Notre Dame football becoming a linebacker factory
By Brad Weiss
![GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on before the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on before the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/fc99a66d2cfcbd3592ba9d72cb5c497a9719162385c858f91580ac420134390b.jpg)
Notre Dame football becoming a linebacker factory
2023 season and class
On Friday, the Irish got a commitment from Preston Zinter, a four-star linebacker from Massachusetts, and they already have a hard commitment from Drayk Bowen, a five-star talent who is considered the second-best linebacker in the 2023 class. That is some serious talent coming to South Bend in 2023, and based on the nine players the program has gotten commitments from already, the Irish have the No. 1 class in the country.
In 2023, most of the vets will be gone, and by then, Sneed and Burnham will have established themselves as starters, and Kollie should be a big-time contributor by then as well. The 2022 linebackers are all going to play big roles for Freeman and will pave the way for the linebackers coming in via the 2023 class.
The truth is, this is a position group that is going to be elite for years to come, and it will be interesting to see how many NFL linebackers Freeman can produce at the helm of this program. The defense is going to be elite in 2022 and beyond, and as long as Freeman is in South Bend, you can expect the incoming classes to remain elite.