The Notre Dame Fighting Irish came up just short of winning their first college football national championship since 1988 when they lost to Ohio State, 34-23, in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Outside of a shocking loss to Northern Illinois early in the regular season, the Irish were dominant, notching blowout wins in their other 11 regular season games. Head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff built the Notre Dame football roster through several strong Notre Dame football recruiting classes and a handful of strategic Transfer Portal additions, including quarterback Riley Leonard.
Freeman will have to find a replacement for Leonard, as well as a pair of All-American defenders in safety Xavier Watts and tackle Howard Cross III. Notre Dame players have five days to enter the transfer portal and until Friday to enter the NFL Draft, which could come into play for cornerback Benjamin Morrison. What will the 2025 Notre Dame roster look like heading into Spring practice? If you want the latest Notre Dame football news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at Irish Illustrated, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Notre Dame.
The Irish Illustrated insiders are providing on-the-ground updates on every development in the Notre Dame football program, including insights from Tim Prister, Drew Mentock and Tom Zwiller, who have deep-rooted ties inside the Notre Dame community. Get all the inside scoop on the football program, plus VIP intel on Notre Dame football, basketball, recruiting and more. Plus get access to the Irish Illustrated message boards where you can connect with other Notre Dame fans and insiders. Get it all right here.
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Notre Dame football roster news
The Notre Dame roster will have a different look in 2025, but barring any major surprise Transfer Portal entries, the Irish will also return plenty of talent from this year’s team that went 14-2. The headlining returner is running back Jeremiyah Love, who will be back in South Bend for his junior season in 2025. Love proved to be one of the most explosive players in college football this past season, finishing with 1,125 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns on 163 carries. He also caught 28 passes for 237 yards and two scores.
The Irish are also set to return key contributors such as wide receiver Jordan Faison, wide receiver Jaden Greathouse, linebacker Drayk Bowen, safety Adon Shuler, and running back Jadarian Price. Quarterbacks CJ Carr, the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, and 2024 backup Steve Angeli will enter Spring practice as the front-runners to replace Leonard as the team’s starting quarterback. Three-star high school recruit Blake Hebert will also join the quarterback competition.
Freeman and his staff currently have the No. 12 overall football recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports. The class currently includes 24 high school recruits and six transfers. The Irish signed a pair of national top-100 high school recruits in offensive tackle Will Black and linebacker Madden Faraimo.
On the transfer front, Notre Dame’s top rated incoming players include former Virginia wide receiver Malachi Fields and former Alabama safety DeVonta Smith. Fields, 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, is rated as a four-star transfer prospect and has the ability to come in and make an immediate impact for the Irish. Smith is a three-star transfer prospect, who was rated as one of the top safeties in the Portal. Get more Notre Dame football roster updates at Irish Illustrated.
How to get insider Notre Dame football updates
The Irish Illustrated team is bringing up-to-the minute updates on the latest transfer portal targets, staff news and 2026 football recruiting. You can only get it all at Irish Illustrated.
What will the 2025 Notre Dame football roster look like, and what shocking offseason moves are in store for the Irish? Go to Irish Illustrated to get all the latest Notre Dame football news, all from a team of dialed-in insiders, and find out.
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