On New Year's Night, the Notre Dame football team will play in one of the biggest games in program history. The matchup? Against the SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs, the second ranked seed in this year's College Football Playoff. As the Fighting Irish prepare for the matchup, head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff, most notably receivers coach Mike Brown, were able to lock in a new addition via the transfer portal. Former Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Will Pauling announced on X, formerly Twitter, that he was joining the Notre Dame football program.

“Following God's Lead 🍀 #GoIrish #Committed. 2 Corinthians 5:7,” posted Pauling on the social media platform.

The Fighting Irish are set to lose a good amount of talent from this year's quarterfinalist squad and will need to replace them with both experienced players and younger talent. Pauling fits the former description, as he is finishing off his second season with the Badgers. Prior to his time in Madison, he was with the Cincinnati Bearcats for two years. During those stops, he played under Brown's tutelage. Now he leaves Luke Fickell, the only head coach he's played for in college, to join Notre Dame's football program. Will he step up and lead a Fighting Irish receiving room that will need his leadership? That is something that Freeman and his staff would love to see over the next year.

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Can Notre Dame football continue march through CFP?

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates after winning the first round of the College Football Playoff 27-17 against Indiana at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bend.
Mandatory Credit: © MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Georgia looms ahead for Notre Dame, as the team looks to build off their strong start in the first round. The Irish handily defeated 10th-ranked Indiana 27-17 in South Bend. They showed just how good they can be when everything clicks. They took one of the top teams in what is arguably the best conference in college football (the Big Ten) and dominated in all three phases of the game. Can they bring that level of dominance to New Orleans on New Year's Night?

Even though Georgia is missing starting quarterback Carson Beck, this is an opportunity that backup Gunner Stockton has been waiting for. The sophomore signal caller helped lead the Bulldogs to a victory in the SEC Championship game when Beck went down, so it is already apparent that the spotlight isn't too big for him. Georgia's staff will make sure Stockton is as ready as he can be against a Notre Dame defense that is among the nation's best. Will the Irish be able to shut down the Bulldogs with Stockton at the helm? If so, a date in Miami on January 9th awaits.