Loaded with returning talent and high-level newcomers, the Irish aim for a championship run after a playoff snub.
Several outlets are now releasing their Way-Too-Early Top 25 lists ahead of the 2026-2027 college football season. Every list that has come out so far has ranked Notre Dame somewhere in the Top 10.
We've seen the Irish as high as No. 3 in a ranking from ESPN, Joel Klatt and On3 had the Irish in the Top 5 and other outlets like PFF and Yahoo Sports aren't as high on Notre Dame as others. They check in at No. 9 on Yahoo Sport's Way-Too-Early list, which is the lowest projected ranking amongst outlets.
"Quarterback CJ Carr got better as the season went on in 2025 and could be one of the best quarterbacks in college football in 2026. The Irish made some late moves in the transfer portal, have the No. 2 high school recruiting class in the country and, most importantly, coach Marcus Freeman rebuffed NFL interest to stay in South Bend." - Nick Bromberg, Yahoo Sports
Fortunately for Notre Dame, they have several other players with high level talent and high level experience returning to their roster than just their standout starting quarterback.
On offense, on top of Carr returning at quarterback, they have left tackle Anthonie Knapp, right guard Guerby Lambert, lineman Charles Jagusah returning from injury, receivers Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse, running back Aneyas Williams and a host of talented new comers. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock will have a spoil of riches at the skilled positions led by a returning starting quarterback.
Defensively, they might have the best two-deep in the country across the board. There won't be a better secondary in college football than the one in South Bend that consists of Leonard Moore, Christian Gray, Tae Johnson and Adon Shuler.
Every linebacker in the rotation last season returns in 2026 and their two starting edge rushers in Boubacar Traore and Bryce Young return. The brought in a host of talent through the portal and high school recruiting to boot.
This is an extremely talented roster returning to South Bend; all chips are on the table and after last season's playoff snub, the Irish are going all in on this year to bring home the 12th National Championship. Marcus Freeman and his staff have a spoil of riches across the board. This team is loaded with depth and high-level talent that will make impact plays Saturday after Saturday.
Three Notre Dame opponents are ranking in Yahoo's Way-Too-Early Top 25; Miami is ranked No. 10, BYU is ranked No. 15 and the SMU Mustangs are ranked No. 17. Overall, these are extremely questionable rankings from Yahoo Sports. The hire of Lane Kiffin at LSU was exciting for the Tigers, but was it enough to warrant a Top 7 ranking?
Penn State is losing a ton from their roster, replacing those losses with players from Iowa State who followed head coach Matt Campbell, but the Nittany Lions finished the season 7-6. Is that enough to warrant a Top 20 ranking? Seven of the top 13 teams in this list are from the SEC. No outlet will convince me over half of the top teams in the country are down south.
Yahoo Sports Way-Too-Early Top 25
1. Oregon Ducks
2. Texas Longhorns
3. Indiana Hoosiers
4. Ohio State Buckeyes
5. Georgia Bulldogs
6. LSU Tigers
7. Texas Tech Red Raiders
8. Texas A&M Aggies
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
10. Miami Hurricanes
11. Ole Miss Rebels
12. Alabama Crimson Tide
13. Oklahoma Sooners
14. USC Trojans
15. BYU Cougars
16. Michigan Wolverines
17. SMU Mustangs
18. Penn State Nittany Lions
19. Louisville Cardinals
20. Virginia Tech Hokies
21. Houston Cougars
22. South Carolina Gamecocks
23. Washington Huskies
24. Illinois Fighting Illini
25. Virginia Cavaliers
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