Marcus Freeman has already done enough at Notre Dame to make the move feel obvious in hindsight. He was the favorite to replace Brian Kelly, and once Kelly left for LSU, Freeman stepped in and kept the Irish pointed toward the top of the sport. Four seasons into the job, he’s sitting on a 43-12 record, and after taking Notre Dame to the CFBPO National Championship Game in 2024, the expectations in South Bend are no mystery.
That doesn’t mean the ride has been spotless. Even in a 14-2 season, Notre Dame still stumbled in games it should have handled, including losses to Marshall and Northern Illinois, and it let a few bigger moments slip away, too, like the Ohio State game. Then came the decision to sit out of the Pop-Tarts Bowl invite in ‘25, a move that did not exactly help the program’s image.
Still, the numbers around this team scream contender.
Notre Dame’s last three prep recruiting classes have averaged 9th nationally, and its portal classes rank 36th, which puts the Irish at 22nd in acquisition. On the field, Bill Connelly’s preseason SP+ has Notre Dame 3rd overall.
The offense checks in 3rd, the defense 9th, and the kicking game 47th. OC Mike Denbrock and DC Chris Ash are both back for ‘26, giving Freeman continuity on both sides of the ball.
The bigger question is whether there’s really a bottleneck here beyond Notre Dame getting in its own way. A year ago, the Irish lost just two games by a combined four points.
One was a three-point loss to the Hurricanes, the other a one-point loss to Texas A&M. But because Notre Dame isn’t in a conference, and with 9-win Boise State and USC standing as its “best” wins, the Irish were left out of the CFB Playoff.
Now the rules have been skewed in Notre Dame’s favor again. If the Irish are ranked 12th or higher, they’re in the playoff no matter what the résumé looks like, no matter the bad losses, and no matter how much people want to argue about quality of wins.
The roster gives Freeman a real shot to cash that in.
Notre Dame ranks 1st in returning production, bringing back 72% from last season even without Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price. Only two transfers are projected to start, both on defense, and there are just seven transfers on the two-deep. The Irish also have five On3 top-100 players and three Athlon preseason All-Americans, which is a strong mix of top-end talent and depth.
CJ Carr is back after a major leap in his first season as the starter. He threw 24 touchdowns against only six interceptions in ‘25, and he’ll have help around him again. Jordan Faison returns after scoring four touchdowns, and Jaden Greathouse is back from injury after averaging 18.3 yards per catch.
The defense has its own headline names. Cornerback Leonard Moore, the 3rd best player in the nation per On3, returns after picking off five passes and breaking up seven more in ‘25. Defensive end Boubacar Traore is also back after posting 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
There’s also a broader point about what Notre Dame can offer. The Irish are the only team on Miami’s schedule that can match the Hurricanes in infrastructure, facilities, NIL, and talent on the field.
And Freeman has already made himself expensive in the best possible way. Notre Dame is paying around $1M per win, even with his salary expected to top $10M per season. He averages 10 wins a year, right in line with Dabo Swinney, and the Irish should do whatever they can to keep him away from the NFL or Ohio State if Ryan Day ever leaves Columbus.
So what’s the standard in South Bend for 2026? It should still be the playoff.
In fact, a final four appearance feels like the floor. Notre Dame’s three toughest games are manageable on paper, with only one on the road at BYU.
The other two, SMU and Miami, come at home.
In Other News...
Miami Is Suddenly Closing In On A Defining Local Recruiting Moment
Amir Sears move up a class has turned a familiar local recruiting battle into something much bigger for Miami. The Columbus High School standout, long viewed as the top athlete in the 2028 class, is now set to enter the 2027 cycle, and that shift immediately puts him on the same timeline as the Hurricanes next major recruiting push. For a program trying to stack elite talent close to home, it is the kind of development that can change the shape of a class in a hurry.
Sears has been heavily recruited by Miami and several other top programs, but the local angle gives the Hurricanes a real chance to make this feel like more than just another national chase. Columbus sits in Miami, and the relationship between the school and the program only adds to the intrigue as the calendar moves toward his decision. If the Hurricanes can keep momentum here, it would be another major addition to a 2027 class that is already drawing attention. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Recruiting Buzz Hints At Another Massive Cristobal Class Moment
Mario Cristobal has spent the early stretch of the cycle building Miamis next wave on more than one front, and the 2027 and 2028 boards are already starting to look like the kind of classes that can change the conversation around the program. The Hurricanes already hold commitments from offensive lineman Kweli Fielder and quarterback Knox Annis, and they are still pushing hard on a group that includes elite edge rusher Asher Ghioto and running back Xander Edwards while welcoming a steady stream of high-end visitors to campus.
Amir Sears is the name that has the recruiting buzz humming right now, especially after his move into the 2027 class gave Miami another chance to strike early with a premium athlete. The Hurricanes are also lining up fall visits from out-of-state talent such as edge rusher Kameron McGee and cornerback Jordan Hicks, which only adds to the sense that Cristobals staff is trying to stack one big class moment on top of another before the season even settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Ahmad Moten Is Back To Finish What Miami Started
Ahmad Moten Sr. gives Miami something every contender wants and few actually keep: a proven interior force who already knows the standard in Coral Gables. The defensive tackle is back for another season, a move that instantly steadies a front seven that will have to absorb some turnover while the Hurricanes try to carry over the edge they showed on defense last year. Personnel staffers around the sport have taken notice, too, with Moten landing among the top returning defensive players in college football.
For Miami, his return matters because the Hurricanes are not rebuilding so much as reloading around a defense that finished near the top nationally and now has to blend in new pieces from the transfer portal. Motens presence helps anchor that transition, especially with the line losing key pass rushers and the pressure on the unit to stay disruptive from the middle out. The bigger question is how high Miami can climb if one of its most trusted defenders is back in place and the rest of the front keeps pace. [Read more 🡒]