Three Irish Named to Walter Camp Preseason All-America Team
Notre Dame will head into the 2026 season with three players already carrying preseason All-America recognition. Offensive lineman Anthonie Knapp, safety Leonard Moore and defensive back Kyngston Viliamu-Asa were all tabbed for the Walter Camp Preseason All-America Team, the organization announced Tuesday from New Haven, Connecticut. Knapp and Moore were tapped for the first team, while Viliamu-Asa landed on the second team.
Founded in 1889, Walter Camp fields the oldest All-America team in college football and remains one of the five organizations whose selections factor into a player's consensus and unanimous All-America status. With three honorees on this year's list, Notre Dame is one of only six programs nationally to place at least that many players on the preseason team — an early signal of how much talent is returning to South Bend this fall.
Anthonie Knapp
Knapp picks up his first Walter Camp preseason nod after starting along Notre Dame's offensive line in 27 games across the last two seasons. He was a driving force behind a rushing attack that ranked among the most efficient in the country a year ago, with the Irish averaging 5.7 yards per carry — tied for third-best in the FBS. Notre Dame topped 200 rushing yards per game and averaged 7.3 yards per play behind Knapp's work up front, underscoring just how much the ground game leaned on his group.
Leonard Moore
Moore returns to the first team for a second consecutive year after a breakout, unanimous All-American campaign. In 10 starts, he paced the Irish with five interceptions — tied for seventh-most nationally — while adding 31.0 total tackles, a forced fumble and seven pass breakups. His signature moment came against Boise State last October, when he came away with three takeaways (two interceptions and a forced fumble) to go with six solo tackles, a performance that earned him both Walter Camp FBS Defensive Player of the Week and Jim Thorpe Award Defensive Back of the Week honors. Moore was also named to the Lott Impact Trophy Watch List last month.
Kyngston Viliamu-Asa
Viliamu-Asa earns his first career preseason All-America honor after a productive sophomore season that saw him appear in 11 games, including two starts, before a late-season injury ended his year early. The Inland Empire, California, native still finished fourth on the team with 48.0 total tackles, adding 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception, two pass breakups and five quarterback hurries. Like Moore, he was named to the Lott Impact Trophy Watch List in May.
With this trio already drawing national recognition before a snap of the 2026 season, Notre Dame's offensive and defensive fronts look poised to anchor another competitive campaign under Marcus Freeman.
five-Star Edge Abraham Sesay Commits to Notre Dame
Charlie Partridge has done it again — and this time, the commitment that landed in South Bend is one that will reverberate across the entire 2027 recruiting landscape.
Abraham Sesay, the five-star edge rusher from Exton, Pa./Downingtown East, has committed to Notre Dame, choosing the Fighting Irish over a finalist group that included LSU, Penn State and Florida State. The 6-foot-4½, 225-pound pass rusher is ranked the No. 27 overall player and No. 6 edge rusher in the class according to the Rivals Industry Ranking — and joins a Notre Dame defensive line class that is rapidly becoming one of the most celebrated position-group recruiting hauls the program has assembled in decades.
The commitment came just two days after Sesay's official visit concluded — a weekend so comprehensive, so genuine and so convincing that the decision required no further deliberation. Notre Dame showed Sesay exactly who they are, exactly what they are building and exactly why South Bend is the right place for a five-star edge rusher with his combination of physical tools, competitive character and academic standards.
The answer was clear. Sesay committed. And Notre Dame's defensive line future just got significantly more dangerous.
The Production
Before the recruiting rankings, before the official visits and before the national attention that comes with being one of the most coveted pass rushers in the 2027 class, Abraham Sesay earned every bit of his recruiting profile the old-fashioned way — by dominating on the field against some of the best competition Pennsylvania high school football provides.
As a junior at Downingtown East, Sesay produced 13 sacks and over 80 tackles — numbers that transformed his recruitment from a regional conversation into a national one almost overnight. After a stretch of campus trips and a near-finalized board, Sesay had narrowed his list to five schools following his breakout junior season, with programs from every major conference competing for his signature.
The production tells only part of the story. Sesay is a multi-sport athlete who also participates in track and field and basketball — a detail that matters enormously in the evaluation of an edge rusher because it speaks directly to the natural athleticism, body control and competitive temperament that translates most powerfully to the pass rush position at the college level. A 6-5 edge rusher who runs track and plays basketball is not just a football player who happens to be tall. He is an elite athlete who plays football — and that distinction changes everything about the ceiling projection.
Sesay earned first-team all-state honors at defensive end for his junior season efforts, along with first-team all-league and county recognition at both defensive end and tight end — a dual recognition that reflects both his defensive dominance and the kind of versatile athleticism that elite college programs covet at the edge position.
The film
Pull up Abraham Sesay's film and the first thing that registers — before the statistics, before the recruiting ranking and before the offer list — is the physical profile. At 6-5 and 225 pounds with a frame that projects to carry significantly more weight as he develops under Notre Dame's strength and conditioning program, Sesay is built like the kind of edge rusher that keeps offensive coordinators awake at night.
Sesay has plus length with arms over 33 inches along with 10.25-inch hands — measurements that give him the kind of natural leverage advantage that most edge rushers spend years in a college weight room trying to manufacture. That length is not a passive attribute on Sesay's frame. It is an active weapon — the kind that allows him to keep offensive tackles at arm's length, disrupt their punch timing and win the initial engagement before blockers can establish their sets.
He explodes out of his stance with impressive burst, quickly threatening the edge and forcing offensive tackles into uncomfortable positions. His combination of size and speed allows him to win with raw athleticism, often beating blockers before they can properly set their feet.
Sesay shoots out of both a two and three-point stance with little wasted motion as he builds speed and cuts down escape paths for both quarterbacks and running backs. He efficiently redirects with his agility and play recognition. That ability to operate effectively from multiple stances gives Notre Dame's defensive staff the flexibility to deploy him in a variety of alignments without asking him to sacrifice his effectiveness — a versatility that elite edge rushers bring to defensive fronts and that makes the entire unit more difficult to scheme against.
Sesay tends to win with speed on the corner but can also play through contact, and further mass will only help improve his block destruction. He is already finding success on stunts and should offer some value as a situational interior rusher, especially as he adds weight.
Perhaps the most exciting physical element of Sesay's profile is what happens when his speed meets power at the point of contact. Sesay is a twitchy, fluid mover who looks to have the movement patterns suited for bending around the edge. He is loose and flexible in his lower body, flashes good first step quickness and easily converts speed to power — punching above his weight from a power perspective and capable of walking offensive tackles back to the quarterback with his bull rush.
A speed-to-power conversion at 6-5 with 33-inch arms is one of the most dangerous combinations an offensive tackle can face — and Sesay already does it naturally, before years of Notre Dame strength development have had the chance to add functional mass and power to a frame that is still growing into its full potential.
The Visit That Made Everything Official
Sesay arrived on campus for his official visit with a clear purpose — to use the weekend as a direct comparison tool against every other school at the top of his list. By the time the visit concluded, the comparison had produced a decisive and unambiguous answer.
The current players made the first impression. Bryce Young, Ebenezer Ewetade and Rodney Dunham — three of Notre Dame's most impactful defensive line contributors — spent significant time with Sesay during the visit, walking him through what it actually looks like to be a defensive lineman in Notre Dame's program. They showed him the culture of the room, the standard the program demands and what a player with his talent can become under Partridge's coaching. The message was direct — Sesay would be a great addition to the defensive line room and to the Fighting Irish program. Coming from players already living the experience, that message landed with an authenticity that no coaching staff pitch can replicate.
Partridge sees Sesay similarly to current star Boubacar Traore — playing off the edge and doing what No. 5 has done and what No. 5 is going to do. For a prospect evaluating his developmental path at the college level, hearing a position coach articulate a specific, vision-driven comparison to one of the program's most productive pass rushers is exactly the kind of concrete development promise that transforms interest into commitment.
The fellow official visitors added another compelling dimension to the weekend. Sesay raved about the other recruits on campus — describing them as amazing people whose character and quality immediately reflected the standard Notre Dame maintains in the kinds of individuals it recruits and wants in the program. Seeing the caliber of person that Notre Dame attracts reinforced that the commitment he was considering was about more than football — it was about the teammates, the community and the environment he would be surrounded by for four years.
The new facility tour gave Sesay a tangible look at the investment Notre Dame is making in its football future. The renderings of the finished product showed him not just where the program is right now but where it is going — the financial commitment, the administrative support and the vision of what Notre Dame football's infrastructure will look like throughout his college career. Seeing that investment communicated something that words alone never fully deliver — Notre Dame is serious about competing at the absolute highest level for a very long time.
And then there was Marcus Freeman — present not for the scheduled moments where head coaches traditionally appear, make their pitch and move on, but for the entire visit. Sesay specifically highlighted the combination of great education and resources, along with amazing football development, as central to his decision — and Marcus Freeman's genuine care for the program as a key factor in his choice. Freeman put in the work to get to know every family on campus personally — a level of head coach investment that Sesay specifically noticed and specifically valued because it is not the standard at every program he visited.
Charlie Partridge Closes Another Elite Pass Rusher
The Sesay commitment is the latest and perhaps most significant testament to what Charlie Partridge has built at Notre Dame in a remarkably short time. Notre Dame beat out Duke, Florida State and LSU for Sesay, with Partridge serving as a key piece whose long-time reputation for defensive line development gave Sesay the confidence that his path to elite college pass rusher ran through South Bend.
Partridge did not just win this recruitment with a facilities tour or a depth chart presentation. He won it with a relationship — built through multiple visits, genuine football dialogue and the kind of specific, vision-driven development promise that only coaches who truly understand the position at the highest level can make credibly. The extended conversations Sesay had with Partridge during the official visit proved just how strong the relationship between coach and prospect had become — and that relationship is now the foundation upon which Sesay's Notre Dame career will be built.
An impressive Defensive Line Class
Sesay's commitment pushes Notre Dame one step closer to their best overall defensive line recruiting haul in decades. He joins David Folorunsho — the No. 9 overall player and No. 2 defensive lineman nationally according to Rivals — as the second five-star defensive line commit in Notre Dame's 2027 class. Sesay will also join edge rushers Aidan O'Neil and Jackson Vaughn in what is becoming a loaded edge class, with all three commits embracing the competition that the room will demand.
Three edge rushers with legitimate pass rush credentials, complemented by Folorunsho's interior dominance — the defensive line class Notre Dame is assembling in 2027 reflects exactly the kind of trench-first, talent-driven recruiting philosophy that Marcus Freeman has preached since his first day as head coach.
Sesay becomes the 19th overall commitment in Notre Dame's 2027 recruiting class — and arguably the most impactful defensive addition yet in a class that keeps growing in both size and quality.
The Bottom Line
Abraham Sesay produced 13 sacks and over 80 tackles as a junior at Downingtown East. He earned first-team all-state, all-league and all-county honors on both sides of the ball. He brings a 6-5 frame with 33-inch arms, an explosive first step, elite speed-to-power conversion and a relentless motor that makes him a havoc-creator on every passing down. He is a five-star prospect, the second-ranked edge rusher in the 2027 class according to Rivals, and the No. 3 player in the state of Pennsylvania.
He chose Notre Dame over LSU, Penn State and Florida State — because of Charlie Partridge's development vision, because of what current players showed him the room can become, because of Marcus Freeman's genuine personal investment in every family on campus and because of what Notre Dame offers on and off the field that no other program on his list could fully match.
As Sesay himself said about Notre Dame — it is the combination of great education and football, the Notre Dame brand, the long history, the tradition and the great moral values. That is a great place to be able to play.
Abraham Sesay is a Fighting Irish. Charlie Partridge is building something historic in Notre Dame's defensive line room.
And the 2027 class just got its most explosive pass rusher yet.
Notre Dame 2027 Linebacker Recruiting — Brian Jean-Mary's Chance to Build Something Special
With two official visitors on the way and Amarri Irvin already committed, the Irish linebacker class could become one of the best in recent memory
Notre Dame's 2026 linebacker recruiting class is building toward something that could redefine the position group in South Bend for years to come — and the man at the center of it all is linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary, who is closing in on a group that Lucky Lefty co-host Shaun Davis and Malik Zaire are already calling potentially game changing if the remaining pieces fall into place.
The foundation is already in place. Amarri Irvin, the Florida linebacker who committed to Notre Dame earlier in the cycle, gives Jean-Mary a proven cornerstone to build around. Irvin's presence alone signals that the Irish are recruiting the position at an elite level in this class — but what comes next could elevate the group from very good to genuinely special.
Two linebacker prospects are scheduled for official visits to Notre Dame, and the Irish coaching staff is pushing hard to close on both. One prospect that had been in the conversation — Noah Glover — came off the board earlier this month when he committed to Miami, removing himself from Notre Dame's official visit list. But the two remaining targets represent the kind of talent that, if signed alongside Irvin, would give Notre Dame a linebacker trio capable of competing with any group assembled nationally in this recruiting cycle.
Jean-Mary's ability to close on these two visitors is the central question surrounding Notre Dame's linebacker recruiting between now and signing day. If he lands both, the trio with Irvin becomes one of the most celebrated linebacker hauls in Notre Dame's recent recruiting history — a group that could be mentioned alongside the program's best position-specific classes of the past decade.
The linebacker position has been a focal point of Notre Dame's defensive identity under Marcus Freeman, whose background as a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach gives him a particular investment in the position group's development and recruiting. Jean-Mary carries that torch forward in 2026 — and based on the talent currently in play and the official visits on the calendar, he appears to be carrying it at exactly the right height.
The official visits will tell the story. Notre Dame has done the work to get these prospects on campus. Now comes the closing — the part of the recruiting process where relationships, vision and the weight of Notre Dame's football tradition either win the room or don't.
Based on everything surrounding this class so far, the Irish coaching staff appears ready to win the room.
Leonard moore could give notre dame first jim thorpe award
Not every star arrives with fanfare. Not every player who ends up changing a program's defensive identity does so with a five-star recruiting ranking, a top-10 national profile and the weight of enormous expectations pressing down on his shoulders from the moment he steps on campus. Some players arrive quietly, get to work and let the field do the talking — and by the time the rest of the world catches up to what they already are, the transformation from unknown to undeniable is already complete.
That is the Leonard Moore story. And as he enters what could be his final season in South Bend, it is one of the most compelling individual journeys in Notre Dame football.
Moore wasn't heralded when he arrived at Notre Dame. He wasn't the centerpiece of a signing class headline or the subject of breathless recruiting coverage. He came to South Bend without the noise that typically surrounds players of his caliber — and then he went out and became the best cornerback in college football. Quietly, completely and undeniably.
Now, as he prepares for his third season with the Fighting Irish, the entire country has caught up to what those inside Notre Dame's program recognized long ago. Leonard Moore has been added to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list — and he isn't just on it. He is the front-runner to take it home.
The Arrival Nobody Saw Coming
When Leonard Moore came to Notre Dame, the recruiting spotlight was pointed elsewhere. He did not arrive as the kind of prospect that generates national recruiting coverage or sends fan bases into celebration mode at the moment of commitment. He was not a household name in the recruiting world. He was a Texas native with talent that hadn't yet been fully discovered, quantified or celebrated by the recruiting services that shape early national narratives.
What he was, to those who watched him closely enough, was a cornerback with the physical tools, the competitive instincts and the natural feel for the position that you simply cannot manufacture through coaching alone. The 6-2, 195-pound frame with the length and athleticism to match up with elite wide receivers at the college level. The feet. The instincts. The way he processed routes before they fully developed, the way he competed on the ball and the way he made the position look natural in a manner that only truly gifted players ever do.
Notre Dame saw it. They offered. Moore came to South Bend without the fanfare — and then the work began.
A Star Takes Shape
The first signs that something special was developing came early in Moore's freshman season. Those who watched closely enough saw a cornerback whose instincts were ahead of his experience, whose physical tools were already operating at a level that made experienced offensive players uncomfortable and whose competitive drive was evident on every snap regardless of the score, the opponent or the moment.
But it was his 2025 season that turned what insiders quietly believed into something the entire country could no longer ignore. Moore started 10 games and delivered a performance so comprehensive, so statistically dominant and so consistently elite that the sport's most respected evaluators were left searching for superlatives.
He led Notre Dame with five interceptions — tied for sixth most in the entire country. He added 31 tackles, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble while missing only six tackles all season — a number that reflects the complete cornerback he had become, not just the ball hawk the highlights suggested. He allowed only three receiving touchdowns across the entire season. And he did it all while being one of the most scouted, game-planned-against cornerbacks in college football — a player that every offensive coordinator in the country was specifically scheming to avoid.
The signature moments punctuated the statistical dominance. A 46-yard pick-six against Syracuse that changed the momentum of the game and announced Moore's big-play capability to a national audience. A two-interception performance against Boise State that earned him both the Walter Camp FBS Defensive Player of the Week and Jim Thorpe Award Defensive Back of the Week honors simultaneously — two of the sport's most prestigious weekly recognitions landing in the same hands on the same weekend.
Notre Dame finished the season ranked No. 1 in the country in total interceptions with 21. Moore, the cornerback who arrived without a headline, hauled in five of them.
The Numbers That Turned Heads Nationally
When the season ended and the evaluation process began in earnest, the numbers that emerged from Moore's 2025 campaign were not the kind that generate polite acknowledgment. They were the kind that stop conversations.
PFF ranked Moore first among all starting Power Four cornerbacks in coverage grade at 91.4 and first in overall defensive grade at 90.9 — the top marks at the position across the entire landscape of major college football. Those grades reflect not one great game or one great stretch of games but a full season of elite performance sustained against the best competition the sport offers.
The number that perhaps best captures what Moore had become by the end of 2025 is the target rate — opponents threw at him on only 11.5 percent of his coverage snaps. Offensive coordinators and quarterbacks made a collective, conscious decision across the entire season to route their passing games away from Leonard Moore's side of the field. That is the ultimate testament to a cornerback's dominance. You can only measure a player's full impact when you account for the plays that never happened because of him — and Moore's 11.5 percent target rate tells you the plays that never happened numbered in the dozens.
The season earned him unanimous All-American honors — the kind of recognition that requires every major selector to arrive at the same conclusion independently. For a player who arrived at Notre Dame without the recruiting world's attention, unanimous All-American status represents one of the most complete turnarounds in modern college football recruiting history. He went from under the radar to unanimously the best in the country. The arc of that journey is remarkable.
The Jim Thorpe Watch List — And Why Moore Is the Front-Runner
The Jim Thorpe Award watch list announcement confirmed what the preseason evaluations had been building toward all offseason. Leonard Moore belongs in the conversation for the most prestigious individual honor a defensive back can win in college football — and he doesn't just belong in that conversation. He leads it.
Moore was a Thorpe Award finalist after his 2025 campaign, becoming the first Notre Dame cornerback to reach that stage since Bobby Taylor in 1993. No Fighting Irish cornerback has ever won the award. The history of that gap — more than three decades without a Notre Dame corner reaching the Thorpe podium — makes Moore's opportunity in 2026 feel genuinely significant, not just for his personal legacy but for the program's.
ESPN's Heather Dinich named Moore the lead candidate for the award in the network's Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings, pointing to his unanimous All-American honors, his nation-leading PFF coverage grade and the five interceptions that defined his 2025 campaign. Beyond the Thorpe, Moore carries legitimate front-runner status for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy — the defensive equivalent of the Heisman Trophy — and the Chuck Bednarik Award, which recognizes college football's top defensive player regardless of position.
Three of the sport's most significant individual defensive awards. One player's name near the top of every list. The player who arrived at Notre Dame without a recruiting headline is now the player that every preseason award conversation builds around.
Former Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts brought the Nagurski Trophy home to South Bend after his dominant 2023 season. Moore now has the opportunity to make it back-to-back Nagurski winners from Notre Dame — a back-to-back run that would say something profound about what Marcus Freeman's program has built on the defensive side of the ball.
What Back-to-Back No. 1 Rankings Actually Mean
PFF has ranked Moore the No. 1 returning cornerback in the country heading into 2026 — the second consecutive season they have done so. Every major outlet including CBS Sports, Athlon Sports, Sporting News, FOX Sports and ESPN has echoed that assessment, identifying Moore as one of Notre Dame's most important returning players and one of the premier defensive players in the sport.
Back-to-back No. 1 cornerback rankings from PFF are not handed out carelessly. They reflect a sustained standard of excellence that separates elite players from one-year wonders — the ability to perform at the highest level not just when the element of surprise is working in your favor but when every opposing offense has had a full offseason to study your tendencies, design routes against your technique and find whatever exploitable weakness might exist in your game.
Moore held that No. 1 ranking in 2025 when opponents came after him with a full scouting report. He held it when teams specifically designed plays to attack him. He held it when the margin for error shrinks because every opposing coordinator knows exactly where you line up and how you play. And when the offseason evaluations were complete, PFF gave him the No. 1 ranking again — because nothing they saw in a full season of trying to find a weakness changed their fundamental assessment of what Leonard Moore is.
A Defense Made Better By His Presence
Moore's individual excellence cannot be separated from what it has meant for Notre Dame's defense as a collective unit. When a cornerback locks down his side of the field with the consistency that Moore demonstrated throughout 2025, the structural benefits ripple across the entire defensive system.
Safeties can rotate toward the opposite side with greater confidence. Linebackers can play downhill more aggressively knowing the deep outside is protected by a cornerback who rarely needs help. Pass rushers get critical fractions of a second longer to reach the quarterback because the corner on Moore's side has already eliminated his receiver as a viable option. Notre Dame's leap to No. 1 in the country in interceptions with 21 total picks was not independent of what their best cornerback was doing every single week. It was deeply connected to it.
A defense takes on the identity of its best player. In 2025, Notre Dame's defense took on the identity of a unit that simply did not give up big plays in the passing game — and Leonard Moore was the primary reason why.
The Final Chapter in South Bend
As Moore prepares for what could be his third and likely final season with the Fighting Irish before the NFL comes calling, the shape of his Notre Dame legacy is already remarkable. A player who arrived without recruiting fanfare has become a unanimous All-American, a two-time PFF No. 1 ranked returning cornerback, a Thorpe Award finalist and the preseason front-runner for every major individual defensive award in college football.
The journey from unheralded arrival to the top of every preseason board is the kind of story that programs build cultures around — proof that development, coaching and competitive drive can take a player without a five-star label and turn him into something the entire country agrees is the best at his position.
But Moore isn't finished writing that story. He has one more season in blue and gold, one more opportunity to add to a legacy that already exceeds anything the recruiting services predicted when he arrived in South Bend, and one very specific piece of history within reach.
No Notre Dame cornerback has ever won the Jim Thorpe Award. Leonard Moore arrived at Notre Dame without anyone predicting he would be the one to change that.
At this point, nobody would be surprised if he does exactly that.
The quietest arrival. The loudest statement. The best cornerback in America — and he has one more season to make history in South Bend.
usa today ranks notre dame 2nd in post spring poll
USA Today has spoken — and the verdict on Notre Dame heading into the 2026 season is about as emphatic as a preseason ranking can be. Analysts Erick Schmidt and Paul Myerberg have tabbed the Fighting Irish as the No. 2 overall team in the country in their Post-Spring Top 25, trailing only Ohio State and ranking ahead of Texas, Georgia and Indiana in a list that reflects a program operating at the absolute peak of its modern era.
The ranking is not a gift or a projection built on hope. It is a recognition of something concrete — a Notre Dame roster that returns an experienced starting quarterback, a proven offensive supporting cast, a defense that kept its best players and a coaching staff with all three coordinators back for the first time in Marcus Freeman's tenure. When you stack those ingredients together and evaluate them honestly against every other program in the country, No. 2 is not a stretch. It might even be conservative.
Here is the full case for why Notre Dame belongs exactly where USA Today put them — and why 2026 could be the year everything comes together.
CJ Carr — The Heisman Front-Runner Nobody Should Be Sleeping On
Every conversation about Notre Dame's 2026 ceiling begins and ends with CJ Carr — and every conversation about the 2026 Heisman Trophy race should begin and end there too.
Carr enters his second season as Notre Dame's starting quarterback with something that no other signal caller in the country can claim in quite the same way — a full season of starting experience at Notre Dame, in a system he now owns completely, with the weapons around him upgraded and the continuity of returning coordinators giving him the most stable offensive environment of his college career. That combination of experience, continuity and talent elevation is precisely the formula that produces Heisman Trophy-caliber seasons.
In his first full season as a starter in 2025, Carr demonstrated command, poise and playmaking ability that immediately announced him as one of the premier quarterbacks in college football. He managed Notre Dame's offense with the kind of veteran intelligence that first-year starters rarely possess — reading defenses pre-snap, going through progressions efficiently and delivering the football with accuracy and timing in the most critical moments of the most critical games. The Carr-Faison connection that developed throughout 2025 became one of the most reliable quarterback-receiver partnerships in the sport, and that chemistry only deepens entering 2026 with a full offseason of concentrated work behind it.
What elevates Carr's Heisman candidacy beyond simply returning a quality starter is the trajectory. The jump from a first-year starter finding his footing to a second-year starter who knows every concept, trusts every receiver and operates from a position of complete offensive authority is one of the most dramatic developmental leaps in college football. Carr has already shown he can win games and manage a complex offense. In 2026, with the supporting cast around him upgraded on every level, the expectation is that he takes the next step — from excellent game manager to dominant offensive force — and the tools surrounding him make that leap entirely realistic.
The Heisman Trophy watch list will have many names on it when the 2026 season begins. CJ Carr should be at or near the top of every legitimate conversation about who wins it.
A Backfield Built to Replace Elite Production
The departure of Jeremiyah Love — selected No. 3 overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL Draft — leaves the most significant void Notre Dame needs to fill on offense heading into 2026. Love was one of the most dynamic running backs in college football, a unanimous All-American whose production and big-play capability defined Notre Dame's ground attack for two seasons.
But the Irish are not rebuilding the backfield from scratch. They are reloading it with proven talent that has been waiting for exactly this opportunity — and the players stepping into expanded roles bring legitimate credentials of their own.
Nolan James Jr. returns as the most experienced back in Notre Dame's room, a proven contributor who has demonstrated the vision, patience and contact balance to be a productive starter at the Power Four level. His ability to operate within Notre Dame's zone-blocking scheme, find cutback lanes and move the chains in critical short-yardage situations gives the Irish a reliable foundation in the backfield that Carr can lean on in the most important moments of games.
Aneyas Williams brings a complementary dimension to the backfield that gives offensive coordinator Tim Rees genuine flexibility in how he deploys the ground game. Williams's quickness, acceleration and ability to create in space provide a contrast to James's between-the-tackles style — giving Notre Dame a two-back approach that can attack defenses horizontally as effectively as it attacks them vertically. The combination of James's power and patience with Williams's quickness and space creation gives Notre Dame's ground game the kind of range that makes it genuinely difficult to defend with a single schematic approach.
Together, James and Williams represent a backfield that does not replace Love's individual brilliance but provides Notre Dame's offense with enough combined production, versatility and proven capability to keep the ground game a legitimate threat on every snap. That is all Carr and the passing game need — a running back room that keeps defenses honest and prevents them from loading the box against Notre Dame's receivers.
A Wide Receiver Room Transformed by Experience and Elite Portal Additions
Jordan Faison returns as Notre Dame's established No. 1 wide receiver — the team's leading receiver in 2025 with 40 receptions, 640 yards and four touchdowns — and does so as a completely different player than the one who led the team statistically last season. His offseason decision to give up lacrosse and commit entirely to football signals a level of investment and focus that should translate directly into elevated production in 2026. Faison gives Carr exactly what a second-year starter needs more than anything — a proven, trusted target who knows the offense, runs precise routes and makes the right play after the catch every single time.
Jaden Greathouse returns alongside Faison after a 2025 season that saw him emerge as one of Notre Dame's most explosive playmakers in the postseason. Greathouse's combination of separation quickness, yards-after-catch ability and big-play capability gives the Irish a legitimate second receiving threat that defenses cannot bracket without leaving Faison in one-on-one coverage outside. Two proven, experienced receivers at the top of the depth chart entering the season is a luxury Notre Dame has not had in recent memory.
The addition of Mylan Graham from Ohio State via the transfer portal elevates what was already a strong receiver room into one of the most complete groups in the country. Graham arrives with Big Ten experience, proven production at an elite program and the kind of physical tools that made him a highly recruited prospect out of high school. His ability to contribute immediately in a complementary role — taking advantage of the attention that Faison and Greathouse command from opposing secondaries — gives Carr a third legitimate receiving option that stretches defenses in ways that create opportunities for everyone on the field.
The combination of Faison's established No. 1 production, Greathouse's explosive playmaking and Graham's experienced portal addition gives Notre Dame's receiver room a depth and versatility that rivals any group in college football heading into 2026.
A Defense That Returns Its Best Players — And Added Elite Talent
If the offensive case for Notre Dame's No. 2 ranking is compelling, the defensive case is even stronger — because what Marcus Freeman's defense is returning in 2026 is not simply a group of experienced players. It is a collection of proven, dominant performers at every level of the field, supplemented by transfer additions that address the few areas where reinforcement was needed.
Leonard Moore — The Best Cornerback in America
The foundation of Notre Dame's defensive identity in 2026 is a player who has already been discussed at length in every preseason publication that covers college football seriously — and for good reason. Leonard Moore is the best cornerback in the country. Full stop.
Moore returns after a 2025 season in which he ranked first among all starting Power Four cornerbacks in both coverage grade at 91.4 and overall defensive grade at 90.9 according to PFF. He led Notre Dame with five interceptions — tied for sixth most in the entire country — while adding 31 tackles, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble across 10 starts. Opposing quarterbacks targeted him on only 11.5 percent of his coverage snaps — a testament to the reputation he built as a cornerback that the entire country's offenses chose to scheme away from rather than challenge.
PFF has ranked Moore the No. 1 returning cornerback in the country for the second consecutive season. ESPN has named him the lead candidate for the Jim Thorpe Award. He is a legitimate front-runner for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award. In a defense returning significant production across all three levels, Moore is the crown jewel — the player that every offensive coordinator game plans around specifically and still cannot consistently solve.
Drayk Bowen — The Defensive Engine
While Moore commands the attention of opposing passing games on the outside, Drayk Bowen commands the interior of Notre Dame's defense with the kind of instinctive, physical presence that makes the entire system function at its highest level. Bowen is one of the most complete linebackers in college football — a player who processes information quickly, fills gaps with authority, covers enough ground to be a factor in pass defense and brings a physicality to the run game that sets the tone for how Notre Dame's defense operates on any given Saturday.
His return for 2026 gives Notre Dame's linebacker corps a proven leader and production anchor that younger players in the group can develop around. Bowen's ability to quarterback the defense from the second level — making pre-snap adjustments, communicating coverage calls and reacting to offensive formation changes with veteran intelligence — is as valuable as his individual statistical contribution and perhaps more so in a defense that returns significant personnel but needs someone to tie all the pieces together.
Adon Shuler — A Safety Making His Move
Adon Shuler enters 2026 as one of the most intriguing players on Notre Dame's entire roster — a safety whose athletic profile and instinctive play have been building toward a breakout season that the 2026 campaign is set up to deliver. Shuler's combination of range, closing speed and ball-hawking instincts in the deep middle of the field gives Notre Dame's secondary a versatile, playmaking presence that complements Moore's dominance on the outside in a way that makes the entire pass defense more difficult to attack from any angle.
His ability to rotate into coverage, support the run from the second level and create turnovers in the deep part of the field gives Notre Dame's defensive staff the flexibility to disguise coverage looks and present offenses with pre-snap pictures that become something entirely different after the snap. That kind of safety versatility is invaluable in a modern college football landscape where offenses are increasingly sophisticated in their ability to identify and attack predictable coverage structures.
Boubacar Traore — Pressuring the Quarterback
Boubacar Traore returns as one of Notre Dame's most important pass rush weapons — a player whose combination of athleticism, first-step quickness and relentless motor makes him a consistent threat to disrupt opposing quarterbacks on every passing down. In a 2026 defensive front that has added significant reinforcement through the transfer portal, Traore's returning production and established role give the Irish a proven disruptive presence that new additions can build around rather than having to establish from scratch.
His ability to win one-on-one matchups against offensive tackles, create pressure from multiple alignments and finish plays in the backfield gives Notre Dame's defensive line a dynamic, production-proven element that elevates the entire group's ceiling. Opposing offensive coordinators cannot simply account for the new additions on Notre Dame's defensive front without also accounting for Traore — and that collective burden on an offensive line makes everyone on the Irish front more dangerous.
Bryce Young and the Transfer Portal Additions Transform the Front Seven
Notre Dame's returning defensive core is impressive enough on its own. Add the transfer portal additions and the front seven becomes one of the most formidable groups in the country.
Bryce Young arrives as the leader of a defensive line that also added Francis Brewu from Pittsburgh and Keon Keeley from Alabama — two transfers whose production and credentials at elite programs give Notre Dame's defensive front an immediate infusion of experienced, proven talent that addresses the depth and pass rush concerns that any program faces when losing contributors to graduation or the NFL.
Brewu brings interior disruption capability from a Pittsburgh program that regularly produces NFL-caliber defensive linemen. Keeley arrives from Alabama with the pedigree and physical tools that made him one of the most coveted defensive line recruits in his class — and Notre Dame gets the benefit of Alabama's development infrastructure having already invested significant time and resources into maximizing his potential.
Together with Traore and the returning pieces up front, Young, Brewu and Keeley give Notre Dame a defensive line rotation that can go deep into games without losing effectiveness — matching the physical demands of a Power Four schedule snap for snap, series for series, against the best offensive lines the sport produces.
Christian Gray and DJ McKinney Complete an Elite Secondary
Behind Moore, Notre Dame's secondary is anchored by Christian Gray — a versatile, proven defender whose ability to play multiple positions in the back end gives defensive coordinator Al Golden the flexibility to present different looks without sacrificing production at any individual spot.
The addition of DJ McKinney from Colorado via the transfer portal completes what USA Today identified as potentially the biggest strength on Notre Dame's entire roster. McKinney arrives with starting experience, proven production against Power Four competition and the physical and athletic profile to step in immediately and contribute at a high level alongside Moore and Gray. A secondary that starts Moore, Gray and McKinney — with Shuler patrolling the deep middle — is as complete and as dangerous a group of defensive backs as any program in the country can put on the field in 2026.
The Continuity Factor — Why This Year Is Different
Every element of Notre Dame's 2026 roster case is amplified by something that has never existed before in Marcus Freeman's tenure — complete continuity at the coordinator level. All three coordinators return for the first time under Freeman, bringing with them the accumulated institutional knowledge, player relationships and schematic sophistication that only develops when a coaching staff stays together long enough to truly master their system.
Carr does not have to learn a new offensive system. Moore does not have to rebuild trust with a new defensive coordinator. The entire roster — from the most experienced starters to the youngest contributors — enters 2026 operating within a framework they already know, already trust and already know how to maximize. That continuity is worth several wins over the course of a season, and in a college football landscape where coordinator turnover is constant and relentless, Notre Dame's stability entering 2026 is a genuine competitive advantage.
The Bottom Line
USA Today ranked Notre Dame No. 2 in the country after spring practice — and the case for that ranking is as strong as any program in America can make. A returning Heisman-caliber quarterback in CJ Carr. A backfield reloaded with Nolan James Jr. and Aneyas Williams. A receiver room elevated by Jordan Faison's leadership, Jaden Greathouse's explosion and Mylan Graham's portal addition. A defense returning Leonard Moore, Drayk Bowen, Adon Shuler and Boubacar Traore while adding Bryce Young, Francis Brewu, Keon Keeley and DJ McKinney to an already elite group.
Stack all of it together under three returning coordinators with a head coach entering his fifth season and the program's deepest, most talented roster to date — and No. 2 in the country is not just defensible.
It might be the most honest thing USA Today has published all offseason.
brian jean-mary loves talent and experience in lb room
While at Michigan and other stops like Tennessee in his coaching career, Brian Jean-Mary has consistently developed tough minded linebacker room that were good against the run and the pass. Now, he brings that magic to South Bend to replace former linebackers coach Max Bullough who returned to Michigan State, his alma mater, to be the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Pat Fitzgerald.
He was the last hire of three new defensive assistants for head coach Marcus Freeman along with new defensive line coach Charlie Partridge and new defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator Aaron Henry. The linebacker room that he inherits is not short on talent or experience with five players totaling more than 100 snaps in 2025, and that’s something that has Jean-Mary excited.
"I had a little bit of an idea of what we were doing defensively and watched player wise some crossover tape," Jean-Mary explained. "I always admired from afar and now that I'm here, every new coach is going to try to dive into the film and try to learn as much as you can about the system. You have to build trust with the players and they have to get to know me the same way I have to get to know them. They've done a great job of opening themselves up and letting me pour into them. It's been great."
The Notre Dame defense got off to a slow start last season, but managed to remain stout against the run for the second straight season, giving up 98.9 rushing yards per game (9th in the nation) and 3 yards per rush (7th in the nation). That type of production from a unit that found a better footing in Chris Ash’s defense with each game is a great foundation, and a little pressure for the veteran coach.
"It's one of the best jobs in the country," Jean-Mary stated. "It's a blessing to be in a situation where we know what the expectations are every week; we know what the expectations are at the end of the year. Some people look at that as pressure. There's only certain schools that have that type of pressure. So when the standard is to be the best, that's a challenge for us as coaches and that's what you want to be a part of. I've been at those other places where the challenge is to just have a good season. I know that's not the case here."
One of the biggest advantages that he brings to the Irish staff is the relationship he has with some of the top 2027 and 2028 recruits that began while he was at Michigan. The 2027 board suffred the loss of Ellis McGaskin once Max Bullough left for Michigan State, but connections with players like Kaden Henderson, Noah Roberts, Roman Igwebuike and Brayton Feister immediately upgraded the board for the Irish.
Nd looks for strong finish to ‘26 class with elijah golden on august 9th
The defensive line recruiting in the 2026 class has been stellar as the Fighting Irish secured commitments from the talented trio of Tiki Hola Bastrop (Texas) Bastrop, Rodney Dunham Charlotte (N.C) Myers Park, and Ebenezer Ewetade Garner (N.C.) South Garner. That early momentum hit a bit of a speed bump when Liberty Hill (Texas) Liberty defensive lineman Alister Vallejo recently chose Michigan over Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish immediately set their sights and energy on adding a familiar target in 6-4 275-pound four-star defensive lineman Elijah Golden of Sarasota (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney to the class. The explosive defender has been to South Bend several times and returned for his official visit this past weekend, where he got a chance to experience new things.
“The visit was pretty good,” Golden told Irish Breakdown. “I always have a great time there. I was able to see the dorms! The apartments off- campus were nice, too. It was good to see more of South Bend.”
One of the three determining factors that the Florida prep star will be using is finding a place that feels like home. The visit went a long way to answer that for him and his family.
“I felt comfortable there,” Golden said. “I spent time with the recruits, coaches and current players, and we were just vibing. Spent time with Rodney (Dunham) and EB (Ebenezer Ewetade), and we talked about football a little bit, but we talked about life and other things most of the time.
“It was cool being around the current players too,” Golden continued. I had fun with those guys. I can see myself being at Notre Dame and playing there.”
As the visit came to an end, the versatile lineman reflected upon the fun experiences during his visits at Notre Dame and the transition to the more serious aspect of making a final decision. The remaining two factors will be development and coaching for Golden, and he’s aware of what the Fighting Irish offer in both departments, and beyond the football field.
“Notre Dame offers a lot on and off the field,” Golden shared. “I have a good relationship with coach (Al) Washington that’s grown over time, and we talked about life really. coach (Marcus) Freeman talked more about life and the things Notre Dame can do for you outside of football.
“I thought about it being the end of the fun,” Golden continued. “I remember the first time I got pulled out of class to meet Al Golden. Thinking about the camps, spring game, and visits. The fun is about to end and It’s about to get serious.”
The serious part now begins as the 185th nationally ranked player and his family take time before he begins to ramp up preparation for his senior season to sift through information, conversations and emotions from the long process that led to official visits to Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Alabama before visiting South Bend. His future home will come from that group of finalists along with the Fighting Irish. More than likely, the decision will be made in the coming weeks with a targeted announcement on August 9th.
Momentum was heavily on the side of the Fighting Irish in the aftermath of his official visit, but as time approaches his announcement, the tea leaves are starting to read more like a photo finish. Golden has been diligent in researching the defensive systems of his four finalists along with inquiring about how each staff plans on developing and using him in their schemes. He’s not leaving any stone unturned.
“I’ve always liked Notre Dame,” Golden said. “I’m going to think about everything. All of the schools have good programs, and the visits were good. I’m doing my homework and when the time comes, I’ll feel good about my decision on August 9th.”
Shaun M. Davis
2027 4-star lb ellis mcgaskin commits to notre dame
Notre Dame is continuing to gain momentum on the recruiting trail, and it seems like that energy has been transferred over to the 2027 class as four-star 6-1 205-pound linebacker Ellis McGaskin of Mobile (Ala.) Williamson became the 2nd commitment of the 2027 class after choosing the Fighting Irish over schools like LSU, Auburn, Florida and Ohio State. His recruitment picked up steam after receiving an offer during the Pot of Gold, but his relationship with linebacker coach Max Bullough goes back to the spring of 2024 when a visit to his school laid the foundation of growing bond.
“Coach is a great guy,” McGaskin told Irish Breakdown. “The connection was there from the start. Getting the offer was a great feeling and he told me that they loved my play style and that I would be a perfect fit for them.”
The Alabama native was anxious to visit after receiving his offer and eventually made his way to South Bend on June 6th. He got an opportunity to experience coach Bullough and staff coaching style and bond with the staff including head coach Marcus Freeman. The visit was impactful in accelerating the talented backer’s affinity for the Notre Dame program.
“The visit was great,” McGaskin shared after his June visit. “There is no place like it. It’s something about the environment that’s different, and I haven’t seen anything like it. I enjoyed the coaching a lot. They coach the way I liked to be coached, and I can definitely see myself playing there.
“It was my first time really connecting with coach Freeman,” McGaskin continued. We talked about why Notre Dame is special and that they would like to have me there.”
His decision to make a commitment amid a flurry of 2026 pledges for the Fighting Irish may not have been the reason for McGaskin pulling the trigger, but it was hard to ignore, and he didn’t need any more time to think about it as he prepares for his junior season.
“It’s the place to be right now,” McGaskin shared. “It’s something I wanted to be a part of, and I’ve known for a while. It just felt like it was the place for me to be, and it honestly felt like home.
“They (Notre Dame) were always at the top,” McGaskin continued. “Coach Bullough made it known that I was his guy and that I was a priority.”
Now that his recruitment is a thing of the past, he turns his attention to improving as a leader and player after compiling an impressive 273 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles in his first two seasons.
“I’m ready to play,” McGaskin declared. “I want to perfect my craft and get better at being uncomfortable. My goals are to win a state championship and win Mr. Football.”
McGaskin ranks 78th nationally according to Rivals.
Shaun M. Davis
teammates Joey o’brien and grayson mckeough took different paths to nd
The roller coaster recruitment for 6-4 195-pound five-star defensive back Joey O’Brien of Glenside (Pa.) LaSalle College Prep reached a conclusion when he picked Notre Dame on June 20th over finalists Oregon, Penn State, and Clemson. At one point, all four programs were perceived as possible leaders for O’Brien. His teammate, 6-7 285-pound pass blocker Grayson McKeough, who chose the Fighting Irish over Penn State, had a totally different path to his commitment to Notre Dame and their head coach,Brett Gordon, witnessed both journeys as a confidant and advisor.
“All four schools did a great job recruiting Joey,” Gordon said. “The coaches did a great job of showing him how they would develop and use him. Joey really liked all the schools, coaches and players, but it came down to what school felt like home for him.”
Originally, the Pennsylvania Player of the Year was scheduled to take his official visit to South Bend on June 20th but decided to switch to the weekend of June 13th, which happened to be the same as his teammate four-star offensive lineman Grayson McKeough, who also eventually committed to the Fighting Irish. At the same time, he announced that his decision would now take place on June 20th , leaving the fanbases of the finalists pondering about where their teams stood in the recruitment.
“I don’t think he was leaning anywhere going into the Notre Dame visit,” Gordon said. “I told him that he was being recruited by the blue bloods with tradition, and great coaching. So, whatever school felt like the place he wanted to spend the next four years of his life would be the determining factor.
“The date change was to help make things easier,” Gordon continued. He wanted to take all five official visits, but I thought that was too much. Joey and his family were thorough in the five unofficials, and taking five officials was too much, so the Tennessee one was dropped and that’s why the Notre Dame visit was moved.”
The Fighting Irish seemed to take over in his recruitment as his June 13th official visit approached. His teammate, 5-star defensive back Joey O’Brien would be visiting on the same weekend after a late change to his schedule. Although they would travel different paths to South Bend on that weekend, they would leave with similar feelings about the visit that led both to commit to the program on June 18th and June 20th respectively.
“Grayson’s path was different from Joey’s,” Gordon explained. “Two different scenarios. Everyone was in the mix with Joey going into the official visits. Grayson was probably leaning Notre Dame going into the visit. The visit helped him make his decision. Joey had already set his decision date for June 20th, two weeks before the visit. Grayson didn’t have a set date, but he was ready to make his decision once he got back.
“It was a great visit,” Gordon continued. “Being around the other recruits and current players was big for him. He spoke about brotherhood and how comfortable he felt. Him and Joey kept using the word “family” when they talked about the visit.”
Landing the talented teammates shows great cohesiveness in the Notre Dame recruiting operation right now, and the success of the June 13th recruiting weekend could lead to more additions to an already impressive top 5 class.
Shaun M. Davis
blue and gold game sheds light on qb competition
Marcus Freeman has spent the spring overseeing a new defensive coordinator in Chris Ash put his fingerprints on a talented defense along with a quarterback battle between Steve Angeli, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey. Last Saturday, he got an opportunity to watch the fruit of months of observations and evaluations during the annual Blue and Gold game at Notre Dame stadium.
The Blue team defeated the Gold team 76-31 in a spring game that looked much different than in years past.The Fighting Irish were without several players who were rehabbing from injury or resting from an extended run in the college football playoff.
That encouraged some changes to the format and scoring to the game. Instead of four quarters, the game consisted of three periods with four drives consisting of a minimum of six plays. For each of these drives, the ball was placed at various spots to create different game-like situations.
The biggest storyline during the spring has been the quarterback battle between Steve Angeli, CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey. All three QBs had an equal opportunity to shine, and each led the Irish offense on at least one touchdown-scoring drive. But many Irish fans are saying Carr looked the most impressive during Saturday’s game.
Carr finished 14 of 19 for 170 yards and two touchdowns, including a 27-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Xavier Southall and a two-yard score to freshman wide receiver Elijah Burress. However, he did throw the game’s only interception on his second-to-last drive under center.
After a slow start, Angeli seemed to settle in and capped his day with a 16-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Scrap Richardson. He finished 8 of 11 for 108 yards and the aforementioned touchdown.
Minchey ed a three-play, 45-yard drive where he scored on a four-yard run and celebrated his touchdown by doing a backflip in the end zone. He finished 6 of 14 through the air for 106 yards and ran for 12 yards on six carries.
After the game, Freeman said he saw a lot of good from all three quarterbacks and said they could all lead Notre Dame to wins.
“It’s crazy to think this, but you’ve got three guys that all could lead your program to a victory and be your starting quarterback,” Freeman said. “You would like to go into fall with a two-quarterback battle. It’s really hard truly having a three-quarterback battle.”
On the defensive side of the ball, Luke Talich led the way with nine tackles while Bryce Young and Preston Zinter were credited with sacks. Ben Minich intercepted Carr for the game’s only turnover.
But perhaps the biggest defensive plays of the afternoon came on a goal line stand in the seventh series of the scrimmage, where Talich helped the Gold team make back-to-back stops at the goal line on third and fourth down to prevent a Blue touchdown.
Jadarian Price led the team in rushing with 46 yards on six carries while freshman running back Nolan James Jr. led the team in receiving with 60 yards on three catches. For a full look at the final stats from the 2025 Blue-Gold Game,
The Irish will now wait for fall camp to begin preparation for their season opener versus the Miami Hurricanes on August 31st.