Ohio State and Notre Dame will meet in Atlanta for the 2025 National Championship game on Monday evening. The Buckeyes return to the title game for the first time since 2021, while Notre Dame makes its first appearance since 2012.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has led the Fighting Irish to a 14-1 record in his third season. The program seeks its first national title since 1988.
Freeman’s connection to this matchup runs deep – he played linebacker at Ohio State from 2004-2008 under then-head coach Jim Tressel.
Marcus Freeman’s Playing Career
Coming out of Wayne High School in Dayton, Ohio, Freeman was the No. 5 ranked linebacker recruit nationally in 2004. He signed with Ohio State’s 10th-ranked recruiting class, which included future NFL receiver Ted Ginn Jr.
Freeman played three full seasons for the Buckeyes, taking a medical redshirt in 2005 after an injury in the season opener against Miami of Ohio. His Ohio State teams reached two BCS national title games, falling to Florida (2006) and LSU (2007).
“He was always humble. He was always thorough. He was always aware of other peoples’ needs, feelings,” Tressel told The Sporting News this week. “Everyone wants to say, ‘Oh, you did a great job with Marcus,’ well his mom and dad did a great job with Marcus.”
College Statistics
* 2008: 84 tackles, 10 TFL, 3.5 sacks in 13 games
* 2007: 109 tackles, 10 TFL, 1.5 sacks in 13 games
* 2006: 71 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack in 13 games
* 2004: 4 tackles in 13 games
The Chicago Bears selected Freeman in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. His pro career was brief – after being waived by Chicago, he had short stints with the Bills and Texans practice squads.
Freeman’s playing career ended in 2010 when a physical with the Colts revealed an enlarged heart valve.
“It was hard to hear that football was being taken away, but life is much bigger than that for me,” Freeman told the Springfield News-Sun in 2010. “Sooner or later you’re going to be done.”
Tressel immediately hired Freeman as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, launching his coaching career. He went on to coach at Kent State, Purdue, and Cincinnati before taking the Notre Dame job in 2021.
Now 39, Freeman faces his alma mater in the biggest game of his coaching career.
“This has nothing to do with the past and where I went to school,” Freeman said this week. “This is about this opportunity that lies right ahead of us.”
