Here is a scouting report on No. 10 Notre Dame, who plays at NC State at 12 p.m. Saturday on ABC at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Five Notre Dame players to watch
Junior left tackle Joe Alt
The 6-8, 315-pound Alt has earned a 83.1 grade through the first two games. The touted NFL Draft prospect had a 91.4 grade lsat year, including 91 percent in run blocking and 81.7 in pass blocking. Alt was a Rivals.com three-star prospect coming out of Fridley (Minn.) Totino Grace High in the class of 2021. Alt’s father is John Alt, who played left tackle for the Chiefs from 1984-1996, where he made three Pro Bowls. His brother, Mark Alt, was originally selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2010, and last played with the Los Angeles Kings in 2021.
Senior linebacker JD Bertrand
The physical linebacker from Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity High, has become a tackling machine for the Fighting Irish. The 6-1, 230-pounder has 199 career tackles with three sacks and one forced fumble. He has eight tackles through the first two games. Bertrand had 13 tackles against Stanford last year, and 12 vs. Clemson. The former Rivals.com three-star prospect was the No. 27 inside linebacker in the country in the class of 2019, and had 13 scholarship offers.
Junior running back Auric Estime
The 5-11, 227-pound Estime has 192 carries for 1,191 yards and 13 touchdowns, plus 12 receptions for 168 yards and a score in his three-year ND career. He topped 100 yards three times last year en route to 825 rushing yards and 11 scores. He a season-high 134 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-32 win at North Carolina on Sept. 24, 2022. Estime was a Rivals.com four-star recruit originally picked Michigan State, before landing at Notre Dame. The Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph’s standout was the No. 131 overall player in the country and No. 6 running back in the class of 2021.
Senior quarterback Sam Hartman
The Charlotte, N.C., native has had quite the college career, and it’s now in its sixth season. The 6-1, 210-pound Hartman started as a true freshman in 2018 at Wake Forest, and went on to throw for 12,967 yards, 110 touchdowns and 41 interceptions for the Demon Deacons, plus 17 rushing scores. He transferred to Notre Dame and has gone 33-of-40 passing for 445 yard and six touchdowns, plus a rushing score. Hartman’s prep journey started at Davidson (N.C.) Day under coach Chad Grier. The Rivals.com three-star prospect followed Grier to Mt. Pleasant (S.C.) Oceanside High and picked Wake Forest in the class of 2018.
Sophomore cornerback Benjamin Morrison
The 6-0, 185-pound Morrison arrived with a bang last year, picking off an impressive six interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. He added 33 tackles and five passes defended. Morrison has three tackles and a pass defended in the first two games, as teams stay away from him. The Rivals.com four-star prospect from Phoenix (Ariz.) Brophy Prep was the No. 30 cornerback in the country, and he picked up 21 offers.
What to watch for from Notre Dame
1. Deep group of backs. Notre Dame has played five different backs this season, though Penn State transfer Devyn Ford might be missing Saturday’s game.
Junior Audric Estime has been the workhorse, with 29 carries for 211 yards and two touchdowns. He’s a physical runner at 5-11 and 227 pounds, and has just enough speed, but isn’t a blazer. He did rip off a 50-yarder against Tennessee State.
Freshman Jeremiyah Love is the star of the future, combining solid size and good speed. He’s averaging 9.6 yards per carry, after rushing nine times for 86 yards and a score.
Sophomores Jadarian Price and Gi’Bran Payne give Notre Dame four legit backs, and they’ll sometimes play all of them before halftime. If the running game is going well, it just makes it easier for quarterback Sam Hartman.
2. Smart passing game with a few shots downfield. Notre Dame senior quarterback Sam Hartman is no stranger to NC State’s defense and coordinator Tony Gibson. The Wolfpack have gone 2-1 against Hartman while he was at Wake Forest.
Hartman has gone 72-of-131 passing for 923 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions, plus one rushing score against NCSU.
Hartman had to carry the load with the Demon Deacons, but has a new toy with the Fighting Irish — a big offensive line, who can pave the way in the run game.
That has allowed Hartman to be more judicious with taking his shots downfield. However, when he does, both freshman Jaden Greathouse and junior Jayden Thomas know how to make things happen with the ball in the air. Hartman had six interceptions due to taking some risks. He can play things more calmly with Notre Dame, but he’ll still like to throw some 50-50 balls here and there.
Where NC State has to completely tune in is when Hartman can use his experience in the two-minute offense. He put on a clinic right before halftime of the Navy victory.
3. Quick passing game. Notre Dame has more of a bend but don’t break defensive style.
Linebackers JD Bertrand and Marist Liufau are the heart of the defense, but it doesn’t appear to be littered with NFL Draft prospects and players with impressive size and speed. Ohio State defensive end transfer Javontae Jean-Baptiste has some impressive measurables, collecting seven tackles in two games.
Navy didn’t pass the ball much, and Tennessee State had 22 passing attempts. Notre Dame has three sacks on the young season, so it will be interesting to see if they can get a consistent pass rush against mobile quarterback Brennan Armstrong.
The last time the Fighting Irish played a passing team was South Carolina in the Gator Bowl last year. South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler went 29-of-46 passing for 264 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Jordan Botehlo had two of the three sacks for ND, and he has one sack this season.
Three keys to the game for NC State football
1. Can NC State produce big plays in passing game? NC State offensive coordinator simply said “explosives” on what the Wolfpack offense needed to improve upon.
The elephant in the room is how to create big plays in the passing game, or even the running game. The longest play from scrimmage was 19 yards against Connecticut in the season opener. That likely won’t cut it against the Fighting Irish.
Anae and coach Dave Doeren said it’s a combination of a few things. The offensive line has to give quarterback Brennan Armstrong just enough time to let it fly sometimes. Armstrong also has to let the pass play play out longer, rather than tuck it and run. He ran 11 times on pass plays in the opener.
Conversely, the running backs, tight ends and wide receivers sometimes have to make a play. Whether that is beating a man 40 yards downfield, or taking a five-yard pass and going an extra 35 yards, it is a must of the NCSU offense.
2. Better short-yardage results. NC State likes to go for it on fourth and short, that is a given.
NC State also usually runs the ball on third and short. Five times the Wolfpack faced a short-yardage situation on third down or fourth down against UConn, and two were successfully converted.
Nothing drains momentum like not getting a first down in a short-yardage situation, especially if you have two plays to make it happen on third down.
The Wolfpack went with redshirt junior running back Delbert Mimms three different times (he succeeded once), and ran smaller back Jordan Houston once (he didn’t succeed). A jump ball pass in the end zone went NC State’s way with UConn getting a pass interference penalty.
3. NC State’s three-man line to get challenged. Senior defensive end Savion Jackson could be returning this week after missing the Connecticut game as a late scratch.
Jackson, nose tackle C.J. Clark and defensive end Davin Vann will have their hands full against a physical Notre Dame offensive line led by junior Joe Alt at left tackle.
NC State managed two sacks against the Huskies, and have played Hartman enough to know that even in a difference uniform, the former Wake Forest standout doesn’t thrive when there is consistent pressure against him. NC State would blitz him often and make him go off-stride and also have to throw over the defensive lineman. He’s a good college quarterback, but also human, and pressure right in his viewpoint bothers him.
Three numbers of note
4 — Current NC State players that Notre Dame offered. Senior right guard Derrick Eason, senior outside linebacker Payton Wilson, junior wide receiver Porter Rooks and freshman safety Daemon Fagan were offered by the Fighting Irish. Junior tight end commit Gus Ritchey was offered by Notre Dame.
6 — North Carolina natives who picked Notre Dame since the class of 2020. Kicker Bryce McFerson of Indian Trail (N.C.) Metrolina Christian Academy in 2022, both Belmont (N.C.) South Point tackle Sullivan Absher and Pfafftown (N.C.) Reagan guard Sam Pendleton in 2023, and Charlotte Catholic tight end Jack Larsen and Charlotte Christian teammates Bryce Young, a defensive end, and wide receiver Micah Gilbert in 2024.
23 NC State has won 23 straight home games vs. non-ACC teams, with the last loss coming on Nov. 23, 2013, to East Carolina.
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