New talent shines, turning heads in Notre Dame's jersey scrimmage. Fresh faces dominate the field, proving their immediate impact.
This past weekend, Notre Dame had their jersey scrimmage where players on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball were making plays. Amongst them were the usual suspects; quarterback CJ Carr made some great throws, defensive end Boubacar Traore was an effect pass rusher, receiver Jordan Faison was making plays and star cornerback Leonard Moore was tough to throw against.
But the veterans on this team weren't the only players who impressed during Saturday's jersey scrimmage. There were a handful of newcomers between the incoming freshman class and the portal players who had themselves a solid day and head coach Marcus Freeman took notice. Two of the players who had a great day was Oregon defensive tackle transfer Tionne Gray and Pitt defensive tackle transfer Francis Brewu.
"We've brought in some massive human beings at those positions but they play big too," Freeman explained. "They're not big guys that play soft; they play big, and they're physical. Francis was out for a couple of practice with a bicep strain, but it was good to see him back. Tionne, he's a big human being. I watched one play that he made, and it was a great double team, and he just spit it. They're going really, really well. I'm glad we have them and they're making us better."
Brewu and Gray weren't the only transfers that turned some heads Saturday morning. Ohio State wide receiver transfer Mylan Graham was making plays with the receiving corps. Graham has always been a talented individual, but the question with him was coming over to Notre Dame and making that transition. Freeman has been pleased with how the Fort Wayne native has looked on and off the field this spring.
"He's talented," Freeman stated. "He's been able to play inside and outside for us. You have to mentally be able to handle that took and he's done a really good job. His transition into Notre Dame has been really good as well. There's a balance you have to have in time management when you're here. He's done a really good job at handling everything that's been thrown at him. He's doing that and playing football at a high level. He's being consistent and he's handling the bad plays like he's handling the good plays."
The portal players aren't the only ones who impressed the fifth-year head coach during Saturday's scrimmage. The 2026 recruiting class, which ranked No. 1 in the country per On3, had some standouts and it starts with their early-enrollee quarterback who is taking advantage of his opportunities with the team this spring and his head coach is taking notice.
"Those live reps are invaluable," Freeman explained. "Noah has been getting most of the third team reps. He's gotten a few reps with the second team over the past couple of days with Blake Hebert being out and it's been a good opportunity for Noah. He got a tremendous amount of reps today because he took the reps with both the second and the third team. You always have opportunities to grow, but they don't get exposed until you get out there and go against really good competition. I loved the way he performed and he continued to battle today. He's getting a lot better."
Freshman receiver Devin Fitzgerald also had a strong showing during Saturday's jersey scrimmage. Fitzgerald started to turn heads when a one-handed snag from practice was posted on Notre Dame's social media pages. This past weekend, he followed up that performance with a strong showing in the jersey scrimmage. Freeman believes he can be a playmaker for the Fighting Irish offense.
"You have to master the opportunities that you get," Freeman shared. "I don't care if it's against the third team, second team or first team. When you master what you have right in front of you, you'll get more. He made some big plays today and he'll continue to be put in elevated positions to continue to show what he can do against better competition. He had a good spring, he's made big plays like that throughout the spring and today didn't surprise me. He'll continue to get better and he's getting better, but he's doing a really good job."
This roster is loaded with exceptional talent, but unlike other years, there's players waiting in the wings that have comparable talent levels to those in the starting lineup. This team has a ways to go before they're ready to compete in the post season or for a national title, but the work they've put in this spring has been really promising. With young talent like that in the depths of the roster, the level of competition is high every single day and all players will benefit from the work this offseason.
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