Notre Dame may be catching Wisconsin at exactly the right moment.
The Badgers got a mixed injury update ahead of the season opener, and the part that matters most for the Fighting Irish comes at right tackle. Pete Thamel reported that Kevin Heywood is expected to play, while Emerson Mandell is not. That sounds like a win for Wisconsin on the surface, but for Notre Dame it may be the kind of news that invites pressure from the opening snap.
Heywood’s presence does not exactly scream stability. He did not play a single game in 2025, and in 2024 he appeared in only seven games while logging just 72 snaps.
If Notre Dame’s defensive front is looking for a place to attack, that side of the line stands out immediately. There is also an opening at right guard, where a fill-in will be asked to handle one of the sport’s most aggressive defensive units.
That puts Wisconsin in a tricky spot before the season even gets going. It’s the first game, the Badgers are already sorting through the depth chart, and Luke Fickell’s staff knows this is a make-or-break year. The Irish have a chance to make that reality feel very real, very fast.
And the cleanest way to do it is simple: make life miserable for Colton Joseph. If Notre Dame can force him to scramble on passing downs over and over, the Irish can put Wisconsin under immediate pressure and maybe crack the Badgers’ season before it ever settles in.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Just Made A Huge Uniform Change For The Future
Notre Dame is entering a new commercial era, one that will show up right on the jersey. The school announced a partnership with SoFi that will bring the first-ever Fighting Irish uniform patch beginning in the 2026 season, a notable shift for a program that has long prized its traditional look. Beyond the visual change, the deal is reportedly worth between $18 million and $20 million annually over six years, giving Notre Dame Athletics a major boost at a time when schools are leaning harder than ever on outside revenue.
The agreement is bigger than branding, though, because it also comes with initiatives aimed at supporting student-athletes. Those plans include scholarships, financial education and career development resources, which gives the partnership a broader purpose than simply putting a logo on a jersey. Still, the patch itself will be the most visible reminder of how much the business side of college sports has changed, and Notre Dame will soon be asking fans to get used to a look that would have once seemed almost unthinkable. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Has A Real Concern With Champ Monds Now
Champ Monds senior season has come to an abrupt end, leaving Notre Dame with a real concern around one of its quarterback commitments. The Irish pledge said on Instagram that an unexpected procedure on his non-throwing arm will keep him out for the rest of the year, a frustrating development after a year in which he had hoped to finish strong before arriving in South Bend.
Monds message struck an upbeat note, thanking his current team and saying he is excited about his future at Notre Dame, but the larger picture is harder to ignore. This is the second straight season in which injury has cut his year short, and for a quarterback recruit, repeated interruptions at this stage are never ideal as the next step in his development now waits on the other side of recovery. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Is In The Mix For A Recruit Fans Need To Watch
Grant Bowen has become one of the more intriguing names on Notre Dames recruiting board, and for good reason. The Elmhurst Immaculate Conception standout has piled up more than 30 college offers by showing he can impact a game on both sides of the ball, lining up as a tight end and an edge rusher. His national profile reflects that versatility, too, with 247Sports placing him No. 102 overall and No. 6 in Illinois.
Notre Dame jumped into the picture on Jan. 30, and the Irish have made their interest clear through the offensive staff. For a program that keeps close tabs on Midwest talent and values players who can be molded into multiple roles, Bowen fits the kind of recruit that can stay on the radar for a while. The only real question now is how serious the push becomes as the process unfolds. [Read more 🡒]