Lone Star Connections: Irish Players Embrace Texas A&M Matchup

The Notre Dame–Texas A&M matchup already carried plenty of weight. It’s a top-25 clash under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium. Mike Elko returns to South Bend for the first time as an opposing head coach. The national spotlight is on NBC in primetime. For most players, that’s motivation enough. But for three Irish standouts with deep Texas ties, the Aggies’ visit is personal.

Wide receiver Jaden Greathouse (Austin), running back Jadarian Price (Denison), and cornerback Leonard Moore (Round Rock) know exactly what it means to face Texas A&M. The Lone Star State produced all three, and this weekend gives them a chance to send a message against a program that has made Texas recruiting its foundation.

Greathouse, who starred at powerhouse Westlake High School, admitted this week that plenty of familiar faces will be watching closely.

“It means a lot. I have a lot of people reaching out, telling me they’re coming to the game, seeing if they can get tickets, that kind of thing. A lot of people from my hometown will be there,” Greathouse said. “It always makes games a little more exciting, but at the end of the day it’s still football and we still got a job to do, and so we’re going to get it done.”

Greathouse is expected to be one of CJ Carr’s most trusted targets even if he wasn’t targetted often against Miami. His size and sure hands make him a matchup problem for any secondary, and he’s expected to play a critical role against an Aggie defense that returns much of its experience in the back end. He also noted one area where he and the receiver room need to improve after Miami.

“I think our blocking can definitely be a lot better. And not so much getting to the point of contact but making sure that we’re finishing our blocks and straining the finish,” Greathouse explained. “Just playing fast, attacking off the line… when there’s opportunities, you got to take advantage of them. And so, that’s what we’ll do this week.”

Price, meanwhile, has his own perspective on the matchup. Beating the Aggies again — after last year’s win in College Station — would be special for him, but he stressed that the stage itself matters more than the logo.

“One last time to play at Texas A&M. But really, it’s just every time we have an opportunity to play at Notre Dame Stadium means a lot, no matter the opponent,” Price said. “Even though it’s A&M, might mean a little bit more, the fact that we’re in Notre Dame Stadium means a lot.”

Price also echoed Marcus Freeman’s theme of urgency, noting how teammates responded during the bye week.

“Every time I walk through the halls, I see guys in the film room after hours putting work in, whether it was a bye week or early on this week,” Price said. “Coach Freeman did a good job of laying the message down and all the position coaches, like we got to be urgent. There’s no shortcuts to this thing. We just got to trust the process.”

Moore, the sophomore corner who has already built a reputation as one of the top defensive backs in the country, was asked if being passed over by Texas A&M added fuel to the fire. He brushed off that narrative, saying motivation isn’t tied to scholarship offers.

“I never had a chip based off the schools that offer you. That’s just me. It’s always going to be personal whoever we play, because at the end of the day, they’re trying to come to our house and win,” Moore said.

Instead, Moore is focused on the Aggies’ speed and the challenge presented by quarterback Marcel Reed.

“Definitely the speed at receiver. They got a lot of speed inside and outside, and obviously having a quarterback who can both throw the ball 60 yards but also run,” Moore explained.

That speed will test Moore and the rest of the Irish secondary after Miami hit on several explosive plays in Notre Dame’s week one loss. Moore admitted that eye discipline and details have been the focus since.

“It goes back to eyes. Even last week. A lot of times, our eyes weren’t in the right place and that’s what ended up with the results. That’s what we got to come into this week focusing on — the little things, the eyes and keeping them right.”

Taken together, Greathouse, Price, and Moore embody a new era of Notre Dame recruiting. While the Irish have long dipped into Texas for talent, Freeman’s staff has leaned more heavily into the Lone Star State — making sure Notre Dame can pull elite athletes from traditional SEC recruiting territory. Beating Texas A&M with key contributions from Texas natives would underline that effort.

The trio won’t be alone. Notre Dame Stadium will be filled with recruits, national viewers, and a fan base eager to see how the Irish respond after the Miami loss. For Greathouse, Price, and Moore, it’s also a chance to show their friends and family back home that they made the right choice by heading north.

It may feel like a homecoming for them, but the message they gave this week was clear: sentiment only goes so far. The job remains the same.

“It’s still football and we still got a job to do,” Greathouse said.