Marcus Freeman watched Notre Dame's annual jersey scrimmage on Saturday morning inside the Irish Athletics Center, a spring practice that felt less like a tuneup and more like a sorting test for the Irish. The coach, entering his sixth season with a 43-12 record, saw some players push for bigger roles while others stayed sidelined.
The workout did not end spring practice. Notre Dame still has the Blue-Gold Game next weekend, but this session carried the feel of moving day for players trying to climb the depth chart. Freeman set the tone with a short message: “TGS!”
Notre Dame spent about a half hour on positional work and special teams before moving into an hour-plus scrimmage. New kicker Spencer Porath showed up early, making field goals from 30, 47 and 38 yards. Punter Jasper Scaife, the latest Australian import to reach South Bend, continued to settle in as Marty Biagi said he is further along in understanding the game than James Rendell was at the same point.
The offense also had to keep adjusting. Jaden Greathouse was limited by a balky hamstring and worked at the back of the receiver group, then was ruled out of Saturday's scrimmage and is probably not going to play next weekend. Quarterback Blake Hebert, who tweaked his knee in practice last week, did not take part, which gave freshman Noah Grubbs more reps. Freshman safety Joey O'Brien also got his first real look in drills on Saturday morning.
There were a few other signs of the roster's physical wear and tear. Linebacker Madden Faraimo was out of the red jersey and in white, though he did not take full contact. Nickel Dallas Golden was out entirely because of a back injury. On one drill, defensive lineman Bryce Young looked nimble while running around a hula hoop, a small but useful reminder of the athleticism Notre Dame thinks it has up front.
Greathouse also joined Aneyas Williams and Mylan Graham on punt-return work, another hint at how Notre Dame is trying to find reliable options before the spring schedule wraps. That is the larger meaning of the morning: this was not just another practice, but a test of how much depth the Irish can trust as Freeman's fifth team keeps building toward the fall. The problems are real. So is the potential.
