Notre Dame football's new faces bond ahead of 2024 season and fall camp

Notre Dame football builds team chemistry with bonding trip ahead of 2024 season, integrating new faces like Beaux Collins and Riley Leonard.
 at Irish Athletic Complex on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in South Bend.
at Irish Athletic Complex on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA
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As the Notre Dame football team prepares for the 2024 season and fall camp, one thing is clear. There’s going to be some very new faces, especially on the offense. Quite a few of those new faces are also going to be new to each other because they had to sit out spring practice for one reason or another. 

For Beaux Collins, it was all about getting his grades in order so he could actually come over from Clemson and play for the Fighting Irish. For Riley Leonard, it was about healing from his injury.

Regardless of the reasons that brought them together, there are several members of the Notre Dame football team who are in the process of building stronger relationships. This was the driving force behind a group of Irish players embarking on a bonding trip to Riley Leonard’s hometown. Their efforts to connect with each other make us feel a part of their journey.

Notre Dame football players bond ahead of fall camp

“That was something really special,” Leonard explained to Irish Breakdown. “I wasn’t able to participate in the winter and spring due to injuries. My biggest concern this summer was getting to know the guys on the field. I think I did a really good job of building relationships with those guys off the field. I was like, ‘Shoot, we need to train together. We had three weeks off, so I brought them down to Alabama with me and we were able to train with Philip Rivers.”

“It was awesome,” Beaux Collins stated. “It was one of the best trips I’ve ever had in my life. We just went down there and had fun. We talked a lot of ball with Philip Rivers. He gave us pointers on watching film, being better teammates with each other and things like that. It was just a great trip.”

In all, Leonard invited receivers Beaux Collins, Deion Colzie, Jaden Greathouse, Jayden Harrison, Kris Mitchell and Jayden Thomas, along with quarterbacks CJ Carr and Deuce Knight to his hometown to train for a week. 

It appears that the comments from everyone involved, that things went extremely well. It was the kind of bonding the Notre Dame football team needed. The kind of bonding that can only make the team better as the season moves closer.