Notre Dame kicks off the 2024 football season with a Saturday night (August 31) showdown on the road against Texas A&M in College Station. In a game that will be televised on ABC, the seventh-ranked Irish and the No. 20 Aggies square off at Kyle Field at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Preseason expectations for Notre Dame are generally optimistic. This year, however, feels different in head coach Marcus Freeman’s third year at the helm. Coupling the expanded College Football Playoff with what is perceived as a favorable schedule, the Irish are brimming with national championship aspirations. Freeman is banking on pairing a dominant defense (15.9 points per game allowed in 2023) with an improved offensive unit to generate a CFP run.
Plenty of Intrigue Facing Texas A&M
The Irish’s Week 1 test is a doozy against a formidable opponent. There are several intriguing storylines, but none more notable than Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko vs. Notre Dame’s starting quarterback Riley Leonard. Elko, a former defensive assistant coach under Brian Kelly at Notre Dame and former defensive coordinator at Texas A&M, coached Leonard at Duke before returning to Texas A&M this year. Leonard joined the Irish through the transfer portal in the offseason. While there is a sense of familiarity between the two, both Elko and Leonard will be representing new teams on Saturday night.
Leonard, one of five Irish team captains this year, started all seven games he played in for Elko and the Blue Devils last season before suffering an ankle injury against Notre Dame. He went 95-for-165 and 1,102 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed 58 times for 352 yards and four touchdowns. Much is expected from Leonard this year with many preseason accolades. He is on the 2025 Senior Bowl Watch list, the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch list, and the Maxwell Award Watch list.
The Offensive Line is the Biggest Question Mark
Notre Dame’s offense struggled last year against top competition. The Irish will tote a rebuilt offense into College Station. And the biggest question mark for the Irish in Week 1 is the inexperience of the offensive line.
Replacing first-round NFL draft pick Joe Alt and fellow tackle Blake Fisher up front is no easy task. Charles Jagusah, who was expected to start at left tackle, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in camp. He tore his right pectoralis muscle. As a result, the Irish are looking to Tosh Baker, Aamil Wagner, and true freshman Anthonie Knapp for that spot
As of the past weekend, the line was not settled. It was expected that Pat Coogan or Rocco Spindler would get the call at right guard. Coogan was a 13-game starter for the Irish. Spindler has started 10 games and is returning from an injury suffered last year. Sophom*ore Sam Pendleton has been working with the first-team offensive line. Ashton Craig and Billy Schrauth are also expected to play a role in protection for the Irish this year. It remains to be seen whether the Irish go with veteran experience, youth, or a combination of the two up front to open the season.
Notre Dame’s Playmaking Weapons
Despite the uncertainties on the offensive line, Notre Dame’s new offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock appears to have plenty of weapons at his disposal. Lured away from LSU, Denbrock has raised expectations in South Bend.
With a dual-threat quarterback under center, the Irish have surrounded Leonard with an arsenal of playmakers. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price will shoulder the bulk of the work out of the backfield. They need to replace a lot of production from the position as Audric Estime is a Denver Bronco this year after his record-setting 2023 season. Tight end Mitchell Evans is healthy following last season’s injury. Evans played in eight games as a junior, starting seven. Despite the abbreviated season, he ended the year as the team’s top receiving target, averaging 52.8 yards per game. He caught 29 passes for 422 yards and scored one touchdown. He averaged 14.6 yards per catch.
The arrival of transfer wide receivers Kris Mitchell (FIU) and Beaux Collins (Clemson) should bolster the perimeter. Mitchell and Collins join Jaden Greathouse, Jordan Faison, and Jayden Thomas in the wide receiver room. Transfer Jayden Harrison (Marshall) is a dynamic return specialist, who can also make an impact at wide receiver. Whether Leonard can effectively operate against the Aggies’ defensive front remains a major question. The offensive line will need to provide him with adequate protection to showcase his run-pass skillset.
Golden’s Unyielding Defense
Defensive Coordinator Al Golden molded the Irish defense into one of the strongest units in the country last year. The unit ranked in the Top 10 in scoring defense (seventh), total defense (fifth), and yards allowed per play (fifth) in 2023. With five starters returning from last year, there is no reason to expect anything less this year.
Returnees are led by All-Americans Xavier Watts at safety and Howard Cross III at defensive tackle. Also returning are cornerback Benjamin Morrison, defensive tackle Rylie Mills, and linebacker Jack Kiser. Toss in transfers Rod Heard II from Northwestern and Jordan Clark from Arizona State and the unit is poised to be a force again this year.
Scouting Texas A&M
The Aggies are aiming to rebound from a disappointing 7-6 season a year ago under head coach Jimbo Fisher. Elko has made improvements to the offensive line. That move could boost their performance this season. The team also brought in three tight ends from the transfer portal, and it has speed at the skill positions.
The Aggies boast a defensive front that ranks among the best in the SEC. The addition of Purdue transfer Nic Scourton strengthened the already strong unit. He led the Big Ten in sacks a year ago. Scourton will combine with tackle Shemar Turner, who turned down the draft to return for his senior season. Freshman All-American linebacker Taurean York and transfer linebacker Scooby Williams (Florida) add punch to a stout unit. Notre Dame’s inexperienced offense, while loaded with talent, could face a significant challenge against the Texas A&M defense.
Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman returns from injury this season. Weigman started the first four games last season before suffering a season-ending injury. In last year’s season-opening win over New Mexico, Weigman completed 18 of 23 passes for 236 yards and five touchdowns. His five touchdown passes marked the most in regulation by an Aggie quarterback since Johnny Manziel in 2013. Weigman’s season was cut short when he was injured in the win over Auburn, where he completed eight of 14 passes for 70 yards in the first half. All told, he threw for 979 passing years and eight touchdowns completing just three games.
Running back Rueben Owens has likely been lost for the season with a foot injury suffered in a scrimmage a week ago. Owens earned All-SEC Freshman honors last year. Junior Le’Veon Moss is likely to step in to fill the void. That doesn’t seem to faze Weigman. “Coach Trooper (Trooper Taylor) calls the running backs room a stable for a reason,” Weigman said at an Aug. 17 press conference. “We got some horses still ready to go. I’m excited to go to work with them.”
March Toward a Title?
Although a Week 1 result won’t define Notre Dame’s season, there is significant pressure on the team to perform well in the 2024 lid lifter. A successful season hinges on many factors coming together on the field on Saturday night. After cracking the preseason Top 10 for the fifth time in six years, Notre Dame must leave the blocks in a hurry and escape College Station with a win. A victory over Texas A&M to start the season would go a long way for the Fighting Irish and their march toward a first national title since 1988.
This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.
