Where Notre Dame Falls In The Way-Too-Early Top 25 Rankings

"There should be no excuse for the Fighting Irish to miss out on the CFP in 2026. Jeremiyah Love is gone, but much of the offense remains intact and should prove to be sharper early on with another season of experience under CJ Carr’s belt. If healthy, the defense should be top notch again and the schedule sets up nicely with Miami, SMU (both at home) and BYU (in Provo, Utah) as the only ranked opponents on the docket." - Bryan Fischer, Sports Illustrated

"After being left out of the CFP, the Fighting Irish should be right back in the mix in 2026. There's no question the Irish will miss Love and Price, who combined to run for 2,046 yards with 29 touchdowns this past 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. Brewu and Keeley were important additions on the defensive line. Notre Dame figures to be heavily favored in all but two games: home against Miami and at BYU. There's little room for error playing a schedule that will be heavily scrutinized when it's CFP selection time. As Irish coach Marcus Freeman said this week, it's his team's responsibility to leave no doubt." - Mark Schlabach, ESPN

"Brett McMurphy: This season should be vastly different for Notre Dame after last year’s disappointing College Football Playoff snub and then opting out of a bowl game. The Irish lose star running back Jeremiyah Love, but return a lot of other key players, including quarterback CJ Carr and several defensive standouts: linebackers Drayk Bowen and Jaylen Sneed, defensive end Boubacar Traore, cornerback Christian Gray and safety Adon Shuler. The Irish’s defense could be one of the nation’s best and should dominate a schedule featuring only two teams in On3’s Way Too Early Top 25 (No. 9 Miami and No. 13 BYU)." - Brett McMurphy, On3

"How will the Irish respond to this year's playoff snub under coach Marcus Freeman, who is 43-12 since taking over as head coach? Quarterback CJ Carr – who had 2,751 yards, 24 TDs and six interceptions – is a Heisman Trophy contender. Running back Aneyas Williams and receivers Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison should work behind an experienced offensive line. Ohio State transfer wide receiver Quincy Porter is a nice addition. All-American cornerback Leonard Moore is back along with senior linebacker Drayk Bowen. Notre Dame opens with Wisconsin (Sept. 6) at Lambeau Field, and the home matchup with Miami (Nov. 7) will be huge." - Bill Bender, Sporting News

"There's no better motivation than being totally furious with how your season ended and feeling like you didn't get what you deserved. That's exactly how Notre Dame feels. It felt like it should've been in the CFP, and with the way Miami went through the field, who's to say Notre Dame couldn't have won the whole thing? 
At times, Notre Dame looked like one of the better teams in the country. So, Notre Dame's offseason is going to be filled with motivation and vinegar. I think Notre Dame will be a little more pass-heavy with running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price going into the NFL. You're looking at a good combination, though, at quarterback and wide receiver. C.J. Carr is in his second season as a starting quarterback and his top two receivers (Jaden Greathouse, Jordan Faison) are back. 
They also added a pair of wide receivers out of Ohio State (Quincy Porter, Myles Graham) from Ohio State. The defense is still one of the best, if not the best, defensive units in the country. You know Notre Dame is going to have really solid defensive backs and a tough defensive line." - Joel Klatt, FOX Sports

"Marcus Freeman told players the motto this year is to "leave no doubt" after falling short of the CFP. The Irish added receivers Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter from the transfer portal. Freeman is still one of the five best coaches in college football, as evidenced by the rumors of NFL teams showing interest in the 40-year-old coach. The schedule sets up nicely for a playoff run and is a big reason why Notre Dame is a co-favorite to win the national championship." - Brandon Marcello, CBS Sports

"Even though Notre Dame missed the College Football Playoff, the Fighting Irish still finished with double-digit wins for the eighth time in the last nine years. Notre Dame has a great chance at making it back to the 12-team field in 2026. It starts with a loaded defense, featuring the best cornerback in college football in Leonard Moore and arguably the best linebacker in Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are gone from the backfield, but quarterback CJ Carr enters 2026 as the Heisman Trophy favorite according to FanDuel Sportsbook." - Max Chadwick, PFF

"The Irish have big shoes to fill in their backfield in losing Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, but Carr, the nation’s fifth-rated passer in 2025, is a great cornerstone to build an offense around. Meanwhile, the Irish bring back nearly the entire defense, including one of the nation’s best secondaries. The addition of Brewu, an honorable mention All-ACC selection, filled a big need on the interior D-line." - Stewart Mandel, The Athletic

"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