National analysts are betting big on Marcus Freeman’s loaded roster, citing a veteran defense and high-powered offense as the Irish surge into the national championship conversation.
It's officially time to turn the page on spring football and gear up for the bulk of the offseason. We're a few months away from fall camp kicking off, but summer workouts are right around the corner. Analysts and major outlets across the country have been able to digest what they've seen and read about the top programs in the country and have released their Post-Spring Top 25 rankings. Notre Dame found themselves ranked in the Top 5 in every major ranking.
No. 1 - Josh Pate, On3 Sports
"Notre Dame needs to be my No. 1 team to start the year," Pate explained. "They've got everything I want from a roster perspective. They have CJ Carr at quarterback. I don't care what Mike Denbrock says about driving stuff into a ditch; he's not going to during the season. He'll be fine; the defense will be fine, in fact, they'll be loaded. There's a sense of urgency because of what happened last year. I don't expect them to ease into the season, I expect them to annihilate people. You know they play Rice early, Jesse. For all the talk about them losing a couple of first-round running backs, I still expect that position to be very good for them."
No. 2 - Erick Smith and Maul Myerberg, USA TODAY
"This shapes up to be Marcus Freeman’s best team," Smith and Myerberg said. "There are no questions at quarterback with CJ Carr returning for his second season as a starter. He is set to shoulder more of the offensive load with new running backs replacing Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Jordan Faison anchors the wide receiver room with the hope Jaden Greathouse and Ohio State transfer Mylan Graham will be significant contributors. Bryce Young is the leader of a defensive line that added transfers Francis Brewu (Pittsburgh) and Keon Keeley (Alabama) to bolster the front seven. But the biggest strength of the defense will a secondary with Leonard Moore, Christian Gray and Colorado transfer DJ McKinney.
No. 2 - Joel Klatt, FOX Sports Analyst
"I love a team that's pissed off, and Notre Dame is going to be ready from Jump Street," Klatt shared. "You think Marcus Freeman's not going to have the attention of his team after the way last season ended? That was a team that felt like it could make a run to the national championship. This will be an offense more centered around quarterback CJ Carr, with running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price going to the NFL.
But Notre Dame does have its two top receivers returning (Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse) and got two really good wide receivers in the portal (Quincy Porter, Mylan Graham)," Klatt continued. "The Fighting Irish have a ton of experience coming back in the trenches. Four returning starters on the offensive line to go with a defense that will probably be the top defense in all of college football. They've got five of their seven starters back up front."
No. 4 - Mark Schlabach, ESPN
"After being left out of the CFP, the Fighting Irish should be right back in the mix in 2026," Schlabach stated. "There's no question the Irish will miss Love and Price, who combined to run for 2,046 yards with 29 touchdowns last season. Aneyas Williams, who averaged 9.3 yards per carry, is the heir apparent. Quarterback CJ Carr should be even better in his second season as a starter, especially if the Irish can get Graham and Porter going, and Jaden Greathouse returns from a hamstring injury. Nine of the defense's top 10 tacklers are back from 2025. Notre Dame figures to be heavily favored in all but two games -- home against Miami and at BYU."
No. 4 - Matt De Lima, Sports Illustrated
"The Blue-Gold Game drew the second-largest spring game crowd in Notre Dame history at 45,308, and the Irish delivered a performance worthy of the turnout," De Lime explained. "The defense was the star of the show, with Leonard Moore and the secondary continuing to look like the best unit in college football. Mylan Graham flashed immediately as a legitimate starter at receiver, and Devin Fitzgerald is pressing for rotation time after a standout spring.
"The one area that warrants watching is the running back room," De Lima continued. "Aneyas Williams led rushers but is still relatively unproven, and the Irish will need to replace the 2,046 combined yards Love and Price produced last fall. CJ Carr had his shaky moments in the spring game, but reading too much into spring QB performances is a fool's errand. He is the unquestioned leader of a team with legitimate national title aspirations."
No. 5 - Brandon Marcello, CBS Sports
"We'll talk all summer about Notre Dame's "easy" schedule," Marcello shared. "Critics will poke holes in the Irish's championship plans, fueled mostly by the PR hit they received for whining about their exclusion from the CFP and opting out of a bowl game in December. But don't let that cloud the true evaluation of the team's talent and a top-5 coaching staff."
I think it's also worth noting that all of these outlets also ranked three of Notre Dame's opponents in their Post-Spring Top 25 rankings as well:
Miami Hurricanes
Pate - No. 5
USA Today - No. 6
Klatt - No. 6
Sports Illustrated - No. 6
ESPN - No. 7
CBS Sports - No. 7
BYU Cougars
ESPN - No. 12
USA Today - No. 14
Pate - No. 14
Klatt - No. 17
CBS Sports - No. 17
Sports Illustrated - No. 19
SMU Mustangs
USA Today - No. 18
Klatt - No. 18
Pate - No. 20
ESPN - No. 22
Sports Illustrated - No. 23
CBS Sports - No. 25
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