Notre dame 2025 schedule highlighted by 3 primetime games
Notre Dame Football announced the game times and broadcast information for its 2025 home slate, including three primetime matchups against Texas A&M, USC and Navy. The Irish will host seven opponents in Notre Dame Stadium in 2025. Six of those contests will be broadcast on NBC (simulstreamed on Peacock), while the Oct. 11 game vs. NC State will be broadcast exclusively on Peacock. For the first time, Notre Dame will 2025 will host three night games since 2018.
Notre Dame’s home opener will bring Texas A&M to Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 13, after opening the 2024 season in Kyle Field. The Fighting Irish defeated the Aggies’ 23-13 in that matchup with 10 unanswered points late in the fourth quarter to seal an impressive victory.
Notre Dame will remain at home the next week to face rival Purdue at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The 2024 matchup saw an angry Fighting Irish team, on the heels of their only regular season loss to Northern Illinois, travel to West Lafayette and deliver a pummeling to the Boilermakers with a 66-7 Irish victory. They will face them in game 3 in consecutive years for the first time in the battle for the Shillelagh Trophy.
On Oct. 4, the Irish will return home for a three-game stint in South Bend, beginning with another first-time opponent, Boise State, who is coming off a CFP AQ bye and loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The Irish will face NC State in Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 11 at 3:30 p.m., broadcast exclusively on Peacock. It marks the fifth Notre Dame game that will be streamed exclusively on Peacock.
Notre Dame will then host USC in the annual Jeweled Shillelagh rivalry game, this season occurring on Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The 2024 matchup saw a weary Fighting Irish team hold off a valiant effort from the Trojans with two interceptions returned for touchdowns in the fourth quarter by Christian Gray and Xavier Watts to seal the victory and a berth in the CFP. The matchup will mark the 96th meeting between Notre Dame and USC. The Irish are 7-2 over the Trojans in the last nine meetings.
On Nov. 8, Notre Dame will come back home for the annual matchup with Navy. This installment of the famed rivalry will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. It will mark the first time Notre Dame and Navy have met in a night game at Notre Dame Stadium. The Midshipmen entered the 2024 matchup undefeated with a high flying offense, but struggled to hold on to the football against Notre Dame’s defense that collected 6 turnovers in a 51-14 victory
The 2025 Notre Dame home slate will conclude with a 3:30 p.m. matchup vs. Syracuse on Senior Day, broadcast on NBC.
Notre dame-clemson rivalry heats up with 12-game series
Two storied programs with national success and a history of memorable matchups, Notre Dame and Clemson, have agreed to a 12-game home-and-home contract to meet on the gridiron each season between 2027 and 2038. The two schools were already scheduled to meet in 2027 (at Clemson), 2028 (at Notre Dame), 2031 (at Clemson), 2034 (at Notre Dame) and 2037 (at Clemson) per the ACC’s schedule contract with Notre Dame. The agreement marks Notre Dame’s first new series of at least 12 games the program has started since 2002.
“We strive to consistently create a football schedule that positions us for success in the College Football Playoff, and that goal requires us to form historic partnerships like this one with Clemson,” said Notre Dame Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua. “This rivalry has already produced some of the most memorable moments in recent college football history, and our fans deserve these matchups to continue to make those indelible memories.”
The two programs have met on eight prior occasions, including twice in the postseason. One of these postseason meetings was the 2020 ACC Championship, the only time Notre Dame Football has played in a conference.
The all-time series has a 5-3 Clemson record. At least one of the teams has been ranked in the top 15 in the nation entering all eight previous meetings, and five times both teams have been ranked entering the game, including three meetings of top five teams between 2018-20. The two schools have met four times in the regular season since 2015. The schools are 2-2 in those meetings with the home team winning each.
Notre Dame and Clemson have developed a bit of a football rivalry over the last decade, and that rivalry just jumped up as the Fighting Irish and Tigers announced a new 12-year scheduling agreement.
According to ESPN, the deal will start in 2027 and go through the 2038 season. There were already four games scheduled during this period, but now the budding rivalry becomes an annual occurrence.
The series could be of great benefit to the ACC as it transitions into an era where teams get rewarded with more money for higher TV ratings. This would also help Clemson, who has been in talks with the ACC to receive a greater share of revenue as the premier program in the conference. Playing Notre Dame on an annual basis gives the Tigers more leverage in those conversations. The Irish will gain another rivalry that over time could morph into what other rivalries like Michigan, Miami, and USC have been. USC head coach Lincoln Riley has hinted at ending the ND-USC rivalry in an effort to lessen the Trojans’ strength of schedule with nine conference games in the Big Ten.
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips says the extra Clemson games not previously scheduled will not count towards Notre Dame's five-game commitment to the ACC.
Take 2036, for example: Notre Dame had Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Florida State., Pitt and North Carolina rotating in as its ACC opponents. The year 2036 may be a lifetime away in college football the way things have changed recently, but it would see Notre Dame face those teams in addition to Clemson on the schedule.
mitchell evans goes in 5th round to panthers
Notre Dame continues to live up to it’s moniker as “Tight End U” with the selection of Mitchell Evans in the NFL Draft, Evans was selected in the fifth round with the 163rd overall pick by the Carolina Panthers. Evans is the fifth Notre Dame player all-time to be drafted to Carolina and the first since Tommy Tremble in 2021. Tremble is currently a team captain and should help Evans transition to the NFL culture upon arrival.
Evans now gives Notre Dame five tight ends selected in the draft over the past seven years, and an impressive streak of the primary tight end for the Fighting Irish being drafted going all the way back to Fighting Irish standout Anthony Fasano in 2004.
Evans had a breakout season in 2023 before being sidelined with an injury. He played in eight games as a junior, starting seven, and ended the season as the team’s top receiving target, averaging 52.8 yards per game. Through those eight games, Evans totaled 29 receptions for 422 yards and a touchdown during the season, averaging 14.6 yards per catch.
Evans battled injuries in the 2024 off-season, and worked to get back to form during the season upon returning. He was a semifinalist for the 2024 John Mackey Award, recognizing the top tight end in college football. Evans eventually became a prime target for QB Riley Leonard with 43 receptions for 421 yards and three touchdowns.
Carolina Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales lauded rookie tight end Mitchell Evans as a versatile and well-rounded player who fits well within the team's offensive scheme during the Panthers’ press conference recapping their draft. Canales highlighted Evans's smooth route running, blocking ability, and reliability as a target, emphasizing his potential to contribute early in his career. The Panthers also acknowledge that Evans's versatility, both as a blocker and receiver, makes him a valuable asset,
Seahawks select riley mills in 5th round
Defensive lineman Rylie Mills was selected in the fifth round with the 142nd overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. Mills is the 11th Notre Dame player all-time to be drafted to Seattle and the first since 2016 C.J. Prosise in 2016. He joins former Irish safety Julian Love on the Seahawks roster.
Mills will continue to rehab his injured knee, but the similarity to the Fighting Irish scheme should make for a smooth transition to the Seahawks' defensive scheme. He is expected to learn from veteran players like Leonard Williams and is expected to return by the end of the 2025 NFL season if all goes well with rehab.
He was an undeniable force on an Irish defense that finished the season first in pass efficiency defense (104.4), first in turnovers gained (33), first in defensive touchdowns (6), first in blocked kicks (6), second in fumbles recovered (14), second in blocked punts (3), fourth in passing yards allowed (169.4), fourth in scoring defense (15.5), fifth in passes intercepted (19) and 11th in total defense (307.4).
Mills importance was evident in the CFP matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers when he dominated for two and a half quarters before suffering a season-ending injury while collecting a sack early in the third quarter of Notre Dame’s 27-17 victory. The Fighting Irish advanced to the national championship game, but their inability to consistently stop the run game against Penn State in the Orange Bowl and Ohio State in the CFP national championship game highlighted Mills’ absence as a leader and force in the middle of the defensive line.
Mills ranked tied for ninth all-time in career sacks in Notre Dame records with 17.0 on his career. He was the 14th Notre Dame player to record 15 or more sacks in his career. He was named a second-team All-American in 2024 by The Sporting News and ESPN.
In 2024, Mills played in 13 games and totaled 7.5 sacks and 8.5 TFL, with 37 tackles total. His season highlight came in the win vs. Florida State, when he posted three sacks, two coming on back-to-back plays. Mills was twice named to The Athletic’s “Freaks List” in 2023 and 2024.
Jack Kiser Selected in fourth round by jaguars
Notre Dame team captain Jack Kiser has been selected in the fourth round with the 107th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday. Kiser is the sixth Notre Dame player all-time to be drafted to Jacksonville and the first since Sheldon Day in 2016. He joins former Irish OL Robert Hainsey on the Jaguars roster.
Kiser completed his sixth season playing for the Irish in 2024 and led the team to wins in the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl, as well as a National Championship appearance. He holds the record for most games ever played at Notre Dame with 70 games played. Former Notre Dame QB Malik Zaire is amazed with what the defensive leader has accomplished and talked about it on Lucky Lefty Podcast.
“This will never be done again,” Zaire shared. “Seventy games is crazy. It just shows how committed he is to being the best version of himself and how he puts the program and team before everything. That record is going to stand forever. No one is going to eclipse that.”
Kiser notched 275 career tackles, 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, four interceptions (two pick-sixes), 11 passes defended, six forced fumbles and a blocked kick over his career.
He was the leader of a dominant Notre Dame defense this past with 90 tackles and comes on the tails of his 65 tackles in the 2023 season placed him third among Irish defenders and his 58 tackles in 2022 ranked him second on the team. He has been a model of consistency for a Notre Dame defense that peaked as one of the best defenses against the pass ranking fourth in passing yards allowed (169.4), fourth in scoring defense (15.5), fifth in passes intercepted (19) and 11th in total defense (307.4).
Kiser led and participated in several community-facing initiatives during his time at Notre Dame. He twice served as the player committee chairman for the program’s Cleats For a Cause initiative, and he served as the Fighting Irish Fight for Life football team lead for the past three years. Additionally, Kiser worked with local low-income families to perform tax returns this past spring on a weekly basis leading up to Tax Day. He has also made an impact in his home community, as he visited his former youth football team to surprise local kids from his area, spend time with the team, and give them tickets to a Notre Dame Football game.
Xavier Watts Selected in 2nd round of nfl draft by falcons
Xavier Watts was selected in the third round with the 96th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. The 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner and team captain joins former Irish players JD Bertrand and Khalid Kareem in tlanta, and he is the second player drafted in two years by the Falcons (Bertrand). Watts is the 13th Notre Dame player all-time to be drafted by Atlanta.
This gives Notre Dame two players drafted in the top 100 picks of the NFL Draft, and makes them one of two teams to have two defensive backs selected in the top 100 along with Texas. The last time the Fighting Irish had the same success was in 1994 with Jeff Burris and Willie Clark.
Watts did nothing to dispel his 2nd round projection at Notre Dame's Pro Day. He participated in three events and cemented his status as a Day 2 pick. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds.
The talented safety is one of the most decorated Notre Dame football players in program history, Watts won the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy recognizing the best defensive player in college football, and is a two-time consensus All-American.
Over his career, Watts totaled 13 interceptions, the most by a Notre Dame player since 1996. His 13 interceptions over the last two seasons were the most by any FBS player during that span; the next closest players had nine.
Watts started his 33rd consecutive game at the CFP National Championship, the second-most for an Irish safety in program history (Jalen Elliott, 39 from 2017-19) and the 11th-most for any defensive player in Notre Dame history.He ranked ninth among active FBS players in consecutive starts in the secondary with 33.
Benjamin Morrison selected in 2nd round of nfl draft by bucs
Benjamin Morrison was selected in the second round with the 53rd overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday. The first Notre Dame player selected in the 2025 Draft, Morrison becomes the highest Irish defensive back selected in the NFL Draft since Kyle Hamilton (2022). Morrison was surrounded by Fighting Irish teammates Karson Hobbs, Christian Gray, and Adon Shuler as he received the phone call from the Buccaneers.
A 2024 team captain, Morrison led the Irish with six interceptions in 2022, earning consensus Freshman All-America honors. Morrison added three more interceptions to his career total in the 2023 season and owns the second-most for a Notre Dame player since 1996, behind teammate Xavier Watts.
Before his senior season was abruptly ended due to injury, Morrison amassed four pass breakups and 20 tackles in just six games. He continued to serve as a leader on defense for the Irish as they made their run to the CFP National Title game, as Notre Dame’s defense finished the season first in pass efficiency defense (104.4), first in turnovers gained (33), first in defensive touchdowns (6), first in blocked kicks (6), second in fumbles recovered (14), second in blocked punts (3), fourth in passing yards allowed (169.4), fourth in scoring defense (15.5), fifth in passes intercepted (19) and 11th in total defense (307.4).
Morrison was not an on-field participant at the NFL Combine, but held a private workout attended by 29 NFL teams at Brophy Prep (AZ), where he starred in high school. He had more than enough college film to warrant a first-round grade, but the inability to workout at the combine and some injury concerns more than likely led to a slight drop in the draft.
‘27 qb trae taylor is okay with notre dame’s process
Notre Dame’s plan for quarterbacks in the 2027 class has been
mysterious to say the least, especially when “Pot of Gold” offers
concluded on March 17 th without zero offers being extended to signal
callers. Several of those highly ranked signal callers would be visiting
South Bend in the days to come, and one of those highly ranked
prospects was four-star 6-3 195-pound quarterback Trae Taylor of
Mundelein (Ill.) Carmel Catholic. When Taylor released his top five
schools in mid-February, the Fighting Irish were notably absent from the
list and there is a simple explanation as to why they were excluded.
“They were very understanding of why I didn’t have ND in the top 5,”
Taylor told LLM. “I can’t put a school in who hasn’t offered.
But best believe if I'm not committed, I’ll keep doing my due diligence
with other schools.”
Taylor and his father arrived in South Bend this past Friday with clear
plans. They were intent on viewing the practice to see how the offense
looked being led by the current quarterbacks amid a highly contested
battle, having a conversation with head coach Marcus Freeman and
Gino Guidugli, and assurances of an open line of communication. His
checklist was accomplished during the visit, and he couldn’t be more
pleased with the results.
“The practice was really good and fast,” Taylor elaborated. “I can see the
changes being made for the quarterbacks in that room now. I see myself
in the offense and it fits me. Coach (Mike) Denbrock told me let’s do
Jayden Daniels’ things together.
“Had a good talk with Coach Freeman,” Taylor continued. “He just said
I’m a priority and the process for quarterbacks is different, and that I
need to be somewhere where the coach has my back. We also talked
about what comes with being a Notre Dame quarterback.”
2027 QB Trae Taylor and Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman
Those conversations also yielded when an offer may be forthcoming,
and the smooth passer isn’t bothered one bit by the direction the
Fighting Irish have chosen.
“Sounds like no quarterbacks will be offered until May,” Taylor stated.
Coach Guidugli will go out and watch the quarterbacks throw at the end
of April, and then the offers will go out. They said I’ll be their first stop on
the way out.
“My commitment date is still June 6 th ,” Taylor continued. “So many have
asked me if I’m turned off by not having the offer. The answer is NO. As
long as the communication is there and the relationship is building, I’m
good. If the offer comes, then great. If not, I’ve built relationships with
some great people. Who knows where our paths may cross again.”
The Fighting Irish staff is not bruised because of Taylor’s top 5 schools.
They respect how Taylor has handled his recruitment, and the visit
seems to have intensified things on both sides moving forward. Taylor is
looking forward to the rest of the process and deciding on his school.
“I’ll be ready when they come to see me,” Taylor shared. “All the
coaches said they loved how I handled my recruitment, and they
appreciated it. They loved how I’m moving forward, not waiting but being
flexible.
“I started going to game day visits in 5 th grade,” Taylor continued. “I
started going to college camps in 6 th and my first offer was in 7 th . I’ve
been doing this for a long time, so I know what i want from a school and
program. That’s why I went back to Notre Dame. They offer what I want
on and off the field. I can’t believe it’s all about to be over. Once I
commit, I’m done unless the staff leaves.”
SHAUN M. DAVIS
Lucky Lefty Media