Joel Klatt compares Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame to 2023’s Washington Huskies ahead of 2024 CFB season

Joel Klatt is one of the most respected voices in college football. Klatt is currently an analyst for Fox Sports and a podcast host. Speaking ahead of the 2024 college football season, Klatt made a rather interesting comparison between this year's Notre Dame Fighting Irish squad and last season's National Football Championship-reaching Washington Huskies team.

On The Joel Klatt Show, he said:

"Notre Dame will have a dominant defense. You know that's going to happen under Marcus Freeman. But on that side of the ball, they returned numerous star players, such as the Bronko Nagurski Award winner from 2023, Xavier Watts. ..."

Klatt continued:

"Then they get a solid offensive coordinator in Mike Denbrock, so he returns to Notre Dame after going with Brian Kelly to LSU. And now you are looking at this, and you are like Riley Leonard with his experience. ... Watch out for Notre Dame. I know people might roll their eyes. Ooh, Notre Dame, they are always super hyped. They feel a lot like Washington from last year."

What to expect from Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2024?

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had an impressive 2023 season. The program posted a 9-3 regular season record and ended the year with a Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl victory over the Oregon State Beavers.

Marcus Freeman's squad is expected to post similar numbers in 2024 and potentially fight for a college playoff spot. However, the Fighting Irish must do better against ranked opponents if they aim for further success in the upcoming CFB season. They went 2-3 against ranked teams, an impressive stat line for a program looking to ascend the CFB rankings.

Can Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish eclipse the 2023 Washington Huskies?

The 2023 Washington Huskies were phenomenal, making it to the National Championship game, where they lost narrowly to the Michigan Wolverines. The Huskies had a stacked squad, including ten players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, led by quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide receiver Rome Odunze.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have their own elite QB-WR duo, Riley Leonard and Kris Mitchell. It'll be interesting to see whether Marcus Freeman's 2024 side can eclipse Kalen DeBoer's 2023 squad.