Notre Dame’s recruiting board may be about to add another name in the 2028 class, and this one comes on the offensive line. On Wednesday, On3 analysts began making predictions, and one of them pointed to Kajus Muralis as a future Fighting Irish commit. It’s not being framed as a done deal anytime soon, but it does suggest Notre Dame is in position to land its first 2028 offensive line pledge after already securing at least six linemen in the 2027 cycle.
That kind of momentum has been showing up elsewhere in the class, too. Andre Jones and Owen Davies both committed to Marcus Freeman and Co. in June, part of a stretch that has seen 2028 prospects move faster than usual.
Another recruiting thread worth watching involves Julian Bruno. Notre Dame’s relationship with the prospect is still in the early stages, but the offer clearly made an impact.
“My reaction was excitement,” Bruno told Irish Sports Daily not long after receiving the offer. “I was extremely happy and the first thing I did was go to my dad's room and tell him the news.”
That chase figures to stay active over the next year.
On the field side, Jordan Faison is getting some serious NFL buzz. CBS Sports’ Mike Renner recently projected the Notre Dame wide receiver as a first round pick in next spring’s 2027 NFL Draft.
Faison’s path is a unique one: he originally walked on to Notre Dame because he wanted to keep playing both football and lacrosse. After excelling in both sports, he earned a scholarship from Marcus Freeman and Co. and eventually chose to pursue football full time, seeing a route to the NFL.
Renner sees it, too.
There’s also a little off-field drama circling Cincinnati, with Notre Dame adjacent to the story. Brendan Sorsby and Texas Tech took the “most hated” crown away from the Fighting Irish this summer after the player and program drew attention for their handling of gambling issues.
One of the stranger parts of the situation was that Cincinnati seemed to avoid much of the blame, despite reports that the Bearcats knew Sorsby bet on games while he was with UC. He also reportedly bet on Indiana when he was with the Hoosiers at the start of his career.
Now that Texas Tech and Sorsby have split, and the quarterback knows he won’t be playing professional football until next year at the earliest, the focus is shifting. On Wednesday, Yahoo Sports reported that the NCAA has sent a letter of inquiry to the University of Cincinnati tied to Sorsby’s time there.
The report noted that such a letter is not unusual and does not automatically point to wrongdoing, but it often opens the door to an investigation into possible rules violations, usually with the school involved. It’s a situation worth monitoring.
Notre Dame also has a big stage waiting in 2026. The Fighting Irish will open that season at Lambeau Field as part of the Shamrock Series, and the school has already unveiled new uniforms for the game.
Along with the reveal came a video narrated by Marcus Freeman that leaned into Notre Dame’s connection with the Green Bay Packers. “For a century, our stories have been stitched together -- from the 'Golden Boy' Paul Hornung winning titles in both colors to the Notre Dame box formation that defined the early days of Green Bay,” Freeman said.
“We are the outliers. The small town legends.
The independent spirits who believe tradition isn't just something you remember. It's something you wear.”
In Other News...
Notre Dame Freshmen Are Already Creating A New Defensive Debate
Notre Dames latest recruiting haul is already giving the defense something to talk about before the season even gets going. The 2026 class sits at No. 1 nationally in the On3/Rivals rankings, and a few of the freshmen have turned heads in spring work, especially on the defensive line and in the secondary. Rodney Dunham and Joey OBrien were among the names drawing the most attention, while the staff has also liked the early promise from other highly rated newcomers as it starts to picture what this group could become.
The interesting part is how quickly the conversation has shifted from long-term upside to possible near-term roles. Injuries have kept some of those freshmen from getting a full spring showcase, but Notre Dame still sounds confident that this class can help shape the depth chart sooner rather than later. If the early flashes carry into fall camp, the real debate may not be whether the Irish have enough talent in this group, but which first-year defenders are ready to force their way into the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
National Analyst Just Made A Bold Notre Dame Defense Claim
College football analyst David Pollack has Notre Dames linebacker group drawing real national attention heading into the 2026 season, and it is not hard to see why. The Fighting Irish bring back a unit built around Jaiden Ausberry, Drayk Bowen and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, three players who were central to the teams tackling production last season and helped make linebackers one of the defining strengths of the defense.
That kind of continuity matters for a Notre Dame defense that already finished last season ranked among the nations better units and should get another boost from the return of cornerback Leonard Moore. Pollacks take puts the spotlight on a room that has experience, production and plenty of upside, and it leaves the bigger question hanging over South Bend: just how far can that group carry the Irish if it plays up to the billing? [Read more 🡒]
Former Walk-On Luke Talich Has Become A Notre Dame Difference Maker
Luke Talichs rise has been one of the quieter success stories in South Bend, the kind that usually starts on special teams and slowly works its way into the defensive conversation. The senior safety came in as a walk-on, earned a scholarship, and kept building trust with the staff by showing up in the right spots and doing the little things that keep a defense steady.
Now Talich looks like more than a depth piece. He has added muscle, broadened his game and given Notre Dame a versatile defender who can handle responsibilities at safety and in different package looks for coordinator Chris Ash, including work as a strong-side outside linebacker option. For a defense looking for reliable pieces it can move around, Talich has become the sort of player coaches lean on when the game plan gets specific. [Read more 🡒]