Leaders Built for This Moment: Freeman Challenges Captains After 0–2 Start

Notre Dame has been here before under Marcus Freeman. Two years ago, the Irish stumbled to an 0–2 start before righting the season. Now, after a pair of one-score losses to open 2025, the Irish are once again searching for answers. This time, Freeman is placing the responsibility squarely on leadership.

“This is the time that leadership shows,” Freeman said Monday. “If you’re a leader, you’re built for this moment. You know it’s not always great. And leadership really reveals itself in difficult times.”

The Irish don’t lack for talent. They have playmakers on both sides of the ball, a quarterback with star potential in CJ Carr, and a roster that was expected to contend again this fall. But what they lack is consistency, and Freeman is looking to his veterans and captains to demand it every day.

Accountability Over Excuses

One theme that stood out from Freeman’s press conference was accountability. Running back Jeremiyah Love embodied that after the loss to Texas A&M, telling reporters that everyone needed to point the finger at themselves. Freeman praised that mindset, contrasting it with the tendency to pass blame.

“Great coaches don’t pass blame. They don’t say it’s the players’ fault. They look at themselves and say, ‘How can I find a way to fix this?’ Well, I think great players do the same thing,” Freeman said. “They say, ‘What can I do to help this team improve?’ And great teams do that.”

It’s a message Freeman clearly wants echoed in the locker room. Instead of finger-pointing, Notre Dame’s leaders must drive the accountability culture forward.

Demanding Higher Standards

Freeman admitted that part of Notre Dame’s inconsistency stems from tolerating mistakes in practice that eventually show up on Saturdays. A missed assignment here, an incorrect alignment there — things brushed aside during the week have turned into explosive plays in games.

“What are we willing to tolerate?” Freeman asked. “If a guy had a mental error on a play, you can make yourself feel better and say, ‘That’s his fault, we did it right one time in practice.’ Or you can say, did we do it enough till we couldn’t get it wrong?”

That, Freeman believes, is where leadership must take hold. It’s not just about coaches demanding precision — it’s about captains and veterans refusing to let teammates slide.

Leadership in the Locker Room and Beyond

The Irish have leaders with experience in high-pressure moments. Many of this year’s veterans were part of last season’s playoff run, where Notre Dame had to treat every week like win-or-go-home football. Freeman made it clear that experience is valuable, but it has to translate into leadership now.

He’s seen encouraging signs. “I haven’t seen all of them, but I’ve seen enough, especially the leaders, that they’re as hungry and as eager to get back to work as anybody,” Freeman said. “I’m as confident in this group of young people and this group of coaches as I was before week one.”

For Freeman, that’s the difference between a season spiraling and a season stabilizing. Leadership can turn frustration into focus, and disappointment into growth.

Coaches Under the Microscope Too

Freeman hasn’t absolved himself or his staff, either. He’s challenged his assistants to elevate alongside the players. “I got to demand that everything we’ve set as our standards are met,” Freeman said. “If I need to be involved in a certain area, I will and I am.”

That willingness to self-evaluate ties directly into the culture Freeman is pushing. Leaders don’t just demand accountability from others — they demand it from themselves.

Why Leadership Matters Now

Notre Dame can’t afford to let frustration compound. With Purdue up next, the Irish have a chance to stop the bleeding, but the Boilermakers won’t roll over. Freeman praised Barry Odom’s team for playing hard, confident football. For an Irish team sitting at 0–2, leadership may be the difference between finding a way to close a game or letting another opportunity slip away.

The Irish aren’t out of the race for a New Year’s Six bowl or even a playoff run. But they are out of wiggle room. The only path forward is one where leaders demand more — in meetings, in practice, and in every snap on Saturdays.

As Freeman put it, “Leadership really reveals itself in difficult times.” Notre Dame is living through that reality now. The question is whether its leaders can rise to the challenge and steer the ship back on course.