Since the Marcus Freeman era began in 2021, Notre Dame has been renowned for having one of college football’s strongest defences. However, after the first five games of the 2024 season, Freeman will lose one of his most promising recruits on that side of the ball.
After 18 ineffective games to start his NCAA career, former top recruit Tyson Ford revealed his desire to transfer on Instagram. The Saint Louis native will have three years of eligibility left.
Ford, who appeared in only one game and made one tackle as a freshman in 2023, basically opted out of the 2024 season and was not included on Notre Dame’s official roster. The defensive end was absent from the squad during spring training in 2024 for “personal reasons,” according to the South Bend Tribune. By the end of the summer, Ford had joined colleague Aiden Gobaira as medical non-counters.
Ford, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 245 pounds, is a four-star prospect according to ESPN and 247Sports. He was regarded as the second-best recruit out of Missouri, trailing only current Buffalo Bills receiver Keon Coleman.
At the time of his announcement, Ford did not specify which institution he was leaning towards from the gateway. The John Burroughs School alum revealed that he will graduate from Notre Dame in May and plans to enrol as a graduate student at his next destination.
Notre Dame football carries 4-1 start into its bye week
While the season has not started as expected, Notre Dame will enter its bye week with a respectable 4-1 record, including a signature Week 5 win over Louisville. The victory was the team’s second over a ranked opponent after defeating Texas A&M in Week 1, but the story of the season so far has been their upset loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2.
Since their Week 2 blunder, the Fighting Irish have outscored their last three opponents 125-34. The squad rebounded from its loss by defeating Purdue 66-7 on the road.
After five games, wins over Texas A&M and Louisville appear to have countered the defeat to Northern Illinois, as Notre Dame enters Week 6 ranked No. 14 in the AP poll, where it started the season. Following their bye week, Freeman’s team will return to South Bend to face the Stanford Cardinal, who are 2-2 on the season. As things stand, the Irish will not face another ranked team until the end of the season, when they travel to face rival USC.
