Marcus Freeman keeps adding to Notre Dame’s most unusual recruiting advantage: the kind of trust that comes from former NFL stars.
That theme surfaced again during Freeman’s appearance on a recent episode of the Triple Option podcast, when Mark Ingram II brought up the growing number of sons of ex-pros landing in South Bend. Ingram, the former Alabama running back, pointed to the “nine current legacies of former NFL players” on Notre Dame’s roster and said he believed there had been “15 over the five years (that Freeman has coached Notre Dame).” He then asked Freeman whether the staff was actively targeting that profile and what the deciding factor is for families choosing the Irish.
Freeman’s response started with a joke that Notre Dame might have to come after Ingram’s son next. Ingram didn’t exactly shut the door. He fired back, “People ask me who I want him to play for, hey, Notre Dame!”
Later, Ingram made it clear how strong that pull would be if Freeman were still in charge when his son reaches college age. “If you're still there, you are right there at the top for Mark Ingram³.” The exchange underscored something Notre Dame has been building under Freeman: a reputation that reaches beyond the usual recruiting circles and into NFL families that have no problem sending their kids to South Bend.
Freeman laid out the pitch in plain terms. He said his staff can help these players develop the kind of talent that gets them to the NFL and allows them to perform at a high level, just like their fathers did.
But he also stressed the part of the conversation that matters once football ends. College can feel endless to a young player, Freeman explained, but the game does not last forever.
That’s where Notre Dame’s other selling point comes in. Freeman and his staff have long emphasized life after football, and the school’s education gives players a foundation for what comes next. That message has clearly stuck with recruits and parents, because the conversations around the program keep coming back to the same idea: Notre Dame is about what happens on the field, and what happens when the cleats come off.
That consistency has turned into word of mouth, and word of mouth has turned into something of a pipeline. Former NFL players with no Notre Dame ties during their own careers have become comfortable sending their sons to the Irish, including Plaxico Burress with Elijah Burress. Add in Hall of Famers like Jerome Bettis and Larry Fitzgerald’s kids playing there, and the pattern is hard to miss.
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Notre Dame Defense Faces An Early Test Wisconsin Could Exploit
Notre Dame is already looking ahead to a Week 1 measuring stick in 2026, and the assignment comes with a different kind of stress than the usual opener. Wisconsin is expected to show up with a revamped offense, and the Irish know the first challenge is identifying how quickly that unit can settle in under a new quarterback and a new set of wrinkles. For Notre Dames defense, the early emphasis is straightforward: stop the run, force clean reads and make the Badgers work for every yard.
The key figure in all of it is Colton Joseph, a dual-threat quarterback who gives Wisconsin a wider range of answers than it had before. Notre Dames front will need to be disciplined enough to keep him in the pocket, because once a quarterback with his mobility starts extending plays, the whole structure of a defense can get stressed in a hurry. For the Irish, the opener is less about surviving August football and more about proving they can handle an offense that may look different, move differently and force them to adjust from the first series. [Read more 🡒]
Adon Shuler Carries Heavy Emotion Into A Powerful Notre Dame Moment
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Marcus Freeman has pointed to Shulers strength in the face of all of it, noting the way the safety has stayed focused on both family and team through a difficult stretch. For Notre Dame, Shulers presence is about more than one game in August - it is a reminder of the leadership role he carries and the emotional weight behind it. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Enters 2026 With National Title Pressure Building
Notre Dame is already carrying plenty of weight into 2026, and the preseason buzz only adds to it. More than 50 college football experts were asked to pick the most likely national champion, and the Fighting Irish came out on top, with 16 analysts backing them, more than any other program by a wide margin. Add in a No. 4 spot in the preseason AP poll and a roster that brings back key pieces such as quarterback CJ Carr and cornerback Leonard Moore, and there is no shortage of belief around South Bend.
The schedule will help shape whether all that optimism sticks. Notre Dame opens against Wisconsin, then gets tested later by BYU and Miami in games that should provide an early read on how far the roster has come since last season. For a program with championship expectations starting to harden before the first snap, those matchups will matter almost as much as the rankings and preseason talk. [Read more 🡒]