Notre Dame Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman's NCAA Football Video Game Rating

It's easy to forget now but the Notre Dame head football coach could flat-out ball at Ohio State

Sep 30, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman watches his defense during the second half against the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Long before he was spending Saturday afternoons on the Notre Dame football sideline as head coach, Marcus Freeman was making plays for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Freeman was a prized recruit out of Dayton, Ohio that chose the Buckeyes over Notre Dame and played on a downright scary group of linebackers at Ohio State.

With EA Sports relaunching its classic college football video game in the form of College Football '25 this week, I thought it'd be as good of time as any to go back and look up Marcus Freeman in video game form.

How did Freeman rate? What were his biggest strengths and at what skills did he rank the lowest?

Here is what the creators at EA Sports said about Freeman, excuse me, said about ROLB #1 for Ohio State back in NCAA Football '09, the final game Freeman appeared in.

Marcus Freeman Was a Bad Man at Ohio State

Just how good of a player was Freeman?

He starred on Ohio State teams that played for national championships at the end of both the 2006 and 2007 seasons. By 2008 he and James Laurinaitis were two of the best linebackers in college football.

Laurinaitis was one of the few to ever get the 99-overall rating in the game for the 2009 edition but Freeman was no slouch, either, checking it at a 96-overall rating.

See Freeman's specifics below:

Overall: 96
Speed: 87
Strength: 80
Agility: 86
Acceleration: 92
Awareness: 84

I wonder how Freeman would feel about his strength being listed at only an 80. I'm guessing he'd probably bust out a bench press just to prove it wrong.

As for the 84-awareness? The video of Freeman leading the coaching staff during the final drive against Duke last year would suggest that number is a bit too low. Then again, the whole 10-men on the field thing the week before would suggest otherwise in a different direction.

How Former Ohio State Coach Pushed Marcus Freeman Towards Notre Dame