Reports: Saban talks with Notre Dame’s Rees about OC job

Associated PressFeb 2, 2023, 3:07 PM EST

John Mersits/USA TODAY NETWORK

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees spoke with Alabama coach Nick Saban about filling a vacancy on the Crimson Tide’s coaching staff and was scheduled to be in Tuscaloosa, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

Both spoke on condition of anonymity because Saban and Alabama were not making details about their search for a replacement for offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien public.

O’Brien spent the last two seasons directing the Crimson’s Tide offense and coaching quarterbacks. The former Houston Texans head coach left last month to join Patriots coach Bill Belichick in New England as offensive coordinator. O’Brien was a New England assistant before becoming Penn State head coach in 2012.

Rees, a former Notre Dame quarterback, has been an assistant at his alma mater since 2017 and offensive coordinator since 2020. He also spent a year with the San Diego Chargers in 2016 before returning to South Bend, Indiana, as quarterbacks coach.

The 30-year-old Rees was wooed by Brian Kelly when he left Notre Dame for LSU and by Miami last year, but decided to stay and work for first-year Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman. Notre Dame finished 9-4 last season.

Notre Dame’s offense have been solid statistically under Rees, ranking 45th (last season), 43rd (2021) and 39th (2020) nationally in yards per play.

Alabama will be breaking in a new starting quarterback next season after Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young declared for the NFL draft.

QB Sam Hartman announces transfer to Notre Dame

Associated PressJan 6, 2023, 12:31 AM EST

Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Sam Hartman is transferring to Notre Dame, giving the Fighting Irish a dynamic quarterback for coach Marcus Freeman‘s second season.

Hartman, a three-year starter at Wake Forest, was widely regarded as the top quarterback in the transfer portal. He announced his decision Thursday by tweeting pictures of himself in a Notre Dame uniform.

The 23-year-old Hartman holds the Atlantic Coast Conference record for passing touchdowns with 110. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

He completed a career-best 63.1% of his passes this past season for 3,701 yards with 38 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, leading the Demon Deacons to an 8-5 record and a victory in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 23.

In 2021, Hartman threw for 4,228 yards and 39 touchdowns as Wake Forest went 11-3, finished 15th in the final AP poll and lost the ACC title game to Pitt.

Hartman threw 16 TD passes for the Demon Deacons as a freshman in 2018, but was relegated to a backup role the following year, playing in four games and preserving a year of eligibility. He then got an extra year because of the pandemic.

Notre Dame went 9-4 under Freeman, who took over as coach after Brian Kelly departed for LSU. The Fighting Irish began the season ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25 but lost their first two games. They moved back into the rankings with a late five-game winning streak and are currently 19th. Notre Dame concluded its season with a 45-38 victory over No. 20 South Carolina in the Gator Bowl.

After flip from ND to Oregon, five-star signs with Oklahoma

Associated PressDec 22, 2022, 9:44 PM EST

Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Peyton Bowen, the highly-rated defensive back who backed off a verbal commitment to Notre Dame and said he was going to attend Oregon, ended up signing with Oklahoma on Thursday.

Bowen’s flip from the Fighting Irish to the Ducks during a ceremony at his high school in Denton, Texas, was one of the biggest stories Wednesday as college football’s three-day early signing period began. He was one of several high-profile recruits to make a last-minute pivot to Oregon.

But the five-star safety was never officially announced as part of Oregon’s top-10 class.

Bowen posted a statement on social media Thursday, saying he regretted some of his actions and apologizing to the fans of the schools he jilted.

“Navigating this process has been a rollercoaster. … Oregon and Notre Dame faithful, I am sorry for how I handled this process. Changing my decision on signing day, the hat pump fake, all of it could have been handled better. I can’t change what I did but this experience is something I will learn from,” Bowen posted.

Bowen thanked the coaching staffs at Notre Dame and Oregon.

“Oklahoma family, I am excited to join this wonderful program and represent this university going forward!” Bowen said.

Oklahoma later announced Bowen had signed with the school.

The other notable signing of the second day of the early period was by Alabama.

The Crimson Tide, which has already locked up the No. 1 class in the nation, got a commitment from a seventh recruit with a five-star rating, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings.

Cornerback Desmond Rick, who is from Virginia but played at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, was originally set to be a member of the 2024 recruiting class but reclassified to 2023.