Tim Priestler of Tim O'Malley and John Bryce outside of Notre Dame Stadium.

Notre Dame just completed their first practice of the 2024 preseason.

Had an opportunity to spend about 25 minutes with Marcus Freeman and probably the best news.

We have a lot to talk about, but the best news is that Benjamin Morrison was running around there making plays.

Nobody's talking about, you know, live stuff and contact yet, but he was running around mixing it up.

And Marcus Freeman also said that him, Morrison, along with Evans, Mitchell Evans, will be ready to go when Texas A&M rolls around on August 31st.

Not the most important thing for Morrison was there was a rep where he broke up a pass downfield.

And, you know, they're not wearing pads, so it wasn't a contact drill.

He tried to dive on the fumble.

That's when, you know, Benjamin Morrison is okay.

He's diving on a fumble in a non-contract drill.

So that's by far the best news.

That was my major concern.

Would he be available for Texas A&M?

Now he would have to be re-injured, not to be available for Texas AIM the way he's playing.

Mitch Ellumns did have a lighter day than Benjamin Morrison. He was repping in skeleton drills, and that's great too. He has a brace on. Kevin Bauman does not.

No brace for Kevin Bauman is something I didn't think you'd ever see because he suffered so many injuries.

And to that point, T.O., I believe that Marks Freeman also said Kevin Bauman would be expected to join that duo in terms of being available for the opener.

I saw the rep that you're talking about with Ben Morrison.

That's a new sort of focal point for the defense this year, even on incomplete passes. They are being coached to scoop and score,

scoop the ball up, run down field, really have some energy there. And Ben Morrison looked like

a guy who had really missed being on a football field. When he leaped to defend a pass and went to

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