Jerome Bettis’s son, Jerome Bettis Jr., is suiting up for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish just like his father did decades ago. But the college football world that the Class of 2025 recruit will be part of doesn’t resemble his pop's time in South Bend during the early 1990s.
During our discussion this past Thursday, Bettis was passionate about ripping what the sport has become in the NIL era.
“ One of the first two questions is gonna be money. That was never in the equation. What you used to look for is not necessarily the priority as much. That’s the scary part about this new NIL world that these players are living in. The educational side, I think, is now put on the back burner with the understanding that it's about the NIL and it is about playing time, right? And, I think that's the way this, it's kind of been skewed. I’m not a big fan of, kind of how the process is. I get it. I understand it,” Bettis told me.
“I think the NIL is necessary, but I do believe you've gotta find a way to get the players a little bit more commitment, in a sense that, right now, NIL with the transfer portal makes it a free agency fest. I think it really disrupts a young person's opportunity with the education. Because if I'm transferring year to year, how is the education affected by that? Because ultimately, what I try to make sure of, that the young people understand when I'm talking to them, is that even if you do have an incredible NFL career, you may play eight, 10 years.
“You’re gonna be 32, 33, 34 years old. That degree is going to be necessary at some point. You have a long life to live. That education will pay dividends and will be a factor. But if you're not considering it at all, then it can be to your detriment.”
Jerome Bettis on Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s QB competition
One of the topics I asked Bettis about was his thoughts on Notre Dame’s quarterback competition.
His son is a 3-star true freshman receiver who may not see snaps until next season, but Bettis still appreciates what Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff have done at the position with CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey competing for the starting job.
Bettis likes that the program didn’t go big-fish hunting in the transfer portal like they did the last few years with Riley Leonard and Sam Hartman.
“ I think it's healthy. It gives the school an opportunity to now have two quality quarterbacks, right? Regardless of who wins, you've got two quality quarterbacks. So you hope that it doesn't end in a guy leaving in the fall right before the season starts, but you hope that the best player wins, and that provides the offense an opportunity to be really good. But you also have an opportunity now, you've got two really good quarterbacks, and if one guy should falter a little bit, you've got another guy who can come in and provide a possible spark. So I think it's a good place that Notre Dame is in, one that they hadn't been in,” Bettis said.
“You know, I think the last four or five years have always been, there's been some transfer guys. Coming in, coming in, coming in. And you haven't had an opportunity to really develop from within. I think that affects the culture of your football team. So to have one of these guys come from their ranks, develop them and win the job, and become the starting quarterback, I think it's gonna do wonders for the culture at Notre Dame.
“But also, the players, because all the receivers have caught passes from both quarterbacks, they know them intimately. So they're going to get behind whichever guy is the starter because they've been following them the last year and a half, catching passes from them, following their lead in terms of on the field, off the field. So I just think it creates a really good culture in terms of having the quarterback in-house that everybody's going to get behind and lead the charge with.”
Who Freeman and Co. will roll with under center this season is unclear at the moment. “The Bus” is clearly confident in either option for his son and his alma mater’s offense moving forward.
Bettis provided media availability ahead of the 2025 American Century Championship at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort from July 9-13. Bettis will be one of the 91 competitors in Stateline, Nevada, for the annual celebrity golf tournament, which will be broadcast on NBC, Peacock, and the GOLF Channel.