"Going to come down to the quarterback": Analyst breaks down national championship potential of Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame for 2025

College football analyst Ralph Russo has shared his thoughts on the future of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Coach Marcus Freeman led the team to a 14-2 record and the College Football Playoff National Championship game against Ohio State Buckeyes on Jan. 20.

After their 34-23 loss to Ohio State, Notre Dame hopes to compete for a national title next year. Freeman's roster has lost several key players from last season. One notable departure is starting quarterback Riley Leonard, who will enter the 2025 NFL Draft. Leonard finished his final year with the team, completing 269 passes for 2,861 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Notre Dame quarterback Steve Angeli will return for his senior year to potentially assume the starting role. As Leonard's backup, he completed 24 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Freeman could also decide to let four-star quarterback prospect CJ Carr be the new starter for the team.

On Friday's episode of the Andy & Ari podcast, Russo discussed how the program's quarterback situation will determine whether Notre Dame can make the College Football Playoff next season. He also added that the Fighting Irish still have players returning who can help their chances of playing in the postseason.

However, he isn't sure if they will be in the College Football Playoff title game.

"A lot is going to depend on how the quarterback plays and if CJ Carr is the guy or if Steve Angeli is the guy. So, from a very micro angle, I think they're going to have a fair amount of talent coming back on defense, their offensive line should be amazing, and it's probably going to come down to the quarterback," Russo said (2:30 onwards).

"So, which makes me think that Notre Dame is clearly in position to be a consistent playoff team. Whether they can get back to the national championship game and then maybe take it one step further, I think is a global discussion about the state of the sport."

Key players returning to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the 2025 season

The Fighting Irish may have lost members of the roster to the 2025 NFL draft, but they also have key players on offense returning for the upcoming season. One of the stars that may have a significant role in the team's offense is running back Jeremiyah Love. He led the Fighting Irish in rushing yards with 163 carries for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Wide receiver Jaden Greathouse is another player who could be crucial to the program's chances of reaching the playoffs. Last season, he had 42 receptions for 592 yards and four touchdowns. Greathouse may help Angeli or Carr adjust to the starting role, while Love could take the pressure off the quarterback by running the football.

Notre Dame also got wide receiver Malachi Fields from the transfer portal to commit to the program for the 2025 season. He led the Virginia Cavaliers in receiving yards last year with 55 receptions for 808 yards and five touchdowns.

Freeman's offense has the potential to help the team be a strong contender for another spot in next year's championship game. On Aug. 31, they'll kick off the upcoming season in a matchup against the Miami Hurricanes.