Notre Dame is heading into the 2026 season with national title buzz, but the Fighting Irish are doing it in a way that cuts against one of college football’s oldest assumptions. The conventional wisdom says veteran teams win. This Notre Dame roster says otherwise.
The Irish enter the fall with the 10th-youngest roster in the country, averaging 19.97 years old. That puts them among just 16 teams nationwide with an average age under 20. In a sport where experience usually gets treated like currency, Notre Dame is bringing a notably young group to the table.
A big part of that comes from the quarterback spot. CJ Carr, a third-year sophomore, is set to lead the offense after Notre Dame spent recent seasons leaning on veteran transfers Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard. That shift alone changes the feel of the roster.
There’s also the departure of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, both of whom were eligible to return but instead chose to head to the NFL. Keeping either one around would have pushed the Irish closer to the older, more experienced profile that so many contenders chase.
Notre Dame is not alone in bucking the age-is-everything theory. Ohio State is even younger, with a roster average of 19.98 years old and a national rank of 128th. Georgia is the youngest team in the country at 19.81, while Texas sits just behind at 19.86.
At the other end of the scale, Nebraska stands out as the best team among the Top 40 oldest rosters, with Matt Rhule’s squad averaging 20.51 years per player. The oldest team in the country, UTSA, has had some success in its conference, but it is not exactly the standard-bearer for the sport.
Notre Dame has actually been older in recent years than it is right now, which makes this season’s setup even more unusual. The Irish are trying to chase a title while carrying one of the youngest rosters in the country, and that alone makes them one of the most interesting teams to watch this fall.
In Other News...
Former Notre Dame Quarterback Is Suddenly Carrying Unfinished Business Into 2026
Steve Angelis path back to the field has him in a familiar kind of spotlight for Notre Dame followers, only this time it comes in Syracuse colors. After competing for the starting job in South Bend and transferring to the Orange, the former Irish quarterback is expected to open 2026 as Syracuses starter, a role he was building toward before a knee injury ended his 2025 season early. Angeli has been open about how much his time at Notre Dame shaped his development, and he says he is ready to lead again.
For Syracuse, the appeal is obvious: Angeli showed real progress in his first season with the Orange before the injury interrupted it, and now the next step is getting him back to full form and back under center. For Notre Dame, the storyline is a little more personal, because the quarterback who once battled for the job in South Bend is suddenly carrying unfinished business into a new season, with one more high-profile reunion still looming on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Took A Brutal In-State Recruiting Gut Punch
Monshun Sales had long looked like the kind of in-state star Notre Dame would have to fend off if it wanted to keep the states best talent close to home. The 5-star wide receiver from Indiana had been viewed as a strong Irish target, and his profile only grew louder after a standout season in which he showed why he sits among the elite players in the 2027 class.
Instead, the latest turn in his recruitment landed as a major win for Indiana University, which secured the commitment of the top player in the state and the highest-ranked prospect in Indiana history. For Notre Dame, it is a painful reminder that even when the Irish are in the mix for a premier local recruit, the final stretch of a chase can still break the other way. [Read more 🡒]
Jadarian Price Suddenly Has A Real Chance To Matter In Seattle
Jadarian Price arrived at Seahawks training camp with the kind of opening that can change a depth chart fast. The former Notre Dame back, a late first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is suddenly in position to matter right away in Seattle after the teams backfield thinned out, and head coach Mike Macdonald has already pointed to Prices versatility as a reason he could be more than just a spot contributor.
Prices college resume suggests why Seattle is leaning in. At Notre Dame, he topped 1,300 rushing yards and scored 18 touchdowns while also flashing as a receiver and a kick returner, the sort of all-purpose profile that fits a staff looking for help in the run game, passing game and on special teams. The question now is how quickly that variety turns into real snaps once the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]