Notre Dame made an impressive run to the College Football Playoff National Championship but fell short against Ohio State. Such a deep postseason push often leads to staff turnover, but losing a key figure to a rival adds another layer of complexity. General Manager Chad Bowden has left Notre Dame for the same role at USC, prompting the Fighting Irish to search for his replacement.
Now, Notre Dame is targeting Texas Tech’s James Blanchard for the GM position. According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports and 247Sports, Blanchard is regarded as one of the top front-office minds in college football.
Blanchard was brought to Texas Tech by head coach Joey McGuire, who has long praised his ability to scout talent and build meaningful relationships.
“The two things that stick out to me about James Blanchard—one is his eye for talent, how he evaluates, but also the way he connects and builds relationships,” McGuire said in 2022. “I’ve seen a lot of evaluators who lack personality, and others who excel in relationships but aren’t great evaluators. He has it all.”
