Notre Dame and coach Marcus Freeman believe in the importance of good-on-good competition in football. The Irish had a different offseason schedule this year due to their lack of a bowl game and allowing for two months of winter conditioning and drills prior to spring practice. This allowed them to practice more competitive situations than they had previously seen. This is in an attempt to avoid slow starts that have cost them a College Football Playoff spot in 2025. The 95th Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium will provide an opportunity for the team to evaluate players in competitive situations before summer break. Among the transfers Notre Dame brought in this year, Mylan Graham from Ohio State has been a standout.