The best Notre Dame news from Sunday might be the kind that changes everything before Week 1 even arrives: Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa looks ready to go.
After the team’s latest practice, Viliamu-Asa said he is full contact and no longer wearing a knee brace. That matters because it comes just nine months after he tore his ACL. For Notre Dame, it’s a major development for a linebacker who could be back in the mix quickly and help make an already elite defense even more dangerous.
There was other Notre Dame news on the board too, starting with the women’s soccer team, which still hasn’t found its footing this season. The No. 2 team in the country opened with a draw, then followed it up with another one, this time a 2-2 result against heavy underdog Penn State. A tie is better than a loss, sure, but the Irish would have to feel like they should be sitting at 2-0 instead.
On the football side, the AP preseason poll is set to come out later Monday morning, and Notre Dame is expected to be in it. Most people figure the Irish will land in the Top 5.
The more interesting question may be how many of their opponents show up in the first poll of the year. With so many analysts taking shots at Marcus Freeman’s schedule and calling it soft, having Miami, BYU, and SMU in the preseason Top 25 would at least blunt that talking point a bit.
And of course, Notre Dame is still drawing heat from outside the building. Danny Kannell took another swipe at the Irish this weekend while piling on comments from Indiana coach Curt Cignetti about scheduling a series with Notre Dame. Cignetti said the Hoosiers should get two home games and Notre Dame should get one because the Irish are independent.
Kannell added his own line to the mix, saying, "We need more people to call out Notre Dame and their sweetheart deal as an independent." The former Florida State quarterback has made a habit of saying things like that, and this one fit right into the pattern.
Elsewhere in the college football world, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin said the NCAA should let players from the 2022 class come back for one more season. Those players are not grandfathered in under the new 5-for-5 eligibility ruling.
“Obviously, not a very clean system right now of how that is,” Kiffin said. “We just try to prepare.
If it’s ruled that way and these guys can play and they can go everywhere, which I would think you have to. If someone’s going to rule that they’re eligible to play, and they get the year back, the 2022s, in fairness to them, how could you possibly limit them?”
In Other News...
Notre Dame Is Back At The Center Of College Footballs Same Debate
Curt Cignetti brought an old argument back to the surface this week, taking aim at Notre Dames football independence and suggesting the Irish ought to be willing to play more games at Indianas home field. The Indiana coachs comments drew an immediate boost from former Florida State quarterback and analyst Danny Kanell, who backed Cignetti publicly and questioned the advantages Notre Dame enjoys as one of college footballs last true independents.
The backdrop matters here: Indiana had previously backed out of a scheduled home-and-home series with Notre Dame, and Cignettis critique came in the shadow of that decision. For Notre Dame, it is the kind of familiar debate that never really goes away, with independence remaining both a point of pride and a target for critics who see an uneven playing field. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames Defensive Depth Battle Is Starting To Get Interesting
Notre Dames secondary is starting to look like a much more crowded room than it was a year ago, and defensive coordinator Chris Ash is already feeling that in the cornerback and nickel competition. He pointed to a deeper group that now includes Jayden Sanders, Leonard Moore, Christian Gray and Mark Zackary, a mix that gives the Irish more options and more pressure points as camp unfolds.
Among the most interesting pieces is DJ McKinney, whose talent and experience stand out, even as Ash said he still has to get comfortable in the system. Jaylen Sneed is another name worth tracking on the defensive side, with Ash noting his growth as a pass rusher and his readiness to battle for playing time as Notre Dame looks to sort out its rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Florida's Receiver Crowd Just Added More Pressure On Billy Napier
Notre Dames wide receiver room is getting a different kind of offseason buzz, and it starts with the two newcomers who arrived with real reputations attached. Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham are both included in a recent look at five transfer wideouts who could break out in 2026, a list that also spans Michigan, Florida and Ole Miss. For the Irish, the appeal is straightforward: both players come in with the kind of pedigree that keeps a staff interested long after the transfer portal dust settles, and both are expected to have a chance to matter in a room that always gets evaluated with championship standards.
The broader piece treats them as part of a larger wave of receivers changing schools and trying to turn previous promise into production in new uniforms. Porter and Graham are being slotted into roles where opportunity matters as much as talent, and Notre Dame will be watching closely to see which of the two can carve out the bigger lane. In a market where breakout candidates often decide how deep a receiver group can go, their development feels like one of those storylines that could end up shaping the Irish offense more than it does now. [Read more 🡒]