Notre Dame’s 70–7 demolition of Syracuse will be remembered for the historic scoring outburst, but lost in the mix is that it all started with a transfer player who had been relegated to mop-up duty emerging with two massive plays after being thrust into the starting lineup. Jalen Stroman’s pick-6 and blocked punt within the first few minutes of the game set the tone for the ensuing beatdown
The Irish entered the game already dealing with a difficult setback. Rising star safety Tae Johnson, one of the most consistent players on the defense, suffered a practice injury earlier in the week while punching the ball out — the exact kind of hustle play the staff teaches daily. The result left Notre Dame without a key piece on the back end and uncertain about how long he would be sidelined.
Marcus Freeman didn’t hide the impact. Johnson, he said, is expected to miss a minimum of one game and a maximum of two, with a possible return for Stanford, although a postseason return seems more prudent. Even in a deep safety room, that kind of loss can disrupt communication, rotations, and the overall defensive rhythm. But it also opened a door. And Freeman let Stroman, the Virginia Tech transfer, know before the game that his moment had arrived.
“Here you go, Stro — this is why you work,” Freeman told him.
That message wasn’t just about filling a spot. It was about rewarding the habits Stroman has shown every day this season: no complaints, no excuses, no public frustration, just relentless effort behind the scenes. As Freeman put it, “He just works. He just works. He just works.”
On Saturday, Stroman finally got the chance to show what all that work looks like under the lights. Stroman saw more playing time early in the season before Johnson forced his way into the starting lineup. For a player who transferred from another Power 5 program with the aim of starting, frustration could have easily set in for Stroman, but instead, he worked and rewarded the staff when his opportunity arose.
He responded with the most complete game of his Notre Dame career. His pick-six on the first drive of the game sparked the avalanche and prompted one of the most genuine moments of joy Freeman showed all night. “I was so happy for him,” Freeman said, emphasizing how much the moment meant not just for the team, but for Stroman himself. It was validation — for the player and for the coaching staff that kept pushing him.
Then came the blocked punt on the second drive of the game, another momentum play that helped bury Syracuse before the offense even took the field. Stroman added strong, authoritative tackling throughout the night, playing with the confidence and decisiveness usually reserved for long-time starters.
The plays were impressive, but Freeman cared even more about the message behind them.
This wasn’t someone thrust into action unprepared. This was a player who embraced the “work while you wait” mentality that Freeman preaches in nearly every press conference. This was depth becoming production, preparation becoming execution, and patience turning into opportunity.
“It reaffirms the things I try to make sure our guys know, especially him,” Freeman said.
Stroman’s breakout didn’t happen in a vacuum. It was the product of a defensive back room Freeman says is deeper than outsiders realize. “We got a lot of good football players in our defensive back room,” he said, noting that Stroman is far from the only veteran capable of stepping in without a drop-off.
But Saturday was Stroman’s night — and it was an important reminder of what depth actually means inside a program pushing toward the postseason. Not depth as a buzzword, but depth as a lived reality: players who practice like starters even when they aren’t, who accept coaching the same way whether they’re on the first string or the scout team, who are ready when the chance finally comes.
“It’s a great reminder of the depth we have. And a great example of a guy that works while he waits,” Freeman said.
The timing of Stroman’s emergence is especially significant given Johnson’s injury. Johnson has become one of the defense’s steadiest performers, and while the staff is optimistic about a quick return, missing even a game or two at this stage of the season can be disruptive. That’s where veteran performances like Stroman’s matter most. They stabilize the rotation, maintain communication on the back end, and preserve the identity the defense has built during its recent surge.
For Freeman, the lesson is bigger than any individual player. The Irish have reached the point in the season where durability, depth, and mentality matter just as much as scheme. Every team battling for playoff relevance deals with injuries; the ones that survive have players like Stroman — players who prepare every day just in case.
There was no guarantee Stroman would get meaningful snaps after Johnson’s emergence earlier this season. Freeman made that clear. “We didn’t know Tae was going to be out,” he said. The opportunity arrived suddenly, unexpectedly. But the veteran safety was ready because he had been preparing for months for a moment he couldn’t predict.
And when it came, he delivered.
Notre Dame’s blowout win will dominate highlight reels because of the scoreboard, the blocked punts, the defensive touchdowns, and the avalanche of points. But inside the locker room, the story that resonated most was simpler: a hardworking veteran finally getting his chance and proving his coaches right.
Johnson’s injury may have forced Notre Dame to adjust its secondary, but Stroman ensured it didn’t feel like a setback. Instead, it became another example of the culture Freeman is trying to build — a culture where preparation meets opportunity, and where players like Stroman can step into the moment and make it theirs.
In a season where the Irish are trying to stay healthy, stay sharp, and stay in the playoff conversation, Saturday revealed something more important than a lopsided score. It revealed that Notre Dame’s depth is real, its veterans are ready, and its defensive identity is stronger than ever.
And it showed that when the next man up was called, Jalen Stroman didn’t just fill a spot.
He changed the game.
