Top 20 MOST IMPORTANT players for Notre Dame in 2025: 16-20

AtoZ Sports

Ryan Roberts counts down the most important players for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish ahead of the 2025 season.

Transcript

00:00Spring practice is over. The transfer portal is closed. We know what the 2025 Notre Dame football

00:05team is going to look like. So let's count down the top 20 players heading into the 2025 season

00:11starting 20 through 16. Let's talk about it next.

00:18Ryan Roberts from A to Z sports breaking down everything Notre Dame football folks with the

00:22roster now known exactly what it's going to look like heading into the 2025 season.

00:26Spring practice is over. The 2025 recruiting class will be the rest of them will be here during the

00:33summer and we also have the transfer portal closed. So we know what this team is ultimately going to

00:38look like for the most part. There's always a changer here or two that could happen from now

00:43until the first game against Miami. But I want to count down the top 20 players entering the 2025

00:49season for Notre Dame. Want to start in descending order starting at number 20 working my way up

00:56we're going to work through 20 through 16 here on today's show at number 20. Want to start off

01:01with defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio. Now Gabriel has been on this team and has been a part of the

01:07rotation for multiple years. We really saw him start to come into his own down the stretch of

01:12the 2024 season. The defensive tackle rotation is viewed as being one of the deepest that we have

01:17seen in some time in South Bend. Jared Dawson transferred from Louisville. You also have Donovan

01:22Hinesh returning. You have Jason Onye returning from his departure from the team.

01:27Ormel Mookum. A lot of talented defensive linemen in this roster for Notre Dame ending into next

01:33season. But I wanted to start the list off with Gabriel Rubio because I think there's some

01:37question marks as far as we know we're going to see a lot of Jared Dawson. You know you're going to

01:41see a lot of Donovan Hinesh. You know you're going to see a lot of Jason Onye. But which one is

01:46going to be the number one of this group as far as being most impactful? If I had to guess today,

01:52known commodity is Gabriel Rubio. 6'5", 319 pounds. I envision him playing between nose and three

01:59technique on this defensive line. And I think that he's going to have his most impactful season for

02:04the Fighting Irish in 2025. Let's move down to number 19. This is where some intrigue starts.

02:09I have Eli Raritan. Tight ends. Obviously, hasn't been utilized huge as a pass game weapon for Notre

02:16Dame over the years. 16 receptions for 141 yards and three touchdowns. But as we know, if you follow the

02:21team, he's dealt with a couple knee issues in the past, a couple knee injuries that have

02:25stunted kind of his growth. But he is healthy and ready to go. So this is a player that is viewed as

02:30a huge breakout potentially in 2025. And ultimately, Notre Dame needs him. The tight end room is very

02:36thin right now. Eli Raritan is coming off a really good spring. Hopefully, he continues on the offseason

02:41because if he can, we can start to see that upside that once made him a top 100 recruit.

02:47At number 18, I have a little bit of a cop out. Admittedly, I have the quarterbacks at 18. Whether that is

02:54CJ Carr or Kenny Minchie winning the starting spot, obviously, CJ Carr is viewed as probably the leader right

03:00now. But we'll see what that battle brings the rest of this offseason into the fall. Didn't want to put him too

03:06high because between those two players, although very, very talented, each of them, they have thrown for a

03:12combined four pass attempts in their Notre Dame career so far. So I expect them, whoever does win

03:17that job to be much, much higher on this list when we kind of look back a little bit into the end of

03:23the 2025 season. But I really do think that this is a, they need to be on this list because the

03:29quarterback position is so impactful and you have two really talented players. The question is, is who

03:33is going to be the starting quarterback entry next season and how much Notre Dame, the staff,

03:38Mike Denbrock is going to put on their plates as a first year start coming in at number 17. I have

03:44starting left tackle Anthony Knapp. There's always going to be some debate. He's one of the more

03:48debated prospects or players on this team overall, obviously for the reasons of he's starting at left

03:54tackle. His game probably projects a little bit better in a guard, but this is Joe Rudolph's guy.

04:00They love Anthony Knapp, six for four, 294 pounds, incredibly strong, good foot speed. And I expect a big

04:06jump in his play from a true freshman to true sophomore in 2025 as the starting left tackle at

04:12Notre Dame. Most people will debate on where he should play as far as positionally, but most people

04:16can't debate that he is a very talented football player. Anthony Knapp at number 17. Number 16,

04:21I have sophomore defensive end Bryce Young. Quite simply, folks, we have not seen a player that looks

04:26like Bryce Young come around Notre Dame too often. Six foot seven, 265 pounds. This is a incredibly

04:33massive exterior pass rusher, a guy that can work outside shoulder. But the difference that makes

04:38him special, in my opinion, for Bryce Young is he moves exceptionally well. The closing speed,

04:43initial burst off the line. This is a special, special athlete. If not for the fact that you

04:48have Bubakar Traore, Jordan Vitello, Joshua Burnham, Logan Thomas, Junior Tuei Lamaka, you have a lot of

04:56good defensive ends on this team. If not for that crowded room, I think that this would be a player that

05:01would go much higher on this list and be a huge breakout star. I still expect Bryce Young to be a

05:06breakout, but the question is whether he will reach more of his upside in 2025 or 2026. But

05:11regardless, he's going to be a darn good football player this season for Notre Dame. Folks, what do

05:16you think about my list? 16 through 20, starting off hot. Give me a guy that you think is too low.

05:20Give me a guy that is too high. Put some players that would be in this range for you as well.

05:25Make sure to hit that like button and subscribe button on the way out. And as always, go Irish.

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