Texas is well represented on the Notre Dame roster, so Saturday’s game will surely get the adrenaline flowing for the Lone Star State natives as Texas A&M comes to town.
All-American cornerback Leonard Moore grew up on the outskirts of Austin, but never heard much from the Aggies.
“I think it could have been a product of me being hurt my senior year, but even junior year, they didn't really make any pushes,” Moore stated. “Maybe because I was a lower-ranked recruit. They like to go for four or five stars.”
There’s no ill will from Moore. He doesn’t like the Aggies, but it’s not because he didn’t get an offer.
“I never had a chip based off a school offering me or not,” said Moore. “That’s just me. It’s always going to be personal, no matter who we play. At the end of the day, they’re trying to come into our house and win.”
Irish running back Jadarian Price had a big impact on last year’s game with his 47-yard touchdown that gave Notre Dame a massive momentum boost.
“It’s a little chip on my shoulder because I never got much visitation from them,” Price said last fall. “There are a lot of people from my hometown who went and are alumni and fans.”
The mindset has shifted slightly for Price in 2025. Maybe it was because he already holds a win against the Aggies, or that the game is in South Bend. It still matters, but Price is very content with how things played out.
“The reason I said it was personal was because they didn’t have as much of an interest in me early on, compared to other Texas schools,” Price said. “But it’s in the past. I’m at the greatest university in the world.”
Notre Dame receiver Jaden Greathouse played in College Station a year ago, so he already has had bragging rights for a year.
That said, the Austin native has several friends and family headed to South Bend as the Aggies travel north.
“It means a lot,” explained Greathouse. “I have a lot of people reaching out and telling me they’re coming to the game and seeing if they can get tickets. A lot of people from my hometown will be there. Being in college football, it’s games like these you look forward to the most.
Greathouse will treat this game like any other, but he admitted there is a sense of excitement in playing a program with several ties to those around him.
“Just being able to have those roots there always makes the games a little more exciting,” Greathouse stated. “At the end of the day, it’s still football and we have a job to do and we’re going to get it done.”
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