SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Marcus Freeman has never signed a better freshman class at Notre Dame than the one on campus right now. And whenever this season ends, even if that’s after a 16-game run to the national championship game, this crop of recruits might play the least of any Freeman first-year haul.It’s a strange reality for a class that finished in the top five nationally while adding 30 prospects to the program, including four recruits — defensive end Rodney Dunham, cornerback Khary Adams, safety Joey O’Brien and tight end Ian Premer — who earned five-star status on various networks. During most preseasons, updates on freshman talent would be fodder for breathless headlines. Past examples include Kyle Hamilton making three interceptions in his first practice and breakdowns of where Manti Te’o fit into the depth chart on opening day.This season, updates on freshman talent have barely registered.“You’re not gonna get instant gratification here or anywhere else,” Freeman said. “So, you got to trust your journey, and instead of comparing your journey to somebody else’s, you got to continue to focus on what you have. And if you want more, you gotta clear your plate.“And if you do that consistently, you’re going to get more.”What is college football like for international students?Ira GorawaraFreeman has had a freshman starter in all four of his seasons as head coach at Notre Dame, sometimes because a player forced his way onto the field, but mostly because the Irish needed help. Anthonie Knapp wouldn’t have set a Freeman-era freshman record with 843 snaps in 2024 if Charles Jagusah hadn’t gotten injured in training camp. Leonard Moore likely wouldn’t have played 736 snaps and been named the Football Writers Association of America’s Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in ’24 without a season-ending injury to Benjamin Morrison.Two seasons before that, Morrison forced his way onto the field against Ohio State in Columbus as a freshman, meaning the cornerback’s first collegiate snaps came against future first-round NFL Draft picks Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka.As Freeman said, comparing freshman seasons is a fool’s errand. Yet, the 2026 team might be the first of Freeman’s tenure not to feature a freshman starter, unless you’re counting 21-year-old punter Jasper Scaife. It might also finish the season with the fewest snaps played by freshmen, despite the NCAA’s 5-for-5 rule removing redshirt considerations. Roster expansion from the 85-man limit to a 105-man roster could lead to greater competition for snaps from a larger pool of upperclassmen.