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Notre Dame football: Examining the rise of Marcus Freeman

By Brad Weiss

CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 03: Defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman of the Cincinnati Bearcats looks on from the sideline during a game against the South Florida Bulls at Nippert Stadium on October 3, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati won 28-7. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 03: Defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman of the Cincinnati Bearcats looks on from the sideline during a game against the South Florida Bulls at Nippert Stadium on October 3, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati won 28-7. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame football
Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame football /

What are the expectations for him as DC of Notre Dame football?

Freeman was already a sought-after coach last offseason, getting offers from the likes of Michigan State to be their defensive coordinator, and even the Tennessee Titans to coach the linebackers. However, he stayed true to Cincinnati, deciding to see how far the group he grew on defense could go in the 2020 season.

The Bearcats were outstanding on defense this past season, helping the team to a 9-0 regular season, and a tough loss in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia. Cincinnati allowed only 24 points in the game against a good Bulldogs team, with Georgia scoring only two touchdowns.

This offseason, Notre Dame had to beat out LSU for Freeman’s services, as it looked like he would be signing to coach down in the Bayou. He inherits a defense that will need new faces to step up in 2021 and will lean on the likes of Kyle Hamilton, Drew White, and Isaiah Foskey to help the younger players along.

Next. Notre Dame Football: Top-5 offensive players returning in 2021. dark

This is a roster that lost a lot of talent, and we got to see some of those guys on display this past week at the Senior Bowl, as Daelin Hayes and Ade Ogundeji really impressed. Freeman is the kind of coach who is going to get the best out of his players at all times, and with how good a recruiter he is, you can expect elite prospects to land in South Bend as well.

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