Marcus Freeman set out to improve the depth and talent level of the Notre Dame roster when he was named head coach a little over three years ago. He emphasized recruiting from his opening presser and made it his mission to make Notre Dame bigger, stronger, and faster. Wednesday’s news of rising sophomore Kennedy Urlacher entering the transfer portal highlights the improvement in depth that Freeman has overseen since stating he would be Notre Dame’s lead recruiter in that introductory press conference.
Despite glimpses, Kennedy was buried on Notre Dame’s depth chart
Kennedy Urlacher played quite a bit for a true freshman in 2024 and impressed when he was on the field. He made his presence felt with some big hits, and it was clear to anyone who watched him that he won’t have any problem playing downhill on the collegiate level. In the 2024 season, Kennedy Urlacher appeared in 14 games for Notre Dame, primarily contributing on special teams and as a reserve safety. His season statistics were:
- Fumble Recoveries: 1
- Total Tackles: 12 (7 solo, 5 assisted)
- Tackles for Loss: 1.0
- Pass Breakups: 1
His performance included a fumble recovery against Louisville, which set up a touchdown drive. He also recorded his first tackle for loss against Virginia. Urlacher was also a consistent presence on special teams and in rotational defensive roles.
Still, Urlacher was probably fifth on the pecking order at safety for Notre Dame coming out of spring and could have been lower by the time Notre Dame opens the season in Miami. Right now, Adon Shuler is the unquestioned top safety on Notre Dame’s roster and looks primed to become a star player this fall. After Shuler, Luke Talich, and Tae Johnson had breakout springs and appeared firmly ahead of Urlacher. Notre Dame didn’t bring Virginia Tech transfer Jalen Stronman in without the intent of him having a role in 2025 either. Stroman missed the spring for Notre Dame, but should be ready for fall camp.
More talent and depth at safety in the way
Notre Dame added two more safeties to the roster in January and will add a third in June when all freshmen report. Jadon Blair and Ethan Long enrolled early, and Brandon Logan arrives in a couple of months. Blair was Notre Dame’s second-highest rated recruit in the class of 2025, and the buzz has been that he could be the next playmaking safety for the Irish. It seemed likely that at least Blair would be ahead of Urlacher before too long.
Notre Dame also looks primed to add more elite talent at the position in the class of 2026. The Irish are currently at 90.5% on the On3 predictor to land top-50 overall prospect Joey O’Brien.
None of this is to speak poorly of Urlacher, either. He showed clearly that he has the talent to contribute at this level. Urlacher’s downhill style could have been particularly useful against Navy’s option attack. It’s more to highlight that Notre Dame’s roster is in a position it hasn’t been in for a while – one where the Irish are loaded at certain positions and bound to lose some players who can be contributors and maybe even more than just contributors. Urlacher showed he can deliver big hits and make plays on special teams. It wouldn’t surprise me if he lands somewhere with a more straightforward path to playing time and becomes an impact player at some point. In today’s college football landscape, this is a reality that programs with talented rosters must deal with.
We saw Notre Dame’s embarrassment of riches along the offensive line lead to several transfers immediately following the season-ending loss in the National Championship game. Linebacker, running back, and tight end are all positions where Notre Dame might have more talented players than prominent roles available – it’s the unfortunate consequence of the talent level across the roster improving. Based on the early returns of the class of 2026, which currently ranks 3rd in the country, this could be a recurring challenge for Notre Dame as more positions see the same talent and depth upgrades.
