Marcus Freeman Talks Jarrett Patterson, Jayson Ademilola, Senior Day, Cold Weather Forecast

The 30th anniversary of Notre Dame’s most famous snow game just passed this week. “The Snow Bowl,” played between Notre Dame and Penn State is vivid in the memories of Notre Dame fans. It took place on Nov. 14, 1992.

This Saturday’s game between Notre Dame and Boston College may not be quite as picturesque as that one, but there is already a few inches of snow on the ground in South Bend, with temperatures in the 20s and flurries in the forecast for Saturday’s game.

Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman said during his Thursday media call that this week’s preparation has had an eye toward the weather.

"You embrace it,” Freeman said of the cold weather that’s hit campus this week. "The first thing I told them Tuesday was we're practicing outside and prepare your mind for it. .... We practiced all day Tuesday outside. (Wednesday) was just going to be a little bit too wet. I wanted to stay outside all week, but yesterday because of the snow, it was just too wet. So, I want to get good work, so on a third down day. The things we had to work on (Wednesday), we decided to go inside. Then today, we'll be back outside.

"It's just understanding that we're going to practice outside, we're going to play outside, dress warm and go play,” Freeman continued. "If you dress appropriately, there won't be an issue. If you try to be a tough guy, there is no such thing as cold tough guys and that's what I told them. You better be a warm, tough guy and so make sure you dress appropriately and go practice and go play.”

Senior Day Clarification

Freeman said earlier this week that only players who will not be returning to play next year will be recognized on Senior Day. But there are a handful of players who have not exhausted their eligibility who have not decided whether they will stay or go. Freeman clarified his intent for his Senior Day plan.

"At the beginning of the year, I wanted the guys that plan on this being their last year to just say, hey this is my last year, I'm going be a senior, because we do some different things with our seniors throughout the season, in terms of fall camp in terms of, recognizing them in different ways,” Freeman explained. “.... There's one or two guys that have an option after the season, after they get their NFL grade reports, if they decide to come back or not. What I don't want them to do is to not participate on Senior Day and then decide to go to the NFL. So, if there's a possibility of this being your last year of playing football, I want you to be a part of Senior Day, and those will be the guys that will be recognized on Saturday.”

Senior Leadership

Freeman discussed how the veterans on his first team helped mold the future foundation of the program.

"This group has truly laid the foundation for where I see this football program going forward,” Freeman stated. "It hasn't been a just a smooth road. It's been a bumpy one that has had some ups and downs. But what they've done is preserved and they've helped us really understand how to get through those tough times. I think the culture of your program is truly defined during some of the toughest times. What this group has done is really taken this team and propelled us forward and we've gotten better through some of those bumps in the road. Without the leadership that they've provided, without the work ethic and the example they've set, we wouldn't have been able to truly improve through those ups and downs.

"They've done such a great job of .... through changes in leadership, through wins and losses, being able to continue to keep the mindset of this football program and these players where it needs to be,” he continued. “That's constant improvement. When your leaders are everyday coming in here trying to improve and trying to get better .... There's no other option for those young guys that sometimes they see better than they hear and the greatest example they see with our leaders and our seniors.”

Jarrett Patterson

The fifth-year graduate student could have declared for the NFL draft last year, but he returned for one last season. Patterson has been a mainstay on the Irish line since 2019, but he has also battled injuries over the last year.

He also drew criticism from many when he tried to storm off the field after Notre Dame’s week two upset loss to Marshall, but Freeman has nothing but praise for the captain.

"The best way to describe him is an ultimate Ironman,” Freeman said of Patterson. "Just a guy that has battled injuries, multiple injuries even before I got here, but has continued to sacrifice and continued to work and plays the game at such a high level. He to this day is not 100%. He's been injured all season, but he just goes out there and he practices and he plays. He could easily be the guy that says, you know what, I'm not going to play, I'm going to wait until the NFL and I'm going to save my body. He doesn't, he sacrifices his body for this university and his football program.

“I'm forever indebted to Jarrett Patterson,” Freeman continued. “He's a great captain, a great leader for our program. You know, the frustration he showed after Marshall is what is expected by any competitor that loses a game you don't feel like you should lose. He is a great leader, and he was emotional after a tough loss, but he's also a guy that can raise the play of others and raise the mentality of others. That's important. That's what leaders do. Leaders make other people better and that's what Jarrett obviously does.”

Jayson Ademilola

The defensive tackle has fully exhausted his college eligibility. Saturday’s game will be the 54th of Ademilola’s career. This is his “Super senior year,” provided by the NCAA due to the pandemic. His twin brother Justin could still return for one more season if he chooses.

“He's a lot of fun to coach,” Freeman said of Ademilola. “He is so energetic. It's unique having a set of twins on your team and he plays at a high level. You know what, he enjoys practicing, which is something that not everybody does, man. He's a joy to coach and he's a really good football player and very productive for us.”

Jon Sot

The veteran punter transferred to Notre Dame after spending his first four years punting for Harvard (he did not play in 2020, because the Ivy League did not have a season). Sot’s 43.4 yards per punt ranks No. 37 nationally. He has had 10 punts of 50+ yards this season, with 21 punts downed inside the 20 yard line.

“He's a quiet but confident kid,” Freeman said of Sot. “He doesn't talk too much, but he does have some confidence about him. I really enjoy the time I get to spend with Jon. He has been a huge part of our punting game and changing the field. He's been a huge addition to our program, with Bryce (McFerson) going down early in the year, we didn't have a punter. Thankfully, we had Jon Sot here that did a really good job. He actually won the job in fall camp and has done a great job for us all season long. So, he's been such a valuable tool for our program and for our punt team and I'm thankful that he is a part of our football program this year.”