Notre Dame’s 2026 football season is well underway as the squad has reached the midpoint of spring practice. While several key players remain unavailable due to injury or transfer rules, there is plenty of talent on hand. In fact, it is not hyperbole to suggest that Marcus Freeman’s team is loaded.

An abundance of talent is not the only reason that Irish fans are buzzing with anticipation, though. Last season’s playoff snub galvanized the team and provided an extra measure of motivation and focus. Experience is also a plus factor. According to ESPN, Notre Dame leads the nation in returning production. This statistic is highlighted on offense by quarterback CJ Carr, and on every level of the defense.

Carr’s development has accelerated exponentially since he won the job last fall in a close competition with Kenny Minchey. His work ethic on the field and in the film room has established him as the clear team leader. In fact, Carr is the first returning starter in South Bend since Ian Book in 2020.

Defensively, the combination of size, speed, and depth is imposing. Equally important is the fact that it is the second season for Coordinator Chris Ash. His unit got off to a rocky start last season before becoming a dominant force. The players are much more comfortable this spring and expectations are off the charts.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, the primary story this spring is fierce competition. Most positions are stocked with capable athletes battling for spots on the two-deep. Let us take an in-depth look at each position, beginning with the offense.

QUARTERBACK

While Carr’s job is the most secure on the roster, the battle for the backup position is far from settled. A trio of untested players are vying for the opportunity. One of them, incoming freshman Teddy Jarrard, will not arrive on campus until June. Noah Grubbs, enrolled in January. The veteran of the group is Blake Hebert, a redshirt freshman who ran the scout team last fall.

Most of the reports from the early practices have mentioned Grubbs as demonstrating surprising accuracy and arm strength. Hebert is regarded as more mobile and a better runner. Jarrard will not take a snap this spring but he was the most highly rated recruit of the three. He could make things interesting in the fall because the competition will almost certainly remain open until then.

RUNNING BACK

Everyone is well aware that Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price will be playing on Sundays this season. This leaves the door open for junior Aneyas Williams, who has waited patiently to become the lead tailback. Others who are in line to share the workload are Kedren Young and Nolan James. Young missed last season with a knee injury while James impressed as a freshman in 2025 despite limited opportunities.

Although none of these returnees possess the raw speed of Love, Williams is a versatile back with big play capability. Young is a 234-pound sledgehammer while James may be the best pure runner of the three. All are likely to see action as the coaching staff looks to expand the rotation this year.

Not to be overlooked are a pair of talented freshmen. Both Jonaz Walton and Javian Osborne have college ready bodies and ability. We will see Walton in action during the spring game. A wrist injury has delayed Osborne’s debut until the summer. As with most freshmen, their chances of seeing the field this fall depend on their knowledge of the playbook. Pass blocking is the other area where young tailbacks must earn the trust of the coaches.

Production from this position will certainly be different in 2026. The good news is the talent and depth are there to get the job done by committee. It would be a mistake to underestimate Williams, though. He cannot make us forget Love and Price but Irish fans will learn to appreciate him.

WIDE RECEIVER

This is arguably the most improved position on the team as compared to last season. Incoming transfer Mylan Graham has raised the bar for the entire group with his speed, route-running and athleticism. Fellow transfer Quincy Porter, a fluid a 6’4″ boundary receiver, will begin workouts in June. Both Porter and Graham left Ohio State to join the Irish.

Returning starters Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse will also make the suddenly very competitive rotation. According to practice reports, Faison has raised his game following his decision to focus solely on football. Redshirt sophomores Cam Williams, Micah Gilbert, and Logan Saldate are very much in the mix. Each has demonstrated growth during the early practices. Williams appears ready for a breakout season while Gilbert has earned considerable praise to date.

Next in line are Elijah Burress and Jerome Bettis, Jr., who are entering their second year in the program after redshirting in 2025. The incoming freshmen are also worthy of mention and have a chance to see meaningful action. Slot man Bubba Frazier has been getting rave reviews to date, and Texan Kaydon Finley has also impressed. That adds up to eleven viable candidates for what will likely become a six-man rotation. Obviously, it will be difficult for the coaching staff to make these calls.

Notre Dame appears to be in a great position here. The talent level is the best we have seen in many years. CJ Carr must be ecstatic. The competition for snaps is intense, and the candidates are going up against an elite secondary. I expect the passing game to reach a high level in 2026 with this group.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Redshirt freshman Will Black has generated an upheaval within this group – in a good way. He seized the left tackle position, which caused Anthonie Knapp to move next door to guard. Early reports on Black indicate he is performing well. These include comments from the veteran defensive ends that he is charged with blocking in practice. There have been comparisons to Joe Alt at this stage of Black’s development, which is high praise indeed.

On the right side, Guerby Lambert has moved from guard to his natural position of tackle. He fills the shoes of Aamil Wagner, who departed for the NFL. Veteran Sullivan Absher is now the right guard, although he may be keeping the seat warm for Charles Jagusah. At center, Joe Otting will start while Ashton Craig continues his recovery from an ACL injury.

While Absher and Otting are capable players, both Jagusah and Craig are exceptional when healthy. If and when they return to the lineup, the offensive front will be among the best in the country. Craig recently predicted he will be ready to go in Week 1, which is good news. This is the second consecutive offseason in which he has worked his way back from this injury. As for Jagusah, six surgeries in nine months on his broken humerus have been a nightmare. Infections have slowed the healing process and it may be late October before he returns.

The second unit is also comprised of solid players. Matty Augustine is being developed to play both guard and tackle. Line Coach Joe Rudolph would not hesitate to put him on the field. Tackles Owen Strebig and Styles Prescod are solid backups as is center Cam Herron. Guard Devan Houstan, who moved over from the defensive line, has earned good reviews this spring. Fellow guard Chris Terek is also a promising player.

Notre Dame also recruited six highly rated freshman linemen. Four of them enrolled in January and are participating this spring. Early reports indicate all are solid players with a bright future. Tackle Grayson McKeogh may be the best of the group. In short, the pipeline appears to be filled quite nicely while the 2026 starting group could be special.

TIGHT END

Veteran Cooper Flanagan returns from an Achilles injury in 2025 to lead this group. He is a complete tight end – equally effective at blocking and receiving. Ty Washington returns in his role as a powerful blocker and occasional short yardage target. Jack Larsen and James Flanigan are also in the mix. Many believe that Flanigan is ready to break out in a big way after his redshirt freshman season.

Two incoming freshmen round out the depth chart. Preston Fryzel is already on campus and participating in practice. Ian Premer, a highly rated recruit from Kansas, arrives in June. They and Flanigan constitute a bright future at the position.

As of now it appears that Washington, Larsen, and James Flanigan will be situational role players in support of starter Cooper Flanagan. Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock will have the flexibility to deploy multiple tight end sets with this variety of skillsets.

SUMMARY

Each of the five position groups has questions that may not be answered this spring. At quarterback, the critical backup position is wide open. The tailback by committee might work well but we don’t know much about Young and James. Wide receiver is loaded, so the question becomes which candidates will win the top six rotation spots. Along the offensive line, the status of Craig and Jagusah will remain uncertain until the fall. In the meantime, Black’s ability to hold onto the left tackle position should be settled. Finally, will the team of Flanagan and Flanigan continue to strong legacy of Irish tight ends?

Nearly five months remain until the start of the season. There are no serious holes on this side of the ball but there is room for improvement. New faces at every position must mesh together to build what we hope will be a powerhouse attack. We will look at the defense in a couple of days.