Notre Dame Notebook: Marcus Freeman Talks Sam Hartman, Javontae-Jean Baptiste And Others

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman discusses several Irish players ahead of this week's game with Ohio State

As Notre Dame heads prepares for this Saturday’s showdown with No. 4 Ohio State, it does so with a handful of factors in its favor that it didn’t have in last year’s game at Ohio State. Home field is an obvious advantage that the Irish didn’t have last year. Head coach Marcus Freeman is also going into his 18th career game and not his second in last season’s opener.

This year’s game also gives the Irish a decided advantage in the experience of the quarterbacks. Irish quarterback Sam Hartman will play in his 53rd career game when he takes the field against the Buckeyes, while his OSU counterpart Kyle McCord is making just his fourth career start. The scales tipped heavily in Ohio State’s favor last year when the matchup was CJ Stroud vs Tyler Buchner.

"He’s played in big games and big moments,” Freeman said of Hartman. "I think his mindset, the ability to go out there and have the right mindset for him to have success and that's what I’m most excited for is the experience he has. He knows, Sam Hartman knows this is about him going out there and going through his checklist and executing the things he needs to go through to have success. When you haven’t done that, I’m sure it’s a lot more difficult. Honestly, I feel great having a quarterback that’s had some of that big game experience and just football, college football experience that Sam has had.”

More Experience Gained

Irish cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Jaden Mickey were both true freshman playing in their first game when Notre Dame played at Ohio State last year. They faced Ohio State’s full slate of receivers. Future NFL first round draft pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba had just two catches for three yards before suffering an injury in the first half. Marvin Harrison Jr. (5-56) and Emeka Egbuka (9-90, TD) both fared better and both will be back to face Morrison, Mickey and Cam Hart and company.

"You look back to that game and the play makers Ohio State had at wide out, a lot of them are back,” said Freeman. "That was a way for our guys in the first game of the year to measure themselves versus some of the best in the country. So, to where they are now, they’ve continued to grow and get better and better because of experience. Because of the opportunity to continue to practice, to continue to build skills and that’s something that we have to continue to do and it will never stop.”

On Javontae Jean-Baptiste

Fighting Irish defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste played in last year’s game, but he was in an Ohio State uniform playing against Notre Dame. Jean-Baptiste has been Notre Dame’s most productive defensive end through the first four games with 15 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a team-high 4.0 quarterback hurries. He’ll face his old team for the first and only time this Saturday night.

“I can’t jump into his brain and know what’s going on, but my message to him will be the same thing as with everybody else: Don’t worry about Saturday,” Freeman said of his message to Jean-Baptiste. “Worry about today and when we get to Saturday we’re worrying about doing your job and winning the interval every single play. That’s all that really matters. Nothing else truly matters if we want to have success and if he wants to have a successful game. You have a great Monday, and you stay in the moment and then on Saturday, win the interval. If you want to have a great outcome, that’s what it’s going to take.”

On Jason Onye

Defensive tackle Jason Onye was the biggest surprise of the spring and he continued his rise during fall training camp. The 6-5, 294-pound junior has 11 tackles, the most for any non-starter, after four games. He had three tackles and was a disruptive force off the bench last week against Central Michigan.

"We said that after the game, actually yesterday after watching film, this was the best I’ve seen Jason Onye play in an actual football game,” Freeman explained. "He’s earning more reps and we’ll play him more because he’s doing some really good things on the football field.”

On Chris Tyree

Running back turned wide receiver Chris Tyree made the highlight reel with his over the shoulder, 76-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter against CMU for the highlight of his first season at receiver. He has eight receptions and leads the Irish with 216 yards to date.

"A lot of work,” Freeman said of Tyree’s transition from running back to receiver this past offseason. "He works at it. He works tirelessly at it. When you change positions from a position you’ve done your entire, probably your entire life. I don’t know if he played wide receiver in high school. You have to put the work in and that’s what you’ve seen him do. It was great to see him make that big catch on Saturday.”

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