Should they stay or should they go? Notre Dame football vets briefed ahead of Senior Day
SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman stopped his questioner in mid-sentence Monday afternoon.
The topic was early indications ahead of Saturday's Senior Day about which key contributors might exercise the option to return for another season in 2024.
“Let’s run down every single one,” Freeman said, smiling.
Having recently expressed his hope that wideout/returner Chris Tyree might stick around, Freeman heard part of a laundry list that includes program stalwarts such as defensive backs Xavier Watts and Cam Hart; defensive linemen Howard Cross III, Rylie Mills, Nana Osafo-Mensah and Jordan Botelho; center Zeke Correll and linebackers JD Bertrand, Jack Kiser and Marist Liufau.
Then the coach issued a rhetorical request.
“Are you going to mention Joe Alt?” Freeman said jokingly. “You know something I don’t know? Alt is leaving?”
Projected as a top-10 NFL Draft pick next spring, the All-America left tackle is widely expected to skip his senior season and apply as an early entrant. Fellow junior Audric Estime, who needs 12 rushing yards against Wake Forest to reach 1,000 on the year, is another who could leave early.
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The COVID bonus year group also includes key backups such as Ramon Henderson, Clarence Lewis, Andrew Kristofic, Antonio Carter II and Devyn Ford, the latter two having transferred in last offseason. During the recent bye week, preliminary discussions were held but final decisions won’t be made until after the regular season ends at Stanford on Nov. 25.
The condensed transfer portal window opens Dec. 4.
“We had meetings with a lot of those guys you mentioned,” Freeman said. “Our job is just to give the facts. I don’t ever want them to say, ‘Well you just want us to come back for yourself, for Notre Dame.’
“No, we just give you the facts: ‘Here’s what we’ve got from NFL grades, here’s our vision if you do decide to come back, what we would do next year.’ “
The aim, Freeman said, was to “present information that we had so they can make a well-educated decision after the season.”
Thirty-one players are expected to run out for Senior Day and meet their families at midfield, regardless of whether they currently plan to return next year or not.
“They should go out for Senior Day because no decisions have been made on their part,” Freeman said. “If they don’t know if this is their last game or not, (they) should run out there on Senior Day. That doesn’t mean they don’t have the option to come back next year.”
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football and is on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Talks continue for Notre Dame football veterans, coach Marcus Freeman
