Notre Dame Staff Left Lasting Impression on Buckeyes
Notre Dame and Ohio State know each other well entering Monday night’s National Championship. The two programs have played the last two seasons, but there is also a ton of crossover between the staffs as Marcus Freeman, Al Washington and James Laurinaitis headline a long list of coaches who have coached at both schools in recent years.
On the recruiting trail, the Buckeyes and Irish routinely battle for top prospects in the Midwest and across the country, so there’s great familiarity with each staff from multiple players on the roster.
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles might have been the top name on the board for the Irish in the class of 2023 before he reclassified to 2022. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder took multiple recruiting trips to South Bend and developed deep relationships with Marcus Freeman and Chad Bowden.
With Freeman, Styles immediately connected with him as Freeman’s background as a player resonated with the Ohio native.
“I think it’s always a different relationship when former players are head coaches,” explained Styles. “He’s a great dude and down to earth. He wasn’t giving you much rah-rah and he told it to you straight. He wasn’t fake or told you what you wanted to hear and I always appreciated that about him. It speaks volumes about his character.”
Styles’ older brother, Lorenzo, was on campus for Freeman’s first two seasons in South Bend, including the 2023 season when he took over as head coach.
What stood out about Freeman as a coach? It was his willingness to connect with each player in The Gug.
“I think he really connected with the players well,” Styles said. “He made an effort to really get to know everyone on the team and I felt that. I feel like he started laying the bricks to get to where they are now.”
Freeman also impressed Styles and his then-Notre Dame teammates with his daily routine as he was present for workouts and had an open-door policy, which was a contrasting style from his predecessor.
“I remember we’d always be working out early in the morning and he would be there working out,” stated Styles. “He would bring his kids to practice and it showed what kind of family man he is. He’s really hardworking and dedicated.”
The emphasis on family also stood out to former defensive line recruit Luke Montgomery, who will likely start at left guard for the Buckeyes on Monday. Montgomery made several visits to South Bend as he has family in town and die-hard Notre Dame fans.
“I remember he brought his kids to lunch with us one time when we were in South Bend,” Montgomery recalled. “It was my grandpa, my dad and I. I vividly remember one of his boys spilling water all over the place and it reminded me of my family when I was younger because I have three younger siblings. It put a smile on my face.”
Freeman’s right-hand man Chad Bowden has gained headlines for his relentless work on the recruiting trail to put Notre Dame in position to compete for a National Title, but for the Styles brothers and Montgomery, the relationship with the GM of the Irish goes much deeper than recruiting.
“He’s an energetic guy and he’s going to be who he is,” Sonny Styles said. “There’s nothing fake about him, and that’s what jumped out to me. I love him. He’s a good dude and he attracts good people.
“All the recruits who are recruited by Notre Dame know Chad. It’s definitely unique. It’s definitely not normal.”
Bowden might not have recruited the older Styles, but he does remember seeing how recruits gravitated to him while hosting recruits and the energy he brought to early morning workouts.
“Chad was definitely a character,” laughed Styles. “I remember a recruiting dinner we went on and how much the recruits resonated with him and like talking to him a lot.
“Sometimes, you get to 6am workouts, and it seemed like he had two cups of coffee already. He’s a good dude.”
Monday’s game will also allow Styles and Montgomery to catch up with some familiar faces, including Notre Dame linebacker Drayk Bowen, who spent countless hours on visits with both prospects.
“Drayk is my guy,” stated Syles. “It sucked telling him I was going to Ohio State, but he’s great guy and a player. I’m glad to see him being successful. When I met him, I think the biggest thing that stood out to me was he loved ball. I could tell he works hard. It’s going to be exciting to see him out there and one of us will have bragging rights after this game.”
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