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PODCAST

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast

The Independent is the essential listen for fans of Fighting Irish football. Pete Sampson of the Athletic and Matt Fortuna of The Inside Zone are back to take you inside the Notre Dame program. With a combined 35 years + of experience on the ND beat, this twice weekly podcast has you covered for everything blue and gold.

sports football

All Episodes

00:30:48

Notre Dame names CJ Carr its starting quarterback

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/08/19

Marcus Freeman named CJ Carr Notre Dame's starting quarterback for the 2025 season, a surprise move given how well Kenny Minchey played in fall camp. Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson react to the news plus share notes on the team captains and what this means for the season opener against Miami.

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00:38:22

Notre Dame QB Battle is Real

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/08/07

Matt & Pete breakdown the latest out of Fall camp for Marcus Freeman and the Irish as CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey battle for the Notre Dame starting quarterback spot. Mike Denbrock’s offense has had success with duel threat QBs and with CJ Carr struggling with three picks in practice, the competition has become more serious for the Notre Dame signal caller. Plus, thoughts on how the quarterbacks could be used in the opener against Miami and other news and notes out of Notre Dame camp.

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00:45:43

Notre Dame training camp opens & catching up with...

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/07/31

Matt & Pete are joined by Jack Kiser to look back on his career with the Irish, training camp in Jacksonville and thoughts on this year’s Notre Dame team. Plus, expectations of camp opening in South Bend and what Marcus Freeman’s team can do to repeat last year’s success. When will C.J. Carr be anointed and thoughts on the offensive line following the injury to Charles Jagusah.

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00:49:07

Recruiting updates & catching up with Trey Mancini

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/07/15

Matt & Pete are joined by former Major Leaguer and World Series Champion Trey Mancini to hear about his experience as a Notre Dame baseball player, an Irish football fan and an avid listener of the Independent. Plus, Matt & Pete discuss latest out of South Bend this summer, Marcus Freeman’s recruiting run as of late and what to expect as the season draws closer.

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00:50:43

2025 Notre Dame Football Fan Survey

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/07/02

Matt & Pete return for Pete’s annual Notre Dame Fan Survey. Tune in for thoughts from the fan base on the USC series potentially ending, where are Notre Dame’s strength, how they view Marcus Freeman three years in and who will be the breakout start for 2025? Plus, thoughts on the NBC broadcast crew and their ideal booth pairing.

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00:57:50

Greg McElroy on the state of Notre Dame Football

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/06/25

Matt & Pete are joined by ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy to get his perspective of the state of the Irish heading into the 2025 season. What are his impressions of Marcus Freeman after covering the team so closely during the playoff run last year, how does he feel like Notre Dame is setup in terms of depth for the season and does he expect another deep playoff run for 2025?

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00:42:27

Recapping the latest from Marcus Freeman

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/06/02

It may be May, but there is no shortage of Notre Dame football news to cover. Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson have you covered on the latest from Marcus Freeman, the USC rivalry, College Football Playoff talks and much, much more.

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00:43:49

ESPN’s David Hale talks Clemson series & ACC

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/05/13

Matt & Pete are back to talk about the latest news from the Fighting Irish and are joined by David Hale of ESPN to talk about the Clemson Series and the ACC. Never too early to look ahead at the Notre Dame season and with the news of the kick times for games on NBC, Matt & Pete share their thoughts on the lineup Marcus Freeman’s team will face once the Fall begins.

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00:56:22

Recapping Notre Dame's spring season

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/04/24

Marcus Freeman officially put a bow on Notre Dame's spring campaign Wednesday, and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to break down the Fighting Irish coach's press conference and deliver their big takeaways from the spring. What does the departure of Steve Angeli mean? Who has the edge in the QB battle between CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey? How has Chris Ash put his fingerprints on the defense? The gang discusses all of that and more, and takes your questions as well.

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00:45:44

Notre Dame Spring Game Preview

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/04/11

Notre Dame’s Blue-Gold Spring game is just around the corner, and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to preview the weekend. What should folks watch for with QBs Steve Angeli, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey? Plus, which team would you like to see the Fighting Irish face in a hypothetical scrimmage?

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00:45:04

Notre Dame Football Spring Check-In with Tim Murray

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/04/04

Matt & Pete are joined by Tim Murray to discuss Notre Dame's Spring Football latest news including the quarterback competition and Steve Angeli's place in it. What does Tim think of the QB battle between Steve Angeli, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey? Tune in for the latest on Marcus Freeman's squad as well as thoughts on the biggest impact player to expect coming out of the transfer portal.

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00:43:31

Notre Dame Football Opens Spring Ball

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/03/20

Notre Dame kicked off spring football on Wednesday, and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to break down Marcus Freeman’s fourth season in charge. How is the quarterback battle shaping up with Steve Angeli, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey? How will players like Jeremiyah Love be used after a long season? How will Chris Ash and the rest of the new faces on staff fit in? One thing is for certain: It will be a spring like no other, after the longest Fighting Irish season ever.

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00:48:42

Previewing Notre Dame’s QB battle, breaking down the...

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/03/07

Spring ball is less than two weeks away at Notre Dame, and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to get you ready. The guys break down the hire of new GM Mike Martin, and they take a look at the upcoming quarterback battle of Steve Angeli, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey. Plus, Matt and Pete go down memory lane of some of the best Fighting Irish offensive linemen they have covered, in honor of Zack Martin’s retirement from the Dallas Cowboys

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49:09

Catching up on Notre Dame's offseason

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/02/11

It's been a short but busy offseason for Notre Dame, with the Irish hiring running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider away from Penn State to replace Deland McCullough, and with the search for a new general manager still going, as James Blanchard elected to stay at Texas Tech. What's next for Marcus Freeman and his squad? Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to break it all down, take your questions and much more, on the latest episode of The Independent.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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55:20

Notre Dame hires Chris Ash as defensive coordinator

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/02/01

Matt & Pete return to discuss the news that Notre Dame is bringing in former Rutgers head coach and Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash to take on the open DC role for the Irish. Find out their thoughts on the hire and what it will mean for Marcus Freeman's team next season. Plus, thoughts on timing announcement for the schedule next fall.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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71:39

Notre Dame falls to Ohio State, 34-23, in the College...

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/01/21

Notre Dame's season came to an end Monday night, with the Fighting Irish falling to Ohio State, 34-23. Marcus Freeman's squad fought back from a 24-point deficit to make it interesting in the fourth quarter, and Riley Leonard showed plenty of guts, but in the end it wasn't enough.Notre Dame finishes the 2024-25 season at 14-2 after a remarkable College Football Playoff run. Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to break down what happened in Atlanta and to close the book on this season. Co-hosts:

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69:27

National Championship Preview & Predictions: Notre...

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/01/19

Matt & Pete weigh in with their picks for the National Championship between Notre Dame and Ohio State with guest Tim Murray. Plus, they talk about the build up to this game and the cultural conversation around Notre Dame including Shane Gillis’ latest ad with Under Armour. How do the Fighting Irish matchup with Ohio State? What can Al Golden do to scheme against Jeremiah Smith and how can Notre Dame rattle Will Howard. Now that Jeremiyah Love is 100% how will that impact the game and do the Irish

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61:37

Tony Simeone recaps Notre Dame season & looks ahead...

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/01/17

Matt & Pete are back for another episode in the build up to the National Championship matchup with Ohio State on Monday night in Atlanta. They are joined by Tony Simeone, play-by-play voice of the Fighting Irish to talk about this season to date and what he expects from the matchup with the Buckeyes. How did Notre Dame turn things around after the loss to Northern Illinois and he assesses the coaching job of Marcus Freeman. Plus what will the legacy be for this Notre Dame team and Freeman if they

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56:19

Early look at Ohio State-Notre Dame with Ari Wasserman

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/01/14

Matt & Pete are joined by Ari Wasserman of On3 for their first look at Notre Dame vs. Ohio State for the National Championship. Get early impressions of the matchup, what areas of the game Notre Dame will have the advantage against the Buckeyes and Ari's thoughts on if this is a team of destiny for the Irish? Plus, who wins the coaching matchup between Marcus Freeman and Ryan Day and which College Football coach would actually be good to hang out with at Chili's?Future Fans: helping little kids

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68:26

Notre Dame beats Penn State in the Orange Bowl,...

The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast ·

2025/01/10

Notre Dame came back from a 10-point deficit to upset Penn State, 27-24, and punch its ticket to Atlanta for the Jan. 20 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. There, the Fighting Irish will face Ohio State or Texas.Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to break it all down. Orange Bowl Defensive MVP Christian Gray came up with the timely interception to set up Mitch Jeter's game-winning field goal. Riley Leonard won Offensive MVP honors, but not without some help from backup QB

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