Notre Dame football gets fantastic news about talented defensive star

The Notre Dame football team is busy preparing for a Florida State team that at this point, can only play spoiler. However, it turns out that Marcus Freeman is also planning for the 2025 season.

Coaches are always planning for the present and the future. But this isn’t about looking to go out and recruit the next big thing. This is about getting a player who would have been a force this season, back for another year.

On Monday, Freeman announced that defensive end Jordan Botelho is returning for the next season. He’ll be using an injury redshirt in order to get there.

Notre Dame football getting Jordan Botelho back in 2025

The idea of Boltelho returning for a sixth season was floated when he first went down. At the time, Freeman said they would have discussions with the defensive lineman but that it would be entirely up to him. 

In five seasons at Notre Dame, Botelho has accumulated 77 total tackles including 15.0 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. In 2024, Botelho had 12 total tackles with 1.0 tackle for loss and 1.0 sack. He led the Irish with 7 quarterback pressures and 5 quarterback hurries through three games, per Pro Football Focus. He had a pass-rush win percentage of 23.3, the highest among any Notre Dame player with double-digit pass-rush snaps logged.

Botelho’s return in 2025 will bolster a defensive end room that on paper includes Boubacar Traore (who will also return from a season-ending injury in 2024), Joshua Burnham, Bryce Young and others. It gives the Notre Dame football line more talented veterans to keep Al Golden’s dominance going.