CJ Carr leads a talented Notre Dame offense poised for a dominant 2026 season, with explosive playmakers vying for significant roles.
After months of speculation we now know what the Notre Dame roster will look like for the 2026 season. Notre Dame has a talented and very deep roster, and the return of a lot of proven production and incoming talent has raised expectations for the Irish.
Let's take a very early, first glance look at the Notre Dame depth chart for the 2026 season. We'll begin with the offense.
QUARTERBACK
Starter: CJ Carr (Soph.)
Depth: Blake Hebert (R-Fr.), Noah Grubbs (Fr.), Teddy Jarrard (Fr.)
Notre Dame will have one of the nation's best quarterbacks in 2026 with Carr - now a redshirt sophomore - ready to build on his outstanding first season in the lineup. Carr passed for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns while ranking tied for second nationally in yards per attempt (9.4) and fifth in passer rating (168.06). There will be a battle for who backs Carr up, especially with Jarrard reclassifying.
RUNNING BACK
Starter: Aneyas WIlliams (Jr.)
Depth: Kedren Young (Soph.), Nolan James Jr. (R-Fr.), Javian Osborne (Fr.), Jonaz Walton (Fr.)
Williams will head into the spring as the lead back, and as long as Young is recovering from a knee injury he'll likely have that spot solidified. Once Young gets healthy I expect to see him make a serious push for carries and for the role as lead back. Either way, Williams is going to play a very important role in the offense. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of jump James can make in his second season and the Irish landed a pair of big time running backs (Osborne, Walton) in the freshman class. There isn't a ton of experience in this group but the talent is exceptional.
X RECEIVER
Starter: Jordan Faison (Sr.)
Depth: Mylan Graham (Soph.), Elijah Burress (R-Fr.), Kaydon Finley (Fr.), Dylan Faison (Fr.)
Faison returns after leading the team in receptions and receiving yards last season. Don't be surprised if we see more this season of what we saw in the Arkansas game, which is Faison and Greathouse playing both inside and outside, and the staff moving players around a bit more. Graham and Burress will battle for the No. 2 spot behind Faison, and the winner will likely become a major factor in a deeper receiver rotation. Graham has enormous talent and Burress made a great impression as a rookie in 2025. Finley is another rookie that has the talent to make an immediate impact, and he also has the versatility to play all three receiver positions.
Z RECEIVER
Starter: Jaden Greathouse (Jr.)
Depth: Logan Saldate (Soph.), Matt Jeffery (Soph.), Bubba Frazier (Fr.), Brayden Robinson (Fr.)
Greathouse will be healthy this spring and it's going to make a big difference in the offense. Go look at the numbers Malachi Fields put up with Greathouse in the lineup and what he did afterwards. Even though Greathouse didn't catch many throws it was clear teams were focused on him, and when he went down that allowed them to spend more attention on Fields. The incoming freshmen (Frazier, Robinson) will challenge the returning depth in the slot, and as stated above I think we'll see Faison play some here as well.
W RECEIVER
Starter: Micah Gilbert (Soph.)
Depth: Quincy Porter (R-Fr.), Cam Williams (Soph.), Jerome Bettis Jr. (R-Fr.), Devin Fitzgerald (Fr.)
Gilbert heads into the spring in the lead spot because he's a veteran and showed potential this past season, but he'll be in for a major battle. Gilbert will need to stay healthy this spring, because missed time will make it a lot easier for Porter and Williams to push him down the depth chart. Porter and Williams are both former five-star recruits with big time playmaking potential, but this spring they'll need to show their potential is ready to turn into production. This is the one receiver spot where there is the most competition and uncertainty, but it doesn't lack talent.
TIGHT END
Starter: Cooper Flanagan (Jr.)
Depth: Ty Washington (5th), James Flanigan (R-Fr.), Jack Larson (Soph.), Preston Fryzel (Fr.), Ian Premer (Fr.)
Flanagan missed all but one game in 2025, so he'll need to show he's healthy. If he is I do expect him to step into the starting lineup, and his blocking skills will be a nice addition to the lineup. Despite being primarily a blocker his first two seasons, Flanagan does possess good pass catching skills that we'll see used more this season. Washington will likely keep his No. 2 role heading into the spring, but I expect Flanigan to make a very, very hard push for that job. Flanigan and Washington are very different players, and Flanigan also has a much higher ceiling. It wouldn't surprise me if at some point very soon he's getting some of the Y reps (starter) and also working as the No. 2 with Flanagan in a physical, run blocking 12-personnel look. Fryzel is a talented pass catcher but will need to fill out, while Premer doesn't arrive until the summer. Once he does, watch out.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Starter: LT Anthonie Knapp (Jr.), LG Sullivan Absher (Jr.), Ashton Craig (5th), Charles Jagusah (Jr.), Guerby Lambert (Soph.)
Depth: LT Styles Prescod (Soph.), Grayson McKeogh (Fr.) - LG Will Black (R-Fr.), Devan Houstan (Jr.), Sullivan Garvin (Fr.) - C Joe Otting (Jr.), Cam Herron (R-Fr.), Gregory Patrick (Fr.) - RG Christopher Terek (Jr.), Peter Jones (Soph.), Tyler Merrill (Fr.), Ben Nichols (Fr.) - RT Matt Augustine (R-Fr.), Owen Strebig (R-Fr.), Charlie Thom (Fr.)
While I believe this is what the starting lineup will look like in the fall, based on what we know now, I do expect someone other than Craig to start the spring at center. Craig was injured in October and I'm doubtful that he'll be able to do much live work this spring, which will give Otting and Herron a chance to battle for the "next man in" role at center. I do expect Lambert to move back to tackle if Jagusah is healthy, but that still remains a question. I see Black getting work at guard and tackle this spring as the staff looks to create an opportunity for him to earn playing time. Augustine can also play both tackle spots. I'm projecting Patrick to center here a bit, but it makes sense when you look at his game. He could also stay outside at tackle, where he played in high school, or play guard. This is a very deep and talented group, and while I think the initial depth chart is pretty easy to put together, I don't think these spots and roles are set in stone.
ABBREVIATIONS
5th - Fifth-year senior
Sr. - Senior Eligibility
Jr. - Junior Eligibility
Soph. - Sophomore eligibility
R-Fr. - Redshirt freshman
Fr. - True Freshman
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