Notre Dame football: Christmas wish list

Merry Christmas to our Notre Dame community, family, and friends. We wish you all a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season. We also decided to give you some extra holiday reading and drop our Christmas wish list for the 2023 Notre Dame football season.

Notre Dame football wish list – Elite QB play

Every year, we see the best teams in the nation led by some of the top quarterbacks in the country. However, a group rarely makes it to the playoffs or in the top 10 without some high-level quarterback play. For instance, Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, and TCU have above-average to elite signal callers running the show. Even those left just on the outside looking in are in the same boat. LSU, USC, Alabama, Tennessee, Utah, and others have excellent quarterback play.

This Notre Dame football team needs to find a quarterback to put them over the top. With the Irish bringing in Kenny Minchey next year and CJ Carr a year from now, the room’s future is exceptionally bright. That said, finding an elite play-caller in the portal is our number one wish list item for the Irish. Will it be Sam Hartman? That’s the word floating around numerous college football circles. Things change quickly in this current college landscape, so the staff needs to keep their options open.

Notre Dame football wish list – A breakout wide receiver

In the past few years where Notre Dame has had success, they’ve had a targetable and go-to receiver to make plays down the stretch. Chase Claypool, Will Fuller, and Miles Boykin are some of the names that ring a bell. So with that, we’d love to see the next future NFL wide receiver from Notre Dame break out and lead this group to greater heights.

Multiple players could make that jump on this Notre Dame football roster. With the likeliest targets being Deion Colzie, Lorenzo Styles, and Tobias Merriweather, a freshman like Jaden Greathouse could also impress. Whoever it may be, the Irish need a guy that steps up and continuously makes big plays for this offense.

Notre Dame football wish list – Elevated linebackers group

I’d love to see a revamped and refreshed group at the linebacker spot for the Irish. With guys like Prince Kollie and Jaylen Sneed ready to show what they can do and Drayk Bowen waiting in the wings, I’d love to see the young linebackers get a chance. While Bertrand and others played well last year, some speed needed to be added to the group. With younger, more athletic guys waiting in the wings, I hope they get the chance to show what they can do.

For what it’s worth, bringing back some veterans would be massive for this team moving forward. But, again, they need to be more athletic in certain situations against specific teams, and some of the younger guys can give them that.

The Notre Dame football team is in a great place moving forward under coach Freeman. However, they need a few positions to break out to be genuine playoff contenders. If the team gets elevated play from these 3 groups next year, the playoffs could be in store for the Irish.