Greg McElroy thinks Notre Dame is set up to stack wins in 2026, and he didn’t exactly whisper it.
On a recent podcast, the analyst made his strongest case yet for the Fighting Irish, saying they could finish with more victories than any other power conference team in the country. He pointed to the kind of stability that has become rare in college football, especially at quarterback, and said Notre Dame has a real edge because it has avoided the kind of Transfer Portal turnover that can hit a roster where it matters most.
“Notre Dame is going to win more games than Ohio State, Oregon, and Georgia this year," McElroy said. "Quarterback continuity is massive.
It's a huge and underrated commodity in the sport. And the Irish, they have- both their quarterback back, the coordinator back, and a top five defense attached to it as well."
That quarterback is CJ Carr, who returns for another season as the starter, and McElroy believes that continuity could help Marcus Freeman’s team make a major run. He also argued that the same factor that hurt Notre Dame last year could work in its favor this time around.
“Notre Dame is going to win more games than Ohio State, Oregon and Georgia this year…I think Notre Dame will have the most wins in the college football regular season this upcoming year.” - @GregMcElroy
The Fighting Irish might be destined to go 12-0. pic.twitter.com/O0z9p0x6Q9
- Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) July 1, 2026
McElroy said the Irish benefit from schedule independence, even though that same setup “kind of bit them last year.” This time, he sees the other side of that coin: no conference title game waiting to knock them down a peg, and a schedule that should leave them favored in nearly every matchup.
"You also look at the schedule independence. It kind of bit them last year.
Well, it cuts the other way. conference title, being there to knock you down a peg, is also something that's challenging. And if you look at their schedule, they should be favored by just about everybody they play.
So I think Notre Dame will have the most wins in college football regular season this upcoming year."
McElroy stopped short of saying Notre Dame will win the national title, but the logic is obvious: if the Irish pile up the most regular-season wins, they’re putting themselves in a strong position to reach the College Football Playoff. And with so many analysts already buying into Notre Dame’s 2026 outlook, the wait for September is getting harder by the day.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Suddenly Has A New Name In Its Tight End Battle
Jack Larsen quietly carved out a little more space in Notre Dames tight end picture during the 2025 season, appearing in seven games and picking up his first collegiate catch along the way. The sophomore has drawn notice for his strong hands, and with a deep, talented room around him, he has become one of the more interesting players to watch as the Irish sort through their next wave of options at the position.
Larsens path to a bigger role is still tied to the finer points of his game, especially as a blocker, but the momentum around him is real. Coaches and analysts believe he can keep trending upward and eventually become more than just a complementary piece, which is why his name is starting to surface in conversations about Notre Dames 2026 tight end rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Still Has One Lingering Concern About Jaden Greathouse
Jaden Greathouses postseason surge against Penn State and Ohio State only reinforced why Notre Dame views him as such a dangerous playmaker. He finished those games with 13 catches on 14 targets for 231 yards and three touchdowns, the kind of production that can tilt a playoff run, and it came after a 2025 season that was largely derailed by a hamstring injury.
Even so, the Irish are still treating his comeback carefully. Greathouse was only a limited presence in spring practice in 2026, and Marcus Freeman has made it clear the staff has to be smart with his return to play rather than trying to rush him back from 0 to 100. For a player who has already shown how valuable he can be when healthy, the lingering question is less about talent than about how soon Notre Dame can count on him every week. [Read more 🡒]