Marcus Freeman played a big role for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team for three seasons and was in Columbus for five. Naturally, the current Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach has been mentioned in the same breath as his alma mater.
Is there anything to that sentiment, though? Well, from whom I've talked to about Freeman making the jump to the Ohio State University, there might be, eventually. There seems to be more interest in a potential jump to the NFL, though.
I got the chance to speak to multiple Notre Dame sources -- NBC Sports' Fighting Irish on-field reporter, Kathryn Tappen, former star quarterback Joe Theismann, and former star running back Jerome "The Bus" Bettis -- about Freeman's future in support of the 2026 American Century Championship. All three are among the 90-plus participants in NBC's annual celebrity golf tournament from July 8-12 at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort in Stateline, Nevada.
None know for certain that Freeman is going to OSU. There was a consensus that Freeman is a great coach who may be tempted by an offer from someone, sometime in the future, though.
"Marcus is not going to leave Notre Dame until he wins a national title."
Tappen believes that there are already numerous, lucrative NFL job offers for Freeman, with Ryan Day's presence on the Buckeyes' coaching staff precluding Freeman from making sense for Ohio State anytime soon.
Still, Tappen predicts Freeman won't leave South Bend until he's led the Irish to a national championship.
"I think every NFL team should be looking at Marcus. I think the world of him. I think he's an outstanding football coach, and I think when teams are successful at the collegiate level, and I see it in every sport I cover, we see it in the National Hockey League as well. Coaches who are successful at the collegiate level are absolutely going to get a look at the NFL level. And Marcus is getting more than a look," Tappen told me.
“Marcus is probably getting, I don't know what's going on behind closed doors, but I'm sure there are a lot of teams that were interested and probably wanted to make an offer to him. But he believes in Notre Dame. I love that he stands by this program. I think, quite frankly, Marcus is not going to leave Notre Dame until he wins a national title, and he probably will... think Marcus will go if he wants to go to the NFL. When or if he goes, good for him. And it just means he's doing a great job where he's at, that all of these NFL teams are interested in him.
“I see a lot of these guys that narrowly miss an opportunity to go back to their alma mater. Mike Vrabel, for a short period of time, was coaching at Ohio State a little bit. And I mean, sure, there may have been an opportunity. Guys kind of rotate a lot, and they spend time on different staffs when they're in between positions at the NFL level, but I don't know. I don't see Ryan Day leaving anytime soon."
As Tappen relayed, Freeman may not even be thinking about the Buckeyes right now until the job is done in Northern Indiana.
“I guess it would be a timing thing for Marcus if it did open up, but again, the Ohio State football team is very different than the Notre Dame football team. I think what he's got at Notre Dame, and having covered Notre Dame for gosh, I mean, I don't even know, 13 years, 14 years now, it's a unique place…Marcus is extremely spiritual. His family really loves it there. He has a lot of pride. I think that is a perfect fit for him right now, and I don't think he's even thinking about Ohio State," Tappen told me.
"I think of those, the NFL is the most realistic possibility."
Bettis believes that not just any opportunity could entice Freeman. While he understands the returning home angle, Bettis made it clear that he feels the NFL is the likelier outcome for Freeman than Ohio State.
"I mean, obviously, you're not going to expect one person to stay in one place forever. You would hope that they would, but the reality is, yeah, the possibility exists. But he's happy where he is, and let's hope that continues…but the NFL, I think, it's a real possibility as he gets more seasoned. I think NFL teams are going to look at him more," Bettis told me.
"I don't think he goes for just any other job. I think it has to be, maybe (Ohio State), that’s calling him to come home. I think of those, the NFL is the most realistic possibility."
Bettis, like Tappen, believes Freeman has unfinished business with Notre Dame.
"Marcus is committed to the university, and the university is committed to him."
By far the most optimistic on Freeman's future remaining in South Bend over the long haul was Theismann. He didn't entertain the idea of Freeman leaving nearly as much as Bettis and Tappen did.
“Anything is possible, to be honest with you, but I mean, Marcus is committed to the university, and the university is committed to him. I was thrilled that he made the decision early to say, ‘Hey, look, I'm going to be the coach of the University of Notre Dame’ early on in the cycle," Theisman told me.
In aggregate, the opinion from those close to the Fighting Irish football program seems to be that the NFL is likelier than OSU in the future, but neither is pressing at this moment. Freeman has a team that's up there with the Buckeyes in preseason championship hype in 2026, and it's clear that Notre Dame sources feel that a 12th title for the program is the only thing driving him right now.
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