defense at will has proven invaluable to the position group’s development.

“It’s always good when you have somebody old in the room,” sophomore linebacker Jaiden Ausberry said of Kiser. “You know you can go to him and ask questions because he’s been here for a while and has a lot of game experience. You can ask him about how off the field stuff and recovery techniques, so it’s really good having him in the room getting to ask him questions.”

Kiser has played most of his snaps this spring alongside fellow inside linebacker Drayk Bowen. The sophomore two-sport athlete projects to start as the Mike linebacker, learning just as much from Kiser’s leadership as his play.

“I don’t feel like I have to take on a leadership role, but I feel like I want to, and I should,” Bowen said. “Obviously, with Kiser being the oldest student in the linebacker room, he’s going to be the main leader. I feel like I want to be right behind him when people have questions or want someone to look up to. I want them to be able to look up to me also.”

Kiser, impressed by his teammates’ rapid development, said he takes pride in challenging the young linebacker room to maximize their potential.

“You look at (Jaylen) Sneed

and Drayk (Bowen), both of them have been taking huge steps this spring playbook-wise, confidence-wise, giving you the sense that they’re ready to play bigtime football,” Kiser said. “It’s really exciting to know they’re confident making calls and that you can rely on them to do their job.”

“I think competition really drives success. It makes you better,” Kiser continued. “We’ve seen that this spring. Everybody has gotten so much better. A lot of experience. These guys are young, so they need the reps and they need the reps with the ones. That’s where you see the real speed. You see the real physicality. It’s important to get those guys in there and we’ve done that. It’s exciting to see.”

Having led Pioneer High School to back-to-back Indiana Class A state titles, Kiser’s championship DNA fuels his competitiveness and decision to return to Notre Dame.

“I want to do something special with this Notre Dame football team,” Kaiser said. “We’ve been to two New Year’s Six games but haven’t won one, and I want the chance to win a championship. That’s always the goal, that’s my motivation.”

In the college football world, where legacies are forged through sweat, sacrifice and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Kiser stands on the precipice of immortality. As he takes the field this season adorned in the iconic blue and gold, every tackle, every deflection and every call echoing across Notre Dame Stadium will be a testament to his relentless pursuit of greatness.

And when the final whistle blows during the last game of the season, should Kiser and the Irish emerge victorious, his name will be forever etched alongside the pantheon of Notre Dame greats, a symbol of perseverance, leadership and the indomitable human spirit that has defined the Fighting Irish for generations. For Jack Kiser, this is more than just a season — it is a chance to cement his place in the records of Notre Dame lore, enshrine his legacy as a champion and inspire future generations of players to dare to dream as vividly as the golden helmets they will one day wear.

Contact John Bailey at jbailey9@nd.edu

after a strong rookie campaign. Most concerning is the instability on the offensive line following the departure of tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher. With that said, sophomore wide receivers Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse, both of whom flashed last season, return alongside the offense’s best receiving weapon, senior tight end Mitchell Evans. The running back room looks stronger than ever with juniors Gi’Bran Payne and Jadarian Price as well as sophomore Jeremiyah Love returning. All three contributed with limited touches behind Estimé last season, and each offers a valuable skill in what will be a committee in the backfield.

With Riley Leonard added to this group of skilled position players, the sky is the limit. While the transfer’s tremendous physical talent is raw and his health has been a concern in the offseason, the potential for his development gives this Irish offense access to heights that were not previously reachable with more finished products at quarterback (e.g. Hartman, Coan, Pyne). Pair that potential with a proven defense, and you have yourself a legitimate contender.

The college football landscape has never been more open than right now. The introduction of NIL and the retirement of Nick Saban has leveled the playing field and given opportunities to teams outside of Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson and Georgia, a group that has dominated the playoff era. Add that to the expanded playoff field, and teams have more belief than ever before that they can win a national title.

Looking at the 2024 schedule, which is without any of the aforementioned powerhouses, Notre Dame will have a clear path to a playoff spot if it can take care of business. More than that, if everything breaks right for this team health-wise, there is no reason it should not be hosting a first-round playoff game at Notre Dame Stadium in December. The story of Notre Dame coaches in their third season is well-told. Parseghian, Devine, Holtz, Kelly. They all either made it to or won the national title. This season will be, you guessed it, the third season for Freeman.

Approaching this fork in the road, it’s time for the Freeman era to truly begin. I believe he and his team are ready to do it. Contact

College alumnae found Loretto Trust

‘We’re not just going to be here until the controversy ends’: Sycamore-aligned fund emerges

By AYNSLEE DELLACCA

After the original discovery of an updated admissions nondiscrimination policy, students, parents and alumnae of Saint Mary’s College entered into a period of uncertainty for the future of the College.

Although the policy was reversed over Christmas break of the 2023-2024 year, community members still had mixed reactions to the policy in general and whether it aligned with the Catholic identity of the College. Many social

Catholic-centered events and speakers to campus.

conservatives took issue with various courses offered, lectures given and the overall political atmosphere on campus and argued that Saint Mary’s has begun to fall away from the teachings of the Catholic Church.

“It’s not that they’ve lost their Catholic identity, it’s just sort of weakened,” Susan Powers ‘81, one of hundreds of alumnae concerned about the current state of the campus, said when reflecting on her experience of attending Saint Mary’s. “[The Catholic identity] was just part of the ether, it was there. You know, it wasn’t anything you had to go hunting for, it was just kind of part of your everyday life … now, it’s like, I believe it’s more of a

52nd Bookstore Basketball tourney goes to final rounds ND subject of labor complaint

By STEPHEN HOLLAND News Writer

This year’s Notre Dame bookstore basketball tournament, an annual landmark event on campus, concludes on Saturday, April 27th. For years, the tournament has been the largest five-on-five basketball tournament in the world, and it has attracted massive attention both inside and outside of the Notre Dame campus since its beginning in 1972.

In April 1972, The Observer first reported on the event, which was initially named the Bookstore Hysteria Tournament. The tournament was created by Fritz Hoefer ’72 and Vince Meconi ’75 as part of Morrissey Manor’s annual An Tostal festivities. The tournament gained traction over its developing years through its rain or shine, resilient style. The creation of a women’s bracket in 1978 allowed for the addition of a whole new sector of the

tournament and therefore an even larger audience.

A tradition commonly associated with the bookstore basketball tournament is the choosing of comical team names by those that enter. In an April 1991 edition, The Observer ranked the top ten best bookstore basketball team names of the twentieth tournament featuring names like “All We Had Going for Us Was see BOOKSTORE PAGE 3

Observer Staff Report

On Thursday afternoon, the Associated Press reported the filing of an unfair labor complaint against the University of Notre Dame, calling out the school’s classification of its college athletes as “studentathletes” rather than employees. A Californiabased group that calls itself the College Basketball Players Association filed the complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.

According to the filing, Notre Dame is engaging in unfair labor practices as defined by Section 8 of the National Labor Relations Act. The University of Southern California faced a similar complaint in May 2023, when the NLRB’s office in Los Angeles alleged USC’s football and women’s basketball players as employees rather than “student-athletes.”

Michael Hsu, the leader of the filing group, has now filed complaints against five schools, including Northwestern and Dartmouth.

In response to requests regarding the complaint, Notre Dame referred to its statement of principles, defining athletics as “an integrated participant in and contributor to the University’s education mission.”

“Clearly, Notre Dame’s athletic programs are part of — not separate from — our broader educational mission,” the school clarified further. “We will vigorously defend our approach to ensuring that being a ‘student-athlete’ describes precisely the educational and developmental experience our students receive at Notre Dame.”

The unfair labor practice charge will provide a new task for Notre Dame athletics director Pete Bevacqua, who inherited the position on March 25.

AMAYA VEGA-FERNANDEZ | The Observer

The Loretto Trust, founded by a Saint Mary’s alumna who was concered about preserving the College’s Catholic roots, plans to work with the College to bring

STEPHAN HOLLAND I The Observer

Students playing in the Bookstore Basketball tournament hope to advance to the next round. The competition began on March 26, and it will conclude next Saturday. All funds raised will be donated to Jumpball.

GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer

Monday

Sweets for Survivors Field House Mall 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Local bakeries to sell baked goods to go to Callisto.

LGBTQ Music Videos Duncan W 134 7 p.m.

Learn about LGBTQ music videos and make bracelets.

Tuesday

‘Democracy Erodes’ Lecture Hesburgh Center 12:30 p.m.- 2 p.m.

Lecture on the populist wave.

Celebration with Father Jenkins South Quad 6:15 p.m. - 9 p.m. Festive evening with food and fireworks.

‘Golden Ticket’ podcast: Inside athlete lives

By ANNELISE DEMERS Associate News Editor

“The Golden Ticket” podcast, launched in October 2023 by Notre Dame junior Jimmy Collins and sophomore athletes Reese Sanders and Isaiah Dunn, aims to dismantle stereotypes surrounding student-athletes while allowing them to share their experiences.

“We want to provide a platform for student athletes. That’s kind of our motto,” Sanders said. “We just want to give the opportunity for athletes to talk and share their stories because there are so many things in scripts that could get twisted and turned into stereotypes.”

Sanders, a sophomore double majoring in psychology and film,

Trust

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

question of you notice it’s not there.”

After the reversal of the nondiscrimination admissions policy, members of the community say they found the lack of communication with their alumnae and other supporters disheartening, one of the issues with the current administration that Powers points out.

“The danger [here] is [that] the lack of two-way dialogue and transparency, unfortunately for Saint Mary’s leadership, allows everybody to fill in the gaps in their way, which I don’t think does any service to anyone in the community,” she said.

Some time after the announcement of the nondiscrimination policy, Linda Van Eck Shepard ‘84, who is concerned with persevering the College’s Catholic roots, began reaching out to other alumnae to establish the Loretto Trust, to receive “prayerful” and monetary support from the Saint Mary’s community dedicated to the betterment of the Catholic identity on campus.

According to the Loretto Trust’s mission statement, the non-profit promises to “provide a source of information, a means of

Bookstore

the Name and They Censored It,” and “Two Rosses Don’t Make a Right.” For this year’s tournament, names like “The Double Dribblers,” “Jenkins’ Retirement Party” and “Mary and the

TV and theater (FTT), along with Collins, also an FTT major, started the project to highlight the personal narratives often overshadowed by athletic achievements. They were later joined by Dunn, recruited from Sanders’ acting class, to complete the trio. Dunn is a cornerback on the football team, while Sanders is on the track and field team.

“[The podcast] is also to bring out the person that’s behind the athlete,” Collins explained. ”There’s a lot of stereotypes in terms of ‘Oh, they’re just athletes, they don’t come here to do school. They just come here to play their sport, and that’s all they care about.‘ But at the end, there’s stories behind these people, there’s personalities and we get to see both.”

communication, opportunities for joint action , and a collective voice to Saint Mary’s College alumnae and others in the Saint Mary’s family who are concerned about preserving the college’s Catholic identity and its tradition as a women’s college.”

Van Eck Shepard said her efforts for the creation of the trust have been in progress for the past four years. She began her endeavor by contacting board members of the Sycamore Trust, an independent alumni organization for “an authentic Catholic renewal” on Notre Dame’s campus. After reaching out to Sycamore Trust president Bill Dempsey ‘52 and executive director Tim Dempsey ‘89, Van Eck Shepard began the process to create the Loretto Trust.

“[In 2020, someone] told me about the Sycamore Trust that was put together by the Notre Dame alumni, so I contacted Bill Dempsey and talked with Bill and talked with Tim Dempsey. And they said they would help us if I wanted to get something started,” Van Eck Shepard said.

She was able to take Bill and Tim Dempsey’s invitation for help after several other women contacted her about wanting to help through a private Facebook group named “The Concerned Supporters of

Apostles” are just some examples of teams that were entered into the men’s tournament, the women’s tournament and the co-rec tournament respectively.

Another tradition of the bookstore basketball tournament that has remained prominent throughout the years is teams’ game costumes. In April 2002,

Some athletes who have spoken on the podcast include pole vaulter Olivia Fabry, footballer players Jaden Mickey and Benjamin Morrison, hockey player Jake Boltmann and soccer player Sophia Fisher.

“I would love to see Hannah Hidalgo on the podcast. I think she’s only going to get better,” Sanders said.

The podcast covers a variety of subjects, including brand imaging as athletes and mental health struggles.

“Some athletes on podcasts have talked about mental health struggles. We love hearing about the struggles because then we see how well they do on the field or on the court and it’s like: ‘Wow, they went through that and overcame it, so you can too,’” Sanders said.

Saint Mary’s College,” which was created after the nondiscrimination policy was made public.

“I was told about the concerned supporters page … and I started leaving messages on Facebook. And I said, ‘Facebook, I’m very concerned about this. And if you’re interested, and you want to get together and see what we can do, this is how you reach me … ’ And so people started reaching out to me,” Van Eck Shepard said.

She said the founding group of women met together via Zoom in December and began establishing the trust. Van Eck Shepard serves as the board’s president, Monica Dolenc ‘08 serves as secretary, Shannon Ferguson, a parent of current Saint Mary’s students, serves as treasurer and Caitlyn Buttaci ‘08 and Powers both serve as board members.

Van Eck Shepard feels grateful for the help she received from the Sycamore Trust in organizing the Loretto Trust.

“I really want to thank the Sycamore Trust. They’ve been doing this with Notre Dame for [18] years, and it is only because of their guidance in the systems that we’ve been able to accomplish as much as we have in just three months.”

The trust is still within its startup

The Observer reported how “Cuidado Piso Mojado,” a team formed in that year’s tournament, wore “body-size bright yellow cardboard road signs” as their costumes. Likewise, a team from this year’s tournament was seen wearing “Care Bear” themed uniforms as they took to the court. Another team was seen wearing full-body shark onesies as they participated.

In the current iteration of the bookstore basketball tournament, co-presidents Daniel O’Shea and Kayleigh Doyle and vice president Nick Parten have collaborated to maintain these beloved traditions of the tournament while introducing new aspects to gain even more participation.

“This year we added a co-rec tournament that requires men and women playing for the same team,” O’Shea said over text

Initially, the team took a grassroots approach to gathering athlete speakers but due to the podcast’s popularity they have now garnered interest from coaches seeking to showcase their athletes’ stories.

“At first we just reached out to people that we knew ... But recently it’s become tough because we’ve had some coaches reach out to us asking if they could get one of their athletes on it,” Collins said.

Sanders, drawing from her own experiences as a student-athlete, emphasized the importance of addressing the unspoken challenges athletes face.

“Being a student athlete, I understand the struggles that athletes don’t always talk about, whether that be the stereotypes or whether it be mental health issues,

phase and did not disclose specific numbers to The Observer, but Van Eck Shepard said the trust had roughly 185 subscribers at the beginning of April.

Powers believes the trust will last beyond the current atmosphere on campus and hopes it will help bring positive change for current and future generations of students in terms of preserving the College’s Catholic identity.

“It’s going to be something that’s going to be there forever if we can make it work. We’re not just going to be here until the controversy ends. And we’re pretty excited about what we can bring to the table. We want to work with Saint Mary’s, we don’t feel that we’re in competition with them. We don’t want to hurt Saint Mary’s, we want to see it thrive,” Powers said.

Van Eck Shepherd also believes the motivation and support towards the trust may inspire other Christian or Catholic private universities to take steps forwards to preserving their religious identities as well.

“I think we can be a positive example for others to do this, because there are other Christian schools and Catholic schools around the country that are struggling as well with dealing with these issues that

message.

Through the addition of yet another bracket, the organizers hoped to attract even more competitors and viewers.

On Tuesday, April 2nd, during the first round of the tournament, Sam Thornton, a freshman, competed alongside his friends.

“Although we lost, I played with members of three different dorms across five different academic majors against a bunch of graduate students studying something completely different,” Thornton said. “The bookstore basketball experience is a testament to the unique community here on campus.”

Despite the fact that the tournament is based around basketball and its competitive nature, the bookstore basketball tournament is also a fundraising event.

“It builds a sense of community here on campus while also

because of the sport and the pressure, [or] whether it be on social media,” Sanders said. “We really just want to provide information about the resources that Notre Dame has, as well as just build this community.”

Looking ahead, the team envisions hosting athletes from all 13 varsity sports at Notre Dame on the podcast as well as expanding the podcast to host college athletes from other schools around the country.

“We’re looking to grow our platform to other universities and other athletes, which will make our scheduling a lot tougher, but it is something we want to do,” Sanders said.

Contact Annelise Demers at ademers@nd.edu

are making it difficult to be authentically Christian at their colleges. So I think we can be a beacon on the hill, and Saint Mary’s shouldn’t put their Catholicism under a bushel basket kicked in the corner,” Van Eck Shepard said.

Powers stated the trust will not at this time hand out scholarships or grants to students, but rather focus on working with Saint Mary’s to host Catholic-centered events and speakers as well as provide spaces for students to practice their faith.

“We’re kind of going to be that gadfly. When we see something that doesn’t fit with the Catholic identity, we’re going to call it out. We’re going to be very strong if we see abuses against religious freedom. College is all about looking at controversy and things that you don’t agree with, or even the institution doesn’t agree with. However, what we disagree with is presenting it and not saying, ‘This is where it deviates from the Catholic faith.’ We don’t see that happening in all incidents. If I chose an all women’s Catholic College, I would kind of want to know that. We think that that is diluting the intellectual excellence of the institution,” Powers said.

Contact Aynslee Dellacca at adellacca01@saintmarys.edu

providing children in Jamaica with the chance to learn the fundamentals of the game alongside teamwork, leadership, respect and hard work,” Doyle said. “We will be sending a bookstore executive board member or commissioner to Kingston, Jamaica to assist.”

Teams that have not yet been disqualified will fight to make it to the finals games next Saturday, April 27th.

“This year, like last year, we will be having our tournament’s finals games broadcasted via Notre Dame Studios. Another new thing is that we will be having a food truck at the finals for people to enjoy. Finally, we hope to have some ceremonial tip offs from oncampus celebrities for each of our finals games,” O’Shea said. Contact

Congratulations to all students who completed their senior theses and creative projects, including:

Joy Agwu

Micaela Alvarado

Sophia Alvarez

Lauren Amrol

Will Attig

Anna Bachiochi

Clare Barloon

Analina Barnes

Annika Barron

Claire Bass

Kyle Bass

Mia Bellafante

Michael Bender

Sarah Bender

Hannah Bergin

Zach Bergman

Elizabeth Bernath

Meg Beuter

Samantha Blake

Carolina Bolivar

Anne Marie Bollman

Haley Brandt

Zach Brnich

Bridget Brown

Michael Bsales

Claire Burks

Mary Clare Cameron

Aryel Carreon

Sofia Casillas

Jessica Castillo

Ashley Cho

Sophie Chorek

Meghan Chouanard

Dorrian Cohen

David Couri

Claire Crafts

Megan Cromie

Nick Daniel

Carmela D’Antuono

Natalie Daskal

Ava DeCroix

Jennifer Delgado

Kevin Dickson

Elise Dohoney

Ava Downey

Justin Durik

Cora Eaton

Megan Ebner

Gigi Eckholdt

Nikita Elkin

Taylor Erickson

Ava Ernst

CJ Escobar-Rodgers

Megan Fahrney

Quentin Fairchild

Audrey Feldman

Chaya Figueroa

Sara Foote

Brooke Friedman

Joyce Fu

Bridget Fuller

Kylie Gallegos

Anna Gazewood

Cullen Geahigan

David Giampietro

Lindsay Goldschmidt

José Gonzalez

Kareema Green

Anna Grillo

Clara Grillo

Brant Hadzima

Ella Haley

Layton Hall

Mae Harkins

Rachel Hartmann

Grace Hatfield

David Henry

Rhianna Hensler

Chris Hernández Rosales

Jack Herzog

Greta Hillesheim

Grady Hornbeek

Paul Howard

Sarah Hui

Lexi Hull

Nicholas Huls

William Hunter

Ainsley Hurford

Cecilia Luisa Ignacio

Thomas Joyce

Amber Jun

Bupe Lughano Kabaghe

Abigail Keaney

Bryan Keck

Jack Kelly

Kaylee Kern

William Kim

Catherine Kinkopf

Ava Kolb

Jack Konrad

Lexi Koplas

Maddie Kosobucki

Anna Krush

Anna Kulczycka

Saachi Kumar

Michelle Kwok

David LaMaster

Joan Lederer

Colleen Lipa

Sean Lonergan

Kendra Lyimo

Colleen Mackin

Teddy Maginn

Jack Manning

Ryan Mantey

Luis Sosa Manubes

Jack McEnery

Hank McNeil

Diane Medina Batista

Anand Mehta

Jake Miller

Natalie Modugno

Nora Mulligan

Claire Novak

Daniel O’Brien

Sarah Ochocki

Matthew O’Donnell

Payton Oliver

Johnny O’Meara

Sofia Orlandi

Olivia Ortega

Paola Ortiz

Maeve O’Shaughnessy

Daniel O’Shea

Lauren Ostdiek

Molly O’Toole

Garrett Pacholl

Anjali Pellegrin

Madeline Petrikas

Mack Pittman

Anna Polivka

Elizabeth Prater

Rose Quinlan

Maya Ramp

Isabela Rascon

Benjamín Rascón Gracia

Erin Reilly

Ben Riner

Lulu Romero

Julia Ruelle

Adam Salek

Rebeca Santa Maria Granados

Emma Sayler

Christina Sayut

Catherine Schafer

Faith Schafer

Bridget Schippers

Hannah Schmitz

Mimi Schneider

Ian Schowe

Anna Schroedel

Emma Sedlack

Lena Shadow

Jacob Shawwa

Jacob Sherer

Joel Skelley

Matthew Smolka

Grace Sorenson

Jessica Stehlik

Emma Stern

Lizzie Stifel

Cecelia Swartz

Isabela Tasende

Lauren TerMaat

Julia Thomalla

Adam Toland

Irasema Trujillo

Antonio Valdez

Audrey Veator

Mary Votava

Cora Vulin

Brian Wagner

Hugh Walsh

Julia Warden

Maggie Watson

Nicole Weiss

Sarah Wells

Katie Werner

Julia Wilcox

Felicity Wong

The art of yapping

Do you find yourself talking with no real purpose? Do you find joy in filling silence with random nonsense? Do your friends sigh when you begin to tell another pointless, 30 minute long story? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be a yapper.

Even though this diagnosis may seem grave, do not worry, you are not on your own. In fact, I suffer the same fate. It may seem as though there is no bright side to this realization, however, being a yapper does not need to be as negative as many people perceive it.

Often, I find myself wondering about what I was born to do. Simply watching some old home videos gave me an answer to this conundrum. On Christmas morning at the age of three, my mom called me over to watch a video of me telling a story around a campfire. You may be wondering how long the story was. The answer: 20 minutes and counting. Even after the adults attempted to stop me, I continued to loudly yell my pointless story over the voice of my poor older sister who could not get a word in edgewise. Clearly, I was born to yap.

Many of you out there may have similar stories. Instead of cringing at the thought, you should be proud of your verbal skills.

Studies show that up to 75 percent of people have a fear of public speaking. Someone needs to be able to take up the most slides in a group presentation. Approximately 80 percent of jobs are secured through networking. When the time comes, you need to be able to converse with your next possible connection. You may simply want to get a good participation grade in one of your classes. Or, you just want to avoid sitting in silence with your random roommate that Notre Dame provides.

Pointless yapping can help you make new friends. Whenever my friends ask me how I am able to befriend random people in class, I remind them that it is simply because I can speak to a brick wall. Even if the person next to me did not ask about the big puddle I stepped into on my way to class, they are sure to hear about it. College can be a lonely place, the best way to combat this is airing out useless information to the people around you.

Being a yapper can also help you bring joy to your friends. Even though people claim to hate hearing your nonsense, they always end up laughing in the end. And, if you have friends that can not appreciate this yapping, odds are you need new friends.

There is nothing wrong with being shy and it is imperative to know when it is time to keep your mouth shut, but there should be pride in being a yapper. To be a yapper is to be a storyteller, an entertainer, a comedian and an artist all wrapped into a neat package. Not everyone has the gift of gab, and those who do should be willing to embrace this trait.

You can contact Emma Duffy at eduffy5@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this Inside column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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In the season finale of NBC’s hit show, “Parks and Recreation,” protagonist Leslie Knope is experiencing serious heat. During her first year as a city councilor, she busted her tail to enact policy and better the lives of her constituents in the city of Pawnee. Despite her hard work, a disgruntled sector of the population leads a charge for her recall. In the midst of this turmoil, Leslie poses a question to the citizens of Pawnee: “Are you better off now than you were a year ago?”

This weekend, a few of my friends and I were chatting on the way down from a hike in the Lakes District of Chile. Exhausted from a rigorous uphill climb, which turned out to be double the length we had initially anticipated, conversation was the only thing to distract us from the long path back. As the discussion probed deeper — as it often does when you’re left in the wilderness — one of my friends posed a variation of Leslie Knope’s question: “Are you happier now than you were before college?”

At first, the answer felt obvious. Of course I am happier. My time in college has exposed me to a wealth of knowledge. I have been able to explore my interests and have grown academically. I have been integrated into the

community and traditions of Notre Dame. I have made deep friendships and fallen in love.

However, as my friends explained their perspectives, I realized that there are also many things that make it more challenging to be happy now. I don’t spend as much time with my family or childhood friends. I face new pressures around academic performance and anxieties surrounding my career. I have to navigate my life more independently. And, what’s more, I spend most of the year under the permacloud in South Bend instead of under the sunshine in Florida.

As I have reflected more on this question and consulted with other friends, I feel unequivocally confident that, yes, I am happier now for what I see as two reasons. First, I have had a plethora of new, strange and wonderful experiences including:

1. Sharing a room with a stranger

2. Living through all four seasons

3. Taking lake walks

4. Going to my first hockey game and monster truck show

5. Babysitting for families in South Bend

6. Marching to the dining hall in my pajamas

7. Tailgating with my parents

8. Dressing up for SYRs

Drinking coffee and knitting in the PLS

lounge

All of these little moments have given me a window into pockets of joy that I didn’t see before.

Second, my education at Notre Dame and summer volunteer experiences have instilled within me a different understanding of the world and my role in it. Learning about Catholic Social Tradition, taking ethics and philosophy courses and doing service beyond the walls of Notre Dame have grounded my life in a moral framework and understanding.

I can confidently say that I am happier now, not because college has been without its difficulties, but because it has equipped me with the resilience, knowledge and relationships that have enriched my life in ways I never imagined. So, for my last article for the year, I want to pose the same question to you: Are you happier now than you were before college?

Kat Regala is a junior at Notre Dame studying liberal studies, computing, digital technology, science, technology and values. You can contact Kat at kregala@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Dane Sherman Saints Among Us

Dear Prospective Student,

Why did you stay?

A few weeks ago, late at night, my friend texted me, “SOS — need to chat ASAP.” In the year and a half of knowing him, I had always seen the image he liked to project: his bright teeth twinkling, his laugh ruminating in the hallways and his wit dispensed mercilessly during heated games of Catan. But, I’d also seen the private underbelly: discontent, loneliness, uncertainty about the future and worried about his place.

A couple of thin fabric bracelets always cling to his arm with the abbreviation “WWJD?” Orange, maroon and pink bracelets were not meant to hide, they were there to make a statement. He hails from a Catholic suburb of Chicago. Getting into Notre Dame was the highlight of his parent’s life. He oozes intelligence, genuine curiosity for the world and, like any good Catholic boy, strong religious values.

That night, as he hopped in my car, I could see his deep brown eyes holding the weight of newly settled gray bags. With no destination, the long curving rides became our ritual of healing and exploration. The roads with no path in mind became our real world version of Catan — seeing all the neighborhoods we could connect and all the places we could go.

The only part of the ride that was the same every time was discussing the gospel of exclusion. It’s what we had termed the theology, which some circles of Notre Dame choose to wield, circles he

“With no destination, the long curving rides became our ritual of healing and exploration.”

is often a part of and confronted with. He knows that I have wanted to transfer — many times — throughout my four years here.

On this drive, he asked me, “Why did you stay at Notre Dame?”

At Notre Dame, I’ve confronted the god of the shag carpet. I’ve written extensively on the ways it makes me feel like I’m fighting for every inch of existence and the horror stories I’ve encountered. However, I haven’t as readily discussed what it looks like to survive.

My first run-in ever with what I call the God of the shag carpet was when I was seven years old. Every year, my mom, siblings and I would go camping; it was our way to escape from the world, to be in nature and in communion with each other. Finding little nooks where we would feel both held and free.

We often construct God as one of the ceilings. An impossibly high ceiling through which we will never attain. A ceiling of perfect crown moldings, swooping arches and elaborate mosaics for which we can never live up to. A God that is a teacher running around with a moral yardstick telling us how short of salvation we are.

About halfway through our expedition, my mom told me we needed to go to the bait shop, just us. From little worms to neon gummies, we found everything possible that could help us attract fish. Before we could leave the parking lot to go back to my siblings, she said she needed to talk to me.

She held on tight to the black ‘Looney Toons’decorated steering wheel cover. She told me that my dad, Craig, had gone into our house earlier that week, stealing money and a car. Worst of all though, my other dad Paul, had the pee in the toilet tested, and it came back positive for drugs. He had already been to rehab multiple times, so I thought he was clean. My little brain wondered, “Why could I not be enough to keep him off drugs?”

I slipped to the floormat in the passenger seat and cried. My mother, right there held my hand as I unloaded every ounce of water in my body onto the thick carpet below.

When I’m on the floor it’s often when I find myself closest to God, caked in centuries of history, dirt and hidden treasures. God doesn’t expect more of us than who we are and he’s there to catch us when we fall.

When I was ten, I broke one of my grandma’s statues while she was away from the house. Terrified she’d disown me, I found the bright magenta carpet to be calming. When I was twelve, I found my mom dead in our basement, stolen from my life, marking yet another tragedy in my really short life. Yet again, I found myself comforted by the thick carpet in our living room that held me close as police entered the house.

It’s also been a place of hope for me. At fifteen, the thick white shag carpet of my first girlfriend’s home is where we shared our first kiss. At eighteen, when I got into college, I celebrated with my family and hugged my dogs into their dusty beds. It’s where I sit with friends as we plot out the future.

While some of my most poignant moments with the floor have been in times of despair or happiness, I don’t think it’s just isolated to those moments. I think that makes God superficial in the sense that where he’s only useful in times of joy or duress. I find God on the floor when I’m at peace, when I’m reading a book that gives me a new idea or when I’m so grateful for mere exsistence.

Of course, I couldn’t explain all this while in the drive-through lane at McDonalds. So I simply told my friend, “The moments when I’m on the floor.”

It’s where I’ve counseled my friends in their biggest moments of despair, it’s where I have just lived parallel to others doing work and it’s where I’ve celebrated their biggest wins. It’s also where people have supported me when I have been at my worst.

Nancy J. Walsh picked me up off the Student Government office floor when I thought the prospect of changing my major meant I was stupid. Fr. Joe Pedersen gave me a hug even though I’d pretty much soaked my light blue sweater in tears. Fr. Gerry Olinger was meeting me for coffee on the Corby’s porch. Lane Obringer made a notebook on the Lyons hall mail room floor while I stared at the ceiling.

Moving into college felt like summer camp. Move-in day practically running down the hallways with the giant dark red bins, cramming all my stuff into the room and meeting a random person who I would be living with. Everything was so new, and I felt so unbelievably green. Those activities were quickly followed by the new normal bonding activities. As a dorm sprinting around the lakes, maneuvering to a giant bonfire and screaming chants so loud that others could hear us in downtown South Bend.

It was fun. It was great. It was also the thing I

was most apprehensive about, in many ways, it felt like a fraternity, which was something I specifically was not looking for in a college. I knew deep in my heart I could never belong in a singlesex all-men’s dorm. There was no way the men would ever in a million years accept a queer man from Seattle.

I instead chose to throw myself into communities outside of my dorm: student government, The Observer, off-campus political organizing, student research and pretty much every other opportunity I could get my hands on.

I spent every second, except for the seven hours I was sleeping, outside of my dorm. There was simply no way I could ever be myself in my dorm. This year, I decided I wanted to be a Resident Assistant (RA), in part because I was searching for that same grounded feeling that I found in so many of the mentors and friends I had enmeshed myself with, and I somewhat expected that maybe my freshman year thesis could be right.

As an RA in my dorm, I’ve had my moments this year where I’ve come back from grad school interviews and had Fr. Drew Clary there to help pick me off the floor of my room. Or my Rector, Mike Davis, to help me rethink solutions to my current drama. Or other RAs there to pick up the slack. I’ve also had the greatest gift of getting to be there for my residents. When their girlfriend dumps them or they flunk a test. When their parents are being difficult, or they feel their life is so beyond unsettled.

Through the past nine months, I’ve been proven utterly wrong. The men in my dorm have loved me not in spite of who I am, but they have wanted me to be me. That is the only thing they have wanted.

I have put myself in the crossfire, and for most people the difficulties of my experience would never happen to them. However, for those who try to push the University and it’s students, they can find a wicked and cruel underbelly. They also don’t need to make the same mistakes I did of assuming belonging or a lack thereof from the jump.

I truely don’t know if I would choose Notre Dame again. However, I know why I stayed. Some of my own predictions have been proven woefully wrong. Becoming an RA has been the biggest blessing ever. The guys have taught me how to love better. They don’t really give a shit about what I am; all they care about is that I’m there for them.

We’ve hosted Republican debate watch parties, Republican elected officials, and local faith leaders in my dorm. I’ve had conversations with guys whose identities and ideologies could not be further from mine. However, in my little pocket, I’ve found folks that I care about so dearly it tickles my toes.

Leaving the McDonald’s drive-through and driving my friend back to campus, I elaborated. I stayed at Notre Dame because of the people around me who intimately knew the God of the shag carpet. A God who is always there. A conglomerate of friends and true family who have helped in the roughest of moments. A group of men who have taught me what it means to love better and to expect the best in others.

Dane Sherman is a junior at Notre Dame studying American Studies, peace studies, philosophy, and gender studies. Dane ALWAYS wants to chat and can be reached at @danesherm on twitter or lsherma2@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

WHAT’S THE GREATEST COLLLEGE MOVIE?

By JACK HORTON Scene Writer

After about an hour of studying in the Hayes-Healy basement on Monday, I decided that it was time for a ten-minute study break. Usually, my breaks go like this: I look up classic movies on Tubi or PlutoTV. I’m always looking to see what movies were popular 30, 40 or even 50 years ago, and these services have the largest collection.

I click on a movie that looks interesting and dive deeper. I look into actors’ careers and related movies. If I’m interested, I’ll even watch the trailer.

Once I’m sold on a movie, I make a mental note before going back to work. There’s my dining hall viewing content for tomorrow morning.

That Monday night, the film that caught my attention was “Less Than Zero” (1987), starring Andrew McCarthy fresh off “Saint Elmo’s Fire” (1985), a young Robert Downey Jr., James Spader and Jami Gertz (look up her net worth if you have a second). In short, the plot follows college freshman McCarthy who tries to get his hometown friends Downey and Gertz sober. This movie looked interesting, but one question kept popping into my head as I studied that night — what is the greatest undergraduate college movie of all time?

It’s easy to come up with three nearly universally loved high school movies: “The Breakfast Club” (1985), “Dazed and Confused” (1993) and “Superbad” (2007).

Try the same exercise with college movies, however, and it’s much more difficult. For me, “The Social Network” (2010), “Good Will Hunting” (1997) and “Rudy” (1993) came to mind first. But “The Social Network” just starts in college, Will in “Good Will Hunting” is not even enrolled in college, and “Rudy” is more of a football movie. College is simply a section of the plot in these films rather than its true focus.

In addition to the movies above, college comedy classics like “National Lampoon’s Animal House” (1978), “Revenge of the Nerds” (1984) and “Old School” (2003) have memorable scenes but are extremely outdated. They might have once been considered great college films, but not today. Go watch “Animal House” in its entirety and then justify leaving the movie as is. In addition, for Notre Dame students specifically, these films focused on fraternity life have little resemblance to their college experience. College movies exist, but are any of them truly great?

If I were to design a great college movie, here’s the plot. We have a senior struggling to find a job. They are panicking as they realize that the 30-year plan that they lined out on their first day of freshman year is not what they want anymore. One night, on a walk from the library to their dorm, our student makes a new friend who encourages him to pick up a new activity (maybe it’s writing for the school newspaper). After picking up the hobby, he discovers his true passion, encounters a new crowd and successfully lands a job in that field. Along

2024: THE YEAR OF THE DEMON BABY

the way, he overcomes shifting priorities and faces upset parents who do not initially approve of his choice (so many teen movies use this mean parents trope). By the end of the film, our protagonist finds what he loves to do, graduates with a degree and sets off to face the real world.

Many of my favorite college-related films such as “Kicking and Screaming” (1995) and “The Big Chill” (1983) are about reflecting on college and the looming “what’s next?” question that the anxious characters face. However, this fear of the future is just as real during college, and a film could show this as an important time for a person’s development. To me, funny as it sounds, the film that most closely resembles this college journey is “Pitch Perfect” (2012). College students do not have all the answers. Not even close. Highlighting the confusion about what comes next could show a student using the college experience to find their passion.

I will admit — I have not watched every college movie to exist, far from it. If I am missing a great undergraduate college movie, please let me know. I’m always looking for movie suggestions! However, if you browse for movies during study breaks as I do, you’ll see that films focus on transformational change during high school much more than in college. Many college movies exist, but the title of the greatest college movie of all time is still very much up for grabs. It’s just waiting to be made. Contact Jack Horton at jhorton6@nd.edu

By ANDY OTTONE Scene Writer

(Spoilers for “Immaculate” follow in the article.)

Can we all agree that children are terrifying? They’re like adults, but smaller, faster and with less of a moral compass. Obviously, I’m joking (partially) but have noticed a particular trend this year in regards to children in film. There’s a lot of scary kids in horror movies lately, so let’s look into that. A classic horror trope is “pregnancy horror,” where a woman who is pregnant or who has just delivered their child finds a variety of frightening events surrounding their situation. Classic films such as “Rosemary’s Baby” acknowledge how hard having a child is through analogies such as, “What if Satan really wanted to take your baby away from you?” Another classic “demon baby” type of movie is “The Omen” franchise. That’s why I’m writing this article; the franchise is being revitalized with a prequel, aptly titled “The First Omen,” even if I believe the film is still only addressing the birth of the baby from the original series. That makes it the same Omen as the classic films, not a secret prior omen. Title aside, it’s a movie about the birth of the antichrist. Not to be confused with the other movie that just came out, centered on the birth of a

(pseudo) antichrist.

If “Seinfeld” was on today, maybe Jerry would be asking his audience “What’s the deal with antichrist babies?” I’m not a stand-up comedian, but I found myself wondering the same thing. As we reviewed already in The Observer, there’s another horror movie this year centering on the birth of a potentially evil figure: the Sydney Sweeney star vehicle “Immaculate.” All the trailers demonstrate is that the film follows a pregnant nun, who is mysteriously and unnaturally pregnant. It’s not a sacrilegious tale of a second virgin birth, but instead a sacrilegious tale of scientists trying to genetically engineer a Second Coming of the Christ — as if that’s any better.

While not an explicit antichrist story, “Immaculate” gives antichrist vibes. But you don’t have to be explicitly satanic to be a scary horror movie kid. This year also saw the release of “Imaginary,” a film about a child that befriends a demonic entity that is also a teddy bear. “Imaginary” is one picture in a long tradition of “kid befriends or interacts with the supernatural,” with films such as “Gremlins,” “Poltergeist” and mega-franchise starter “Child’s Play” all following similar beats.

Of course, not all children are scary, just most. We also have kids fighting monsters. Attempted blockbuster “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” featured

many children fighting ghosts and ghouls. I want to remind you, dear reader, that the ghost fighting equipment was too dangerous for the adult ghostbusters in the original films. While I’m sure in the ensuing decades the equipment has gotten safer, how safe can it really be? Why are we letting children fight ghosts? The movie’s writers have positioned the youngest member of the new Ghostbusters as the main character of the franchise moving forward (assuming there is any demand for the series in the future). Even if they are not the monster or friends with the monster, children fighting the horror movie villains is still alarming, if not more than the others.

I believe the children are our future, so what does it mean if so many of them are potentially evil, as these movies want me to believe? It’s not that I think this will become a trend in horror — it already is an established trope — or that it spells a dark omen (pun intended) for the genre’s future. I just find it a weird coincidence that we have two Catholic-coded horror movies about childbirth coming out so close to each other. Sometimes, that’s enough. At the end of the day, the kids are alright (and a harbinger of the end times).

After escaping Cornell, the Irish look ahead to an ACC showdown against North Carolina

By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor

Over the weekend, the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team escaped a scare against Cornell. With 6.4 seconds remaining, junior midfielder Ben Ramsey scored the decisive goal to propel the Irish to an 18-17 win in an instant classic. Ever since the Georgetown loss, which now feels like ages ago for the undisputed No. 1 team in the country, Notre Dame has been in control of their games. On Long Island last Sunday, the Irish showed their ability to win ugly, a reflection of their championship pedigree. They will return home to face North Carolina in the penultimate game of the regular season.

The Tar Heels have

struggled to keep up in a stacked ACC, losing both conference games thus far. They come into Saturday’s matchup with a 6-6 record overall on a four-game losing streak. The North Carolina attack has discovered a budding star in freshman Owen Duffy, who has 54 points on 32 goals this season, both team-highs. Graduate student Logan McGovern has 45 points of his own and leads the team with 25 assists. Their 12.67 goals per game as a team rank 21st in the country. On the other end, the Tar Heel defense has conceded 10 goals per game, ranking 18th in the country. Despite their lackluster record, this team has shown flashes throughout the season, boasting a strong win over No. 13 Penn and narrow

one-goal losses against No. 6 Syracuse and No. 12 Army.

One of the stories from the weekend thriller against Cornell was the emergence, or re-emergence, of senior midfielder Eric Dobson. Coming off of an incredible NCAA tournament performance, the projected PLL top-10 pick was expected to dominate from midfield this season. While his 18-point

output is nothing to scoff at, his production has been disappointing in light of the high expectations. Dobson’s aggressiveness on the attack has been questioned for parts of the season, and his performance in the midfield has been partly overshadowed by freshman Jordan Faison. Despite his struggles, however, Dobson delivered last weekend with his

13th career hat trick, one of the goals coming at an important point in the fourth quarter. Heading into the postseason, the Irish will hope to get that version of Dobson every game.

Outside of Dobson, graduate student attackman Jake Taylor continues to be one of the most prolific attackmen

Irish clinch No. 2 seed in ACC Tournament with win at Louisville in regular season finale

By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor

Going on the road Thursday afternoon for an ACC matchup with Louisville, Notre Dame women’s lacrosse closed out the regular season in style. Behind an explosive third quarter, the Irish earned a resounding, 23-10 victory, propelling them to 7-2 in conference play and 14-2 overall on the season. The win completed an undefeated road slate for the Irish and extended their streak to nine consecutive wins.

The first 30 minutes of play unfolded competitively. The Irish jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals from graduate attackers Jackie Wolak and Madison Ahern. The Cardinals battled back, though, and took their first lead of the game when sophomore midfielder Maggie McMahon made it 3-2.

Before the conclusion of the first quarter, Notre Dame regained a 4-3 lead courtesy of goals in quick succession from senior attacker Abby Maichin and graduate midfielder Kasey Choma. Choma scored two more in a backand-forth second quarter, including a free position shot late in the half that gave Notre Dame a 9-6 lead heading into the half. In the quarter, Ahern tallied her third point of the day and 300th of her career, joining

her teammate Wolak to make program history as the only individual duo with 300-plus points on the same roster.

The eight-goal onslaught from the Irish in the third quarter put the game out of reach. After Louisville fought back to 9-8, Ahern got the second-half scoring started for Notre Dame. Her goal was followed by two consecutive faceoff wins leading to fastbreak goals.

In just 21 seconds, the Irish scored three goals and did not look back from there. They rattled off six more goals unanswered, extending the lead to 18-8 in the early part of the fourth quarter. The Cardinals managed two more goals, but the Irish would add five more in the quarter for a final score of 23-10. Choma’s seven goals and two assists, both season highs for the graduate, led the team on the afternoon.

In the cage, senior goalkeeper Lilly Callahan logged 10 saves for her fourth doubledigit save total of the season.

The Irish appear primed for a deep postseason run having secured the No. 2 seed in the ACC. They will await their matchup in the ACC quarterfinals on Wednesday, April 24, in Charlotte, North Carolina, following Sunday’s first-round games. Contact

GRAY NOCJAR | THE OBSERVER

Senior midfielder and draw specialist Kelly Denes runs with the ball during Notre Dame’s game against Duke at Arlotta Stadium on April 6. Denes has controlled 109 draws this season, leading the Irish by 52.

Pick up

show enthusiasm, and finish what you start. Make the

what you’ve got, and you will leave a lasting impression. An unorthodox path will change the way you view life and help you discover what’s important to you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Keep personal information private. Listen, be attentive, and learn all you can from observing others, and it will help you make better choices. Distance yourself from those using pressure tactics. Choose to do what’s comfortable for you rather than what’s convenient for someone else.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t underestimate using the power of persuasion. Think carefully before agreeing to something debatable. It is mandatory to Research and go through the necessary steps to ensure you understand what’s involved and how much it will cost. Hibernate until you feel comfortable moving forward. Personal growth is favored.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Listen; the information you gather will shield you from mistakes and regrets. Don’t be afraid to put your personal touch on whatever you do; the satisfaction and confidence you gain will encourage you to trust and believe in your abilities. Live life your way.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Calm down, relax, and absorb what’s transpired. A transparent response will encourage others to be honest and respect your relationship. Make changes for the right reason, and don’t take on too much or take responsibility for someone else’s mistake. Love is on the rise.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Learn from the experience and correct what’s necessary to make life easier. Change will take you to a better place and bring you peace of mind. Direct your time and energy into being and doing your best, and happiness will follow. A lifestyle change looks promising.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Broaden your awareness and connections. Sign up for something you believe in or want to pursue, and you’ll find your tribe. Communication and an act of kindness will open doors and encourage personal growth and happiness. Romance is in the stars.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Act now. Dreaming will frustrate you if you don’t follow through. Get involved in something that interests you and discover what life offers. Say no to anyone trying to pressure you and refuse to let anyone stand in your way. Live life your way.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Trust your instincts and intelligence. Refuse to let anyone manipulate you into something that makes you feel uncomfortable. Pick and choose your friends and pastimes carefully, and say no to anyone trying to make you feel guilty for not wanting to participate in their plans.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Put your energy where you’ll get the highest return. Focus on how you earn your living and handle your cash; you’ll save yourself the worry and torment of debt. Wise choices will encourage you to find pleasure in things you can afford.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A steady pace forward is the best way to soothe your soul. Refuse to get caught in someone’s drama or persuasive tactics to throw you off track. Call the shots, and you’ll earn respect. You can’t please everyone, but you can satisfy yourself.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Keep your spirit high and control your emotions. Actions speak louder than words, and how you handle others and your responsibilities will make a difference in the outcome. Direct your energy and what you are willing to do strategically; success will be yours.

Birthday Baby: You are opportunistic, insistent, and charming. You are secretive and pioneering.

Notre Dame softball prepares to face the Clemson Tigers to start five-game homestand

By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer

Slumping through a fourgame losing streak, the Irish, who are now 23-18 overall and 7-11 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, look ahead to their penultimate weekend series against the Clemson Tigers. Clemson is 29-14 overall and 11-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The last time these two teams faced each other in a regular season series was April 14-16 in 2022. The teams played three games over the weekend with Notre Dame losing two games and winning one over the Tigers.

Game One

After giving up two runs in the seventh inning, the Irish took the 3-2 loss in the series opener against the Tigers in 2022.

After the Tigers walked right fielder Emma Clark and beaned center fielder Abby Sweet in the first inning, a single from

SMC TENNIS

senior first baseman Karina Gaskins allowed Clark to score the first run of the game and advanced Sweet to third base.

Junior Emily Tran then came in to pinch-run for Gaskins. After Tran’s steal attempt forced a throw to second, Sweet stole home, tallying the second run of the game for the Irish. However, the Tigers managed to put a run on the board for themselves in the bottom of the inning. Both teams played strong defense with neither offense scoring in the second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth inning, but the Tigers managed two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to make the final score 3-2.

Payton Tidd started in the circle for the Irish, throwing 6.1 innings. She allowed six hits, two earned runs and suffered the loss for the Irish. Alexis Holloway finished out the game for the Irish, allowing one hit and recording one out.

Game Two

A no-hitter from Alexis Holloway paved the way for a

4-0 Irish victory over Clemson.

With a tied score of 0-0 for the first three innings of the game, the Irish put the first points on the board in the fourth inning with Clark, Sweet and Gaskins all hitting doubles to give the Irish a 2-0 lead over the Tigers. Not letting their momentum go, the Irish added on two more runs in the fifth inning. With hits from Sweet, shortstop Brooke Marquez and left fielder Leea Hanks, the Irish pulled ahead with a 4-0 lead. The Tigers were not able to respond in the next two innings, and the Irish took the final 4-0 win.

Holloway threw a complete game for the Irish and earned her second no-hitter of the 2021-2022 season. Holloway struck out six, gave up three walks and hit one batter over the seven innings.

Game Three

Unfortunately, the finale did not end in Notre Dame’s favor. The Irish took another close loss of 2-1 against the Tigers to lose the 2022 series.

Notre Dame jumped ahead early, putting the first run on the board in the first inning, but Clemson was quick to respond, adding a run of their own in the second inning to tie the score at 1-1. Neither team scored in the third, fourth, fifth or sixth inning, but the Tigers drove in one more run in the seventh inning, making the final score 2-1.

Offensively, the Irish were led by junior designated player Jane Kronenberger, who hit 3-for-4 in the game. Alongside her, Gaskins and Clark contributed offensively with twohit efforts. Second baseman Miranda Johnson, third baseman Joley Mitchell, senior catcher Carlli Kloss, Hanks and Sweet also added hits for the Irish.

Junior Shannon Becker started the game on the mound for the Irish. Becker threw 6.2 innings, striking out three. Tidd relieved Becker in the seventh inning, allowing just one hit.

Overall, the Irish own a 1-3 record in the all-time series against Clemson, most recently

falling 7-3 to the Tigers in the 2022 ACC Tournament. The two have never met in South Bend.

Looking Ahead

Looking forward, the Irish now prepare to face off once again against the Tigers, who are coming off a 4-0 win over Winthrop.

Offensively, Valerie Cagle leads the Tigers in the box with a batting average of .364, but is followed closely by teammate McKenzie Clark, who has a batting average of .359.

The Irish also need to watch out for Cagle in the circle. She has a total of 84 strikeouts so far this season and is tied with Millie Thompson for the second-most pitching appearances (20) on the team.

Notre Dame and Clemson will square off this weekend at 5 p.m. on Friday, at 1 p.m. on Saturday and at 6 p.m. on Sunday at Melissa Cook Stadium.

Belles defeat Trine, keep their win streak alive

By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer

The Saint Mary’s tennis team kept their win streak alive on Tuesday with an 8-1 win over Trine University.

Doubles

The doubles competition fared well for the Belles as they won all three matches.

In the first doubles match, junior Alayna Campbell and her partner, sophomore Evelyn Demblans-Dechans, took an 8-4 win over their competitors, Elina Locane and Alexis Maloney.

Freshman Anna Gardner and sophomore Emma Kealy took the second win for the Belles in the second doubles match with an 8-2 win over Emilee Bassett and Haley Straub from Trine.

Finally, in the third doubles match, senior Katie Hunter and sophomore Hannah Gerner took the final win in the doubles competition with an 8-4 win over competitors Kennedy Outwater and Lizzie Welker.

Singles

The Belles also dominated in the singles competition, winning five out of the six matches played.

Kealy helped the Belles start strong with her victory in No.

2 singles. In a clean sweep, she won both sets 6-0 against Trine’s Bassett. Demblans-Dechans kept the momentum going with her win in the No. 3 singles match. She won the first set 6-1 and the second set 6-2 over Maloney, her No. 3 counterpart. Gardener won the No. 4

singles match for the Belles, the team’s third straight. She won the first set 6-0 and the second set 6-1 against Straub.

In No. 6 singles, Hunter continued her strong play against Welker, clinching the overall singles win for the Belles. Hunter won the first set 6-1 and the second set 6-3.

Campbell struggled in the No. 1 singles match and took the loss, giving Trine its only singles victory on the day. She lost the first set 3-6 and the second set 1-6 against Locane.

In the No. 5 singles match, the final match of the day, Gerner helped the Belles bounce back with her triumph

over Outwater. Gerner won the first set 6-1 and the second set 7-6 after claiming the tiebreaking set.

The Belles now prepare to face Olivet at home for Senior Day this Saturday at 1 p.m.

Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu

Saints continue April surge with week two dominant defeats of Bethel and St. Francis

By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor

As the regular season’s final weekend approaches, the Holy Cross tennis teams have caught fire. The men’s and women’s squads have won a combined nine straight games after a 3-0 start to this week.

Holy Cross men taking advantage of April once again

In recent years, something about the spring season’s third month activated the men’s tennis team. In 2022, Holy Cross started April 6-0, sweeping each of the last five wins. A season later, the

Saints opened the month with five consecutive shutouts, going 6-1 across April’s duration.

This year, the Saints have made even more flowers out of the April showers. They are 5-0 with a quintet of sweeps that have pushed their active win streak to seven games. After a defeat of Roosevelt (Ill.) on Saturday, Holy Cross extended that streak to seven with 4-0 takedowns of Bethel (Ind.) at home and St. Francis (Ill.) on the road. The Saints now own an overall record of 8-3 with a 4-0 mark in CCAC play.

In Monday’s match against the Bethel Pilots, the Saints started fast with a pair of

6-3 wins to earn the doubles point. As usual, junior Perry Gregg rolled in the ensuing No. 1 singles matchup, winning his sets 6-3 and 6-0. In No. 2 and No. 4 singles, Bethel challenged the Saints, but Oscar Wai (5-7, 6-2, 6-1) and freshman Adam Singleton (6-2, 3-6, 6-2) prevailed to clinch a Holy Cross victory.

To wrap up their regular season, the Holy Cross men will play four home matches across three days this weekend. The Saints will face Indiana Wesleyan on Friday, St. Ambrose (Iowa) on Saturday and both the University of Northwestern Ohio and the University of Chicago on Sunday. Friday’s match begins at 4 p.m.

Saints women pick up second straight win

After dropping two out of three matches between March 28 and April 12, the

A day later, the Saints made even easier work of St. Francis, winning by a 4-0 count yet again. Gregg and senior Laurenz Flender dominated No. 1 doubles (6-1), combining with a walkover to earn the first Saints point. Wai (6-1, 6-1) and junior Ciaran McCarthy (6-0, 6-0) then posted similar results in singles and another St. Francis walkover wrapped up the match.

Holy Cross women’s team has responded well. The Saints followed Saturday’s 4-0 defeat of Roosevelt with a 4-1 Tuesday takedown of St. Francis, improving to 7-2 overall and 3-0 in league play.

Holy Cross and St. Francis split the first two doubles matches, but a walkover in the No. 3 matchup handed the day’s opening point over to the Saints. In singles play, St. Francis secured its lone point in the No. 2 matchup. But the Saints countered with wins in No. 1 singles and the No. 5 matchup, in which senior Diane Maillotte won both her sets with a 6-0 score. A St. Francis walkover in No. 6 singles rounded out a successful day for Holy Cross.

The women’s team will have an added day of rest before hosting St. Ambrose at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Saints will then close out their regular season on Sunday morning against Northwestern Ohio.

Men’s

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu in the country. He added to his impressive goal total with a hat trick of his own last weekend, putting him up to a team-high 29 on the season. The frontrunner for the Tewaaraton Award, an award offered to the best player in college lacrosse, is Pat Kavanagh. The graduate student attackman added another strong performance to his resume with a two-goal, two-assist output against Cornell and has an opportunity to push for the award down the stretch. He is up to a team-high 43 points on the season, spearheading an Irish attack that ranks first in the nation with 16.56 goals per game.

Graduate student goalkeeper

Liam Entenmann, now Notre Dame’s all-time saves leader after the last game, will want a better performance out of himself and the defense against the Tar Heels. The 17 goals conceded against Cornell were uncharacteristic of a unit that has been so formidable all season.

The competition will take place on Saturday, April 20 at Arlotta Stadium at 11:30 a.m. with ACC Network providing the broadcast.

Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu

Irish inch closer to winning record with sweep of Valparaiso, Purdue Fort Wayne in midweeks

By CHARLIE MORRIS Sports Writer

Notre Dame baseball (1818, 2-16 ACC) continued its midweek dominance with victories on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Irish hung on for a 7-6 victory against Valparaiso on Tuesday before run-ruling the Purdue Fort Wayne (PFW) Mastodons 15-5 on Wednesday. Both victories came at Frank Eck Stadium, which moved Shawn Stiffler’s club to 8-4 at home on the year.

On both nights, an Irish batter came within one swing of the cycle. Tuesday, it was senior first baseman Connor Hincks, who continues to thrive in his first full season of consistent playing time. Hincks went 3-for-4 with an RBI triple in the fifth inning and a two-run homer in the seventh to extend Notre Dame’s lead to 7-3. His home run would prove to be the game-winner in a 7-6 decision.

The following night, Simon Baumgardt, a graduate transfer from Tulane, clubbed

two singles, a double and an opposite-field home run in his most productive performance of the season. The third baseman increased his season batting average to .291 with the four-hit night, which also included three runs and three RBIs.

Freshman DJ Helwig started Tuesday’s tilt against Valpo, firing three scoreless innings to earn his first win of the season. He allowed only two hits while striking out three Beacon hitters. Behind Helwig, graduate student Bennett Flynn and junior Ricky Reeth fired multiple innings, surrendering one earned run each. Graduate student Nate Hardman closed the door in the ninth after a brief scare, securing his fourth save of the year.

Kaleb Krier took the loss for Valparaiso, his third of the campaign. Six Irish baserunners reached across Krier’s three innings, with three of them coming in to score. Notre Dame tacked on multiple runs against Adam Guazzo and Jake Jakubowski

in later innings to bring their score to seven, including Hincks’ longball against the latter reliever.

Jack Penney, the junior shortstop, scored in both games, including the runrule winning run in the eighth inning against PFW on Wednesday. He tripled and doubled in the game as well, recording three hits during the week and an RBI in both contests. Hincks and senior right fielder Brady Gumpf also had a great week, combining to go 10-for-15 at the plate with one home run each and seven total runs batted in.

Graduate student Tobey McDonough started on Wednesday for Coach Stiffler and showed encouraging signs pitching two strong innings of scoreless baseball, striking out five of the seven PFW batters he faced. Sophomore David Lally Jr. was the standout pitcher of the night, accounting for 2.2 impressive frames with three Ks. His curveball fooled Mastodon hitters all night. Freshman lefty Justin Mayes

made his first collegiate appearance, striking out his first career batter en route to a scoreless third inning. Graduate student reliever Will Jacobsen allowed his fifth homer of the year, but otherwise looked in control, picking up the win.

Brody Fine started for the Dons, tossing three innings and only allowing one earned run on a wild pitch. The PFW bullpen faltered behind him, specifically right-handed reliever Josh Kuhns, who suffered the loss, recording only one out and giving up three earned runs.

Sean Kasper (1.1 IP, 2 Ks) was the only Mastodon pitcher to not give up a run to the Irish, who scored in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth innings.

Six Irish starters had multiple hits in the 15-5 win. Notre Dame struck six times, all with two outs, in the eighth to secure the run-rule victory.

Beyond Baumgardt, Gumpf and Penney, sophomore second baseman Estevan Moreno extended his on-base streak to 15 games, drawing

two walks and eating two bean balls in a successful day at the plate. Moreno also stole a base and scored twice.

Nick Sutherlin hit a fourthinning home run for PFW which tied the game 1-1. Ben Higgins and Cade Fitzpatrick had two RBIs each in the top of the sixth inning for the Dons, who failed to win their fourth game against a Power 5 team this year.

The Irish head into a crucial weekend series at home against Boston College sitting at .486 overall. They are last in the ACC with just two conference wins, but at least they have some momentum to build on after a successful week of midweek matchups. Notre Dame will play plenty of games at Frank Eck Stadium over the next month, hosting 14 of its next 15 games, with their only road tilt at Michigan State on April 30. Most importantly, all 12 remaining ACC matchups will take place in South Bend.

Contact Charlie Morris at cmorri27@nd.edu

Irish enter final month against Boston College

By ANDREW MCGUINNESS Sports

The nearly everyday nature of baseball can be both a blessing and a curse. When a team is struggling, it can be difficult to get out of a funk as the games keep coming with very little time to rest. But sometimes there’s nothing better than getting the chance to redeem yourself after things go sour.

Notre Dame baseball is hoping the latter applies to it, at least in terms of ACC play. The Irish haven’t beaten a conference foe in almost a month, losing 10 straight ACC contests dating back to March 24. They’re just 2-16 in the conference this year, having been swept in five of six series.

Regardless, they’ll be right back on the saddle this weekend at Frank Eck Stadium as the Boston College Eagles come to town. The Eagles aren’t a bad team, sitting at 20-16 but leading only the Irish in the six-team ACC Atlantic Division at 7-11 in conference action. They did take two of three from the Irish a year ago, including winning the series finale at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. But they

aren’t at the level of Notre Dame’s last two weekend foes, No. 6 Clemson and No. 11 North Carolina, who outscored the Irish by a combined margin of 53-22.

Eagles hunting jumpstart series in South Bend

The Eagles enter the series 3-2 in their last five games, although they have lost their last two ACC series, also facing elite teams in No. 8 Florida State and No. 12 Wake Forest. They aren’t a particularly intimidating foe on either side of the ball, ranking 10th in the conference in runs scored and 13th in earned run average. They’re a small team, prioritizing defense (.978 fielding percentage, fifth in the ACC) and speed (68 stolen bases, second in the conference) to help them win games.

On offense, four Eagles regulars sport an OPS over .950. Cameron Leary is one of the best dual-threats on offense in the country, leading the team with 12 home runs and 18 stolen bases, having only been caught once. Kyle Wolff is also a power threat, trailing Leary with seven homers and leading the Eagles with 40 runs

batted in. Patrick Roche and Cam Caraher are among the Eagles that love to run, each already hitting double digits in steals. They will present a challenge for an Irish catching department that is last

in the conference at throwing out runners (12.5%), although they have been a little better as of late.

The Irish and Eagles face off on Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and

Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will be available to watch on ACC Network Extra.

RICHARD TAYLOR | THE OBSERVER

Sophomore right-hander Rory Fox releases a pitch during Notre Dame’s game against Clemson on April 7. Fox and the Irish pitchers seek a rebound this week after allowing 30 runs in three games last weekend.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

FREEMAN FEATURE

Freeman enters make-or-break third season

By MADELINE LADD Assistant Managing Editor

Head coach Marcus Freeman has made waves in the realm of Notre Dame football with his celebrity status since assuming the position. It’s been a love affair with Freeman; there’s no doubt of his Irish spirit or ability to amplify team culture, but his first two seasons were filled with plenty of missteps which could be attributed to being a first time coach.

Hauntings like the Marshall loss in year one or last year’s Ohio State debacle reminded fans of Freeman’s youth. Not to mention coming out flat against Clemson and Louisville in year two, or the lackluster Sam Hartman experiment.

“I think every year you learn something new. You look at year one, and you’re just trying to figure this thing out — there’s no playbook, no gameplan. And then you go to year two [and ask], ‘How do I get better from year one,’” Freeman reflected. “What I learned in the first two years is that, as a head coach, you can get in the habit of just going through your routine instead of

truly challenging yourself as an individual to be the best version of yourself, which is gonna make you a better head coach and a better leader.”

While anticipation for Freeman is reinvigorated and expectations are set high each year, they have yet to be fully met.

But, that anticipation should not waver. Rather, this is the year to be most excited about what Freeman could do. With a 19-7 record and .731 win percentage during his tenure, year three is the time all excuses end. This year’s team is truly “Freeman’s team,” with many players recruited specifically by him — or at least well accustomed to his coaching. Freeman has continually improved recruiting, going after types of players former head coach Brian Kelly never did. But, final class rankings still haven’t reached elite top five status.

Notre Dame has a legacy of year three being the make-orbreak time for coaches — predictive of their tenure’s trajectory. Just look at the history books, and they will tell you where year three has taken the coaches of Notre Dame’s past. Frank Leahy (‘43),

Ara Parseghian (‘66), Dan Devine (‘77) and Lou Holtz (‘88) all led the Irish to a national championship in their third year as head coach. Brian Kelly almost made it there in his third year, with a perfect season that was clipped at the national championship game in 2012-13. This raises the stakes even more for Freeman.

“The things you learn from year one and year two could have a tremendous impact on the way you lead in year three — where your focus is, what really needs your attention. And everyday it changes,” Freeman said. “What part of your program needs your focus is so important to make sure that there’s no part of your football program that starts to slip.”

This offseason, Freeman has already identified flaws and addressed them. With changes such as the firing of wide receiver coach Chansi Stuckey and the transfer of the majority of the touted young receivers, things are shaken up. First-time offensive coordinator Gerad Parker left for Troy and was immediately replaced by former LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock — who coached last

year’s Heisman winner Jayden Daniels.

“I think [bringing in Mike Denbrock] was incredibly important. Not only has he had the success he’s had the past few years as an offensive coordinator, [but] the ability for me to already trust him because we worked together for four years at Cincinnati and to know the mind, the competitor [and] the person he is … It’s tremendous for me,” Freeman said.

“I feel as confident as I ever have in that offensive room in terms of the camaraderie [and] the stability in what the productivity’s gonna be when it’s on the field.”

The quarterback and wide receiver rooms are also now rebuilt and loaded with talent that will play with more urgency than the previous group. There are plenty of players looking to make a name for themselves in their rookie season, while returners hope to cement their status and hoist the team to a championship season.

“I’m excited with this new group. Every year, you start over, right? In January, you start over with this new group, and you’ve got freshmen, you’ve got a couple transfers, you’ve got new coaches,

and you start building this group to make sure you’re as close to your full potential as you go into week one of the season.”

“I’m optimistic, as any coach would be before the season starts. But I’m eager to do it with this group.”

So, the question remains for Freeman: what will he come to prove in this crucial year three? Freeman has the opportunity to transform Notre Dame into the next-level program it should be. Or, he could also show us that he cannot make it over that hill. With expansion of the College Football Playoff as well as an easier schedule this season, Notre Dame has a better chance than ever to make it big — even reaching the goal of a national championship.

Can Freeman deliver on the field with no coaching blunders, having two seasons under his belt as the lead for the Irish? Or, will it just be a rewrite of what we have seen before? The Blue-Gold game this weekend will be the first glimpse of what is to come in the all-in season ahead.

Cahill: Is another third-year title run inbound?

The excitement surrounding the hire of Marcus Freeman back on Dec. 3, 2021, was quickly tempered by an 0-3 record in his first three games. The first of which, the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State, seemed the dream start as the Irish took a 28-0 lead into halftime. The tide turned after the half, however, and what looked like an inbound New Year’s Six bowl victory quickly turned into a terrible collapse.

Losing the opener on the road in the following season against Ohio State was expected, but dropping the home opener against Marshall in the next game was devastating. Notre Dame dropped another game as heavy favorites that year, losing to rival Stanford. Already in year one, Freeman had to deal with blots on his resume.

The following season, Freeman’s Irish got another shot at the Buckeyes, this time at home. Facing a weakened version of an Ohio State offense that lost superstar quarterback C.J. Stroud to the draft gave a new-look Irish team with graduate transfer Sam Hartman at the helm a prime opportunity on the biggest stage. After a cagy defensive battle, Notre Dame needed one more stop to win the game. The Buckeyes drove down dramatically,

relying on multiple third and fourth-down conversions and drive-saving Irish mistakes. They eventually punched it in at the goal line with no time remaining, driving a dagger into Notre Dame’s playoff hopes.

The decisive win of the Freeman era, one that would propel the team into true contention, would have to wait another season. The worst part: during the final play, Notre Dame’s defense fielded only 10 players coming out of a timeout, an inexcusable coaching error. Now, with Freeman entering his third season, there has never been more on the line for the Irish to make the now-expanded playoff field. I’m going to explain why, despite this immense pressure, this year’s Notre Dame team is more than capable of doing it.

While there have been many challenging moments early on in the Freeman era, it is important that impatient and exasperated fans, and there are many, don’t give up on him already. When looking at Freeman’s credentials, optimism for the future outweighs any doubts about the past. His time at Notre Dame has had many highs, from resounding home victories over Clemson in year one and USC in year two to bowl game victories in the past two years capping off nine and 10-win seasons respectively.

Some of his greatest success has come on the recruiting

trail, where, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, the Irish have put together three of their best four classes by total points and points per player average. There has also been a marked increase in the number of four and five-star players, with 37 recruited in Freeman’s first two years, a number that former head coach Brian Kelly never surpassed in any twoyear stretch, coming closest between 2012-2013 with 35. But through all his success bringing in talent on the field, it may be his coaching hires that have made the most impact.

His choice of defensive coordinator Al Golden has proven to be a massive success.

During the 2023 regular season, Golden’s defense ranked seventh in scoring, second in pass efficiency, fifth in yards per game allowed, 12th in turnovers gained and second in red zone scoring defense. These numbers are even more impressive when considering how few elite draft prospects he had to work with.

On the offensive side of the ball, Freeman brought in his top choice for the 2024 season, Mike Denbrock, who returns to Notre Dame after serving as offensive coordinator for five years at Cincinnati and two at LSU. The Tigers’ offense under Denbrock was the best in the country last season, averaging 45.5 points and 543.5 yards of offense per game. He also

contributed to the emergence of Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, who experienced a meteoric increase in production compared to his previous three seasons as a starter at Arizona State. In his best season with the Sun Devils, he threw for 2,943 yards and 17 touchdowns while rushing for 355 yards. In 2023, he passed for 3,812 yards with 40 scores while rushing for 1,134 yards. Night and day for the projected top-three pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Pairing Denbrock with another mobile quarterback in senior transfer Riley Leonard boosts the ceiling for this Irish offense. A hire that may fall under the radar following the contract extensions for both coordinators is that of strength coach Loren Landow. Often an underappreciated position on the staff, the strength coach plays a pivotal role in player development, acting as the central voice for nine months out of the year. Landow has five years of valuable experience at the NFL level with the Denver Broncos and has worked with a wide variety of athletes, including UFC fighters and Olympic medalists. He offers a unique, new mentality to training, emphasizing a smarter and more individualized approach rather than the traditional rah-rah demands to “work harder.” Freeman’s hiring process has been intelligent and intentional. The staff

he has built will put his team in a position to succeed next season.

Turning the focus to the field, the Irish are returning plenty of talent, including key players on every level of an elite defense. The first name on this list has to be star cornerback Benjamin Morrison, a projected first-round pick. The junior followed up a breakout rookie season with another strong year, logging three interceptions and a team-high 10 pass breakups to finish as a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award. Joining him in the secondary is graduate student Xavier Watts, who stuffed the stat sheet last season with seven interceptions en route to winning the Bronko Nagurski Award and being named a unanimous All-American.

Jack Kiser will serve as the veteran leader of an up-andcoming linebacker core. The graduate student finished third on the team with 62 tackles last season. Graduate students Howard Cross and Rylie Mills also return up front having started all 13 games last season with Cross earning Second Team All-American honors.

There is far less continuity on the offensive side of the ball with Sam Hartman and Audric Estimé out the door as well as Rico Flores, who exited through the transfer portal

For Notre Dame’s backfield, Love is the answer

By MATTHEW CROW Sports Writer

It’s uncommon for a true freshman to be given opportunities for significant playing time at a premier program like Notre Dame, and especially so when the starter at their position is among the nation’s best players.

But even as Audric Estime rumbled his way to All-American honors last fall while becoming one of the most accomplished and beloved Irish running backs in recent memory, the talent of freshman Jeremiyah Love – who was not an early enrollee and didn’t arrive on campus until the summer – made it impossible for the Notre Dame coaching staff to keep him off the field for long.

Fast-forward to this spring, and as Estime prepares to hear his name called in the upcoming NFL Draft, it’s now up to Love – along with returning juniors Jadarian Price and Gi’Bran Payne – to shoulder the load of Notre Dame’s rushing attack. And after using his near-unmatched combination of raw speed and effortless acceleration to quite literally burst onto the scene during his first fall in South Bend, that leading role is one that the rising sophomore is ready, willing and able to take on.

“I’m very confident,” Love said after a spring practice in March about his mentality entering the upcoming season. “Playing behind Audric — I looked up to Audric, got a lot of knowledge from him – and my objective is just to come into my sophomore season trying to be a leader.”

Much of that confidence comes from the game experience he gained as a freshman, with former Irish offensive coordinator Gerad Parker finding spurts of playing time for Love in order to utilize his burst and explosiveness as an effective complement to Estime’s smashmouth running style.

“It was really valuable. Coming in as a freshman and getting reps, it’s always valuable [to] get an in-game feel for how everything goes,” Love said about receiving playing time as a freshman. “And it’s really translated to me going into my sophomore season, I’ve already got a feel for things. So it helped a lot.”

Following an illustrious high school career in which he earned Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year honors while leading Christian Brothers College High School to back-to-back state championships and claiming the state title in the 100-meter dash, it didn’t take long for the four-star recruit from St. Louis to show Irish fans what he could do.

Love picked up 40 yards on just four carries in Notre Dame’s season opener against Navy in Dublin. The following week, he scored his first career touchdown against Tennessee State, getting to the edge and breaking several tackles en route to the end zone from 36 yards out.

He capitalized on his opportunities to find similar success on some of the biggest stages that college football has to offer, notably taking eight carries for 57 yards in Notre Dame’s narrow defeat against Ohio State and combining for 104 all-purpose yards on the road against ranked opponents Duke and Louisville. Love finished the season with 385 rushing yards, second-most on the Irish and good for more than five yards per carry.

As he looks to build on that success in year two, though, he’ll be facing a vastly different set of circumstances. Last season, Estime was the clear leader of the running back room, both on and off the field. This fall, Love will be competing with Price and Payne for the lion’s share of the more than 200 carries that are suddenly up for grabs.

“I would say there’s a lot more competition,” Love said about the running back environment this spring. “You know, Audric was Audric, we all knew what he was going to do, so with him gone, there’s an open spot. Everybody’s competing every day, just coming in to work. And we’re also being respectful about it, nobody’s hating on each other, nothing like that. We’re coming in every day to work and to play off of each other.”

Estime’s departure left a leadership void as well. Despite being just a rising sophomore, Love has emerged as someone who can be counted on as a guiding force for the running backs, particularly Aneyas Williams and Kedren Young, Notre Dame’s talented freshman duo at the position.

“Standard-wise, in the running back room, nothing’s really changed,” Price said about maintaining the ‘D3’ standard taught by associate head coach and running backs coach Deland McCullough. “Me and Gi’Bran and even Jeremiyah, we’re making sure that the young guys continue on the process and know that … we’re still going to be detailed, dependable and disciplined.”

Love echoed the sentiment of the team’s three-headed running back monster establishing a sense of leadership by committee.

“I want to … be a leader in the room and lead the young guys, and also just set an example

for the team. That’s what we as a running back unit do, we’re kind of trying to set that tone for everybody,” Love said. “Audric left some big shoes to fill, but we’re all trying to fill that leadership role … All of us are doing it together.”

To add one more piece to an already-complex puzzle, Love has had to manage this increased level of competition and his expanded leadership responsibilities while learning an entirely new offense, as the Irish landed the highly-touted Mike Denbrock as their new offensive coordinator (he previously served in the same role at LSU) following Parker’s departure to become the head coach at Troy.

It might sound like a lot for a college freshman to handle, and it no doubt is, but Love has elevated his own game to meet the heightened expectations he’ll face in the upcoming season. To him, that growth starts with the mental aspect.

“I would say in my football IQ,” Love said when asked where he’s improved most during his time in South Bend. “I came in, played as a freshman, got a lot of playing time, and that only helped my IQ. I know things that I didn’t know before, and it allows me to be a smarter football player.”

Couple that with the physical development that has stemmed from his first full offseason of strength and conditioning with the Irish, and it would come as no surprise to see him enjoy the type of breakout season that Irish fans have been eagerly awaiting since catching glimpses of his ability as a freshman.

“He’s done a great job of integrating into what the new

offense is, understanding what his role is. He put on seven or eight pounds worth of muscle, so that’s been big for him, too. Now he’s not only very fast and explosive, [he’s also] sturdy,” McCullough described about Love’s progression in the midst of his first spring at Notre Dame. “So [I’m] just excited about what he’ll ultimately bring to the table, which should be pretty dynamic this season.”

That aforementioned new offense should provide Love with plenty of opportunities to showcase that dynamic skillset. Denbrock’s scheme – which helped LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels win the Heisman Trophy last fall – is aggressive and uptempo, and it actively seeks to utilize running backs both on the ground and through the air.

Love – who has been taking some reps at slot receiver as well as running back in an effort to put himself in position to contribute as much as possible – views it as a perfect fit.

“The one thing I do like about [Denbrock’s] offense is that it’s way more explosive. We’re doing more stuff with the [running] backs out in routes… and that’s kind of my [preferred] field of play, so I think the offense is great,” Love said. “I want to get some receiver work [during spring practice], get a foundation at receiver so that I could move out to slot anytime they need me to. I’ll probably be going back and forth [between] slot and running back, that type of deal.”

As he enters his sophomore season, Love has been tasked with stepping into a new role, learning a new offense and

maybe even seeing playing time at a new position. But he’s exceeded expectations from the first moment he set foot on campus less than a year ago, and he – along with his coaches and teammates – doesn’t expect that to change anytime soon.

Heading into Saturday’s BlueGold Game that will conclude Notre Dame’s spring practice slate, Love is a smarter football player than he was last fall, and a stronger one. He’s equipped with the confidence that came from his success as a freshman and has fully embraced a leadership role within the Irish backfield mere months after he was the newcomer in that same running back room. And he’s playing in an offense that appears tailor-made for someone with his trademark speed and elusiveness to thrive.

That’s not to say that things will come easy for Love as a sophomore, even though he certainly made it look that way at times last fall. He’ll now find himself at the head of the scouting report for most opposing defenses, and in a backfield as talented and competitive as Notre Dame’s, playing time is never a guarantee.

But after a season spent learning from Estime, he’s ready to be the featured back, ready to help the Irish offense succeed in whatever way he’s called upon to.

Love’s prologue at Notre Dame is now complete, but there’s a whole lot more in store.

When the Irish open their 2024 season on the road against Texas A&M in August, a new chapter begins.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

Freshman running back Jeremiyah Love (12) absorbs a tackle during a win against Wake Forest on Nov. 18.

In the 2023 season, Love carried the football 71 times for 385 rushing yards, scoring two total touchdowns.