Notre Dame doesn’t need to wait for Miami to start learning something real about its offense. Saturday’s game against Navy should tell the Irish plenty - about the structure, the personnel and whether Mike Denbrock is willing to loosen the grip on a unit that’s been too careful for its own good.
The assignment is simple on paper and a lot messier on the field: stop playing so vanilla. Notre Dame has stayed out of negative plays, but that caution has come with a cost.
The offense has lost explosiveness, and junior quarterback CJ Carr hasn’t looked like the preseason Heisman hopeful people expected to see through October. He’s carrying too much pre-snap, and it’s showing after the snap, too.
The Irish need to stop chasing the “perfect play” and start pushing the ball downfield again. That’s where Carr made his name last year as a first time starter, and that’s where this offense needs him now.
The passing game also needs a wider cast. Against BYU, Jordan Faison, Micah Gilbert and Jaden Greathouse combined for 235 snaps.
Everyone else at receiver was basically an afterthought, with the only other wideout on October 17 getting just two snaps. The coaches have downplayed that as a byproduct of how the BYU game unfolded, but the snap counts tell a different story.
Navy gives Notre Dame a clean chance to open things up, and if players like Mylan Graham, Bubba Frazier, Elijah Burress or others can’t get on the field in meaningful moments here, it’s hard to imagine that changing later in the season.
There’s also a situational problem that needs attention. Third down, the red zone and the opening drives of halves have not been strengths for this offense.
Notre Dame ranks 53rd nationally in red zone offense and 37th in third down conversions, numbers that don’t exactly scream championship-level efficiency. In the 12 halves the Irish have played against their six P4 opponents, they’ve scored touchdowns on the opening drive of the first or third quarter only twice.
One came against North Carolina in the second half. The other came to start the game against Stanford, when the defense handed them an 18-yard field.
If Notre Dame wants the offense to look sharper and more dangerous, these are the moments that have to improve.
Micah Gilbert has a chance to get right against a Navy secondary that has had a rough season. Gilbert was rolling through the first four games, then his production dipped over the last three.
On Saturday, he’ll see Irabonoise Oniha, who has given up 243 receiving yards on 16 receptions and two touchdowns. That’s the kind of matchup a receiver should circle, and Gilbert needs to take advantage of it as a boundary option for Carr.
The same goes for Denbrock’s chess match with Eric Lewis. Navy’s first-year defensive coordinator has a rush defense that remains solid, but the Midshipmen have vulnerabilities in the passing game.
After Notre Dame struggled to find rhythm through the air against BYU, this feels like the right spot for Denbrock to scheme up answers and get the offense moving. His season has been uneven so far, but with Miami looming, this is the kind of game where the pass game has to get going.
And then there’s Mylan Graham, the Ohio State transfer who has been mentioned repeatedly in connection with a bigger role. This looks like the week to make that happen.
If Faison, Greathouse and Gilbert combined for 235 snaps in the last game, there’s little reason any of them should be pushed beyond 35 in this one. Graham gives Notre Dame something different at receiver, and getting him involved against Navy could do real damage to the Irish pass game moving forward.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Is Still Waiting On A Return That Could Change Its Defense
Brauntae Johnsons absence has already stretched well beyond what Notre Dame initially expected, leaving the Fighting Irish without a safety many around the program believed would be back in a matter of weeks. Instead, the injury has kept him sidelined for more than half the season, and the defense has had to keep moving without one of its more promising pieces.
The outlook around the program has stayed upbeat, though, with teammates and coaches continuing to sound hopeful about his recovery. Notre Dame is eyeing a possible return for the Miami or SMU games, and if Johnson does get back in time, it could give the defense a noticeable lift at just the right moment. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Is Doing What It Takes To Keep A 5-Star Locked In
When a five-star recruit takes a bye week, Notre Dame is making sure the relationship stays front and center. Marcus Freeman and Charlie Partridge recently visited Abraham Sesay during his high school break, a reminder that the Irish are treating the 2027 edge rusher like a priority long after his June 2026 commitment. Partridge even stayed to watch a game after Sesay exited early with an injury, a small gesture that still says plenty about how seriously Notre Dame is approaching the recruitment.
Sesay has plenty of reason to stay on the programs radar, too. The five-star from the 2027 class chose Notre Dame over several major programs, and his profile keeps rising with a Navy All-American honor coming at a school pep rally before he heads to the East vs. West All-American Bowl in January 2027. For the Irish, the next challenge is less about winning him over and more about making sure that commitment keeps holding as the spotlight gets brighter. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Has Too Much NFL Talent For This Start
Even after a loss to BYU, there is no shortage of NFL-caliber talent on Notre Dames roster, and ESPNs Mel Kiper underscored that in his latest 2027 mock draft. Kiper placed five Irish players among the top five at their positions, a reminder that this team is stocked with prospects who are already drawing national attention. Leonard Moore came in as the No. 1 cornerback, while Brauntae Johnson was slotted as the top safety despite limited playtime this season.
For Notre Dame, that kind of preseason and early-season respect only raises the pressure to translate potential into results. Marcus Freemans demeanor after the BYU loss suggested a coach who knows the standard is higher than what the Irish showed, and the roster rankings only sharpen the spotlight on a group expected to look much further along. The talent is obvious, but the challenge now is proving it in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]