Notre Dame Releases Depth Chart vs. Wisconsin: Biggest Takeaways

Notre Dame has released its depth chart ahead of the season opener against Wisconsin

Head coach Marcus Freeman during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

We've reached game week for Notre Dame as it is set to open the 2026 football season at Lambeau Field as it takes on Wisconsin this Sunday.

As it the norm with Notre Dame, it released its official depth chart on Monday of game week, something it will do all season long, with any changes that are made.

This depth chart is the first of the year and offers perhaps as many questions as it does answers in regard to some key position battles.

Here's how the Irish will set up shop in their first go-around for 2026, as they look to take down Wisconsin at the home of the Green Bay Packers.

Notre Dame Depth Chart - Quarterback

Quarterback CJ Carr walks to a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

QB1 - 13, CJ Carr, 6-3, 210 lbs., Jr.
QB2 - 10, Noah Grubbs, 6-4, 210 lbs., Fr.
or - 9, Teddy Jarrard, 6-4, 210 lbs., Fr.

Marcus Freeman and company didn't announce who won the backup quarterback role to start the year. They clearly have a plan in place if Carr is to go do down for a series or be forced out of a game, but they aren't going to reveal that.

Annoying? Certainly, but if you're in their shoes why would you? Especially when you have made clear all off-season that it won't be set in stone by any means.

Notre Dame Depth Chart - Running Back

RB1 - 22, Aneyas Williams, 5-10, 210 lbs., Jr.
RB2 - 2, Nolan James, Jr., 5-10, 215 lbs., So.
or - 21, Kedren Young, 5-11, 234 lbs., Jr.
or - 20, Jonaz Walton, 5-9, 214 lbs., Fr.
or - 26 Javian Osborne, 5-9, 200 lbs., Fr.

We all know Williams is going to be the primary back, but how many other backs get a good amount of touches in non-mop-up-mopup time? Last year it was really only Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. That will be as interesting as anything in terms of playing time to watch for Notre Dame early in the season.

Notre Dame Depth Chart - Wide Receiver

WR1 - 6, Jordan Faison, 5-11, 185 lbs., Sr.
WR2 - 33, Matt Jeffery, 5-11, 195 lbs., Jr.
WR3 - 5, Cam Williams, 6-2, 201 lbs., Jr.
or 19, Logan Saldate, 5-11, 185 lbs., Jr.

WR1 - 1, Jaden Greathouse, 6-1, 212 lbs., Sr.
or - 3, Mylan Graham, 6-1, 195 lbs., Jr.
WR3 - 4, Bubba Frazier, 5-10, 185 lbs., Fr.

WR1 - 14, Micah Gilbert, 6-2, 205 lbs., Jr.
WR2 - 17, Elijah Burress, 6-1, 190 lbs., So.
or - 8, Jerome Bettis, Jr., 6-2, 207 lbs., So.

Boy, if Jaden Greathouse can stay healthy then this group is capable of some special things in 2026. It's clear that this is a program that will always be built on running the football and establishing the line of scrimmage, but the lack of freshmen listed on the depth chart (Devin Fitzgerald, Kaydon Finley specifically) speaks to the improvement Notre Dame seems to have made at the position in recent years.

Notre Dame Depth Chart - Offensive Line

LT1 - 74, Will Black, 6-7, 316 lbs., So.
LT2 - 68, Charlie Thorn, 6-7, 295 lbs., Fr.
or - 65, Grayson McKeogh, 6-7, 303 lbs., Fr.

LG1 - 54, Anthonie Knapp, 6-5, 305 lbs., Jr.
LG2 - 57, Cam Herron, 6-2, 297 lbs., So.

C1 - 70, Ashton Craig, 6-5, 315 lbs., 5th yr
C2 - 64, Joe Otting, 6-4, 309 lbs., Sr.

RG1 - 75, Sullivan Absher, 6-7, 316 lbs., Sr.
or 71, Styles Prescod, 6-6, 304 lbs., Jr.

RT1 - 76, Guerby Lambert, 6-7, 325 lbs., Jr.
RT2 - 78, Owen Strebig, 6-8, 318 lbs., So.
or - 68, Charlie Thorn, 6-7, 295 lbs., Fr.

Ashton Craig has twice suffered knee injuries but is back to full health and earned the starting spot. If this unit is going to perform as perhaps the best offensive line in the country though, I'm going to need to see more from Sullivan Absher. He's a solid swing player but as a regular starter I'm not sold. Will be interesting to see if he or Prescod can win the job for good with a strong showing early on.

Notre Dame Depth Chart - Tight End

TE1 - 87, Cooper Flanagan, 6-6, 255 lbs., SR.
or - 88, James Flanigan, 6-6, 253 lbs., So.
TE3 - 7, Ty Washington, 6-4, 253 lbs., 5th year
or - 85, Jack Larsen, 6-3, 250 lbs., Jr.

No Ian Premer on the depth chart comes as a surprise but if we've noticed anything on the offense, outside of running back, freshmen aren't really being listed. In Premer's case, the elite recruit didn't get to campus until summer, unlike many of his classmates. I'd expect his talents and playmaking ability to have him in the fold to be catching meaningful passes by the time the calendar flips to October.

Notre Dame Depth Chart - Defensive Line

DE1 - 5, Boubacar Traore, 6-5, 253 lbs., Sr.
DE2 - 10, Loghan Thomas, 6-3, 221 lbs., Jr.
DE3 - 44, Rodney Dunham, 6-4, 242 lbs., Fr.

DT1 - 88, Armel Mukam, 6-3, 300 lbs., Sr.
DT2 - 7, Francis Brewu, 6-1, 285 lbs., Jr.
DT3 - 56, Elijah Hughes, 6-3, 295 lbs., Sr.

DT1 - 47, Jason Onye, 6-5, 295 lbs., 6th year
DT2 - 0, Tionne Gray, 6-5, 320 lbs., Jr.
DT3 - 59, Sean Sevillano, Jr., 6-2, 313 lbs., Jr.

DE1 - 95, Bryce Young, 260 lbs., Jr.
DE2 - 11, Keon Keeley, 6-5, 275 lbs., Sr.

If Marcus Freeman is right in what he said at the end of fall camp in that his defensive tackles were the deepest position on the team, this defense should be as good as any in the country. Now, can Young and Keeley provide pass rush opposite Traore and not leave any sacks and pressures up to him?

And I can't let this go without mentioning the rise of Armel Mukam. From afterthought to atop the depth chart. Now, can he produce in game?

Notre Dame Depth Chart - Linebackers

WILL1 - 4, Jaiden Ausberry, 6-1, 226 lbs., Sr.
WILL2 - 3, Jaylen Sneed, 6-1, 227 lbs., 5th year

MIKE1 - 34, Drayk Bowen, 234 lbs., Sr.
MIKE2 - 27, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, 6-3, 234 lbs., Jr.
or - 19, Madden Faraimo, 6-2, 235 lbs., So.

Viliamu-Asa is listed as questionable for the contest, but speaks to the talent at linebacker for Notre Dame. When healthy, he's about as talented of linebacker as there is in the country.

Notre Dame Depth Chart - Secondary

Cornerbacks/Nickelbacks

NICKEL1 - 29, Christian Gray, 6-0, 196 lbs., Sr.
NICKEL2 - 1, Dallas Golden, 6-0, 195 lbs., So.
or 12, Jayden Sanders, 6-0, 195 lbs., So.

CB1 - 15, Leonard Moore, 6-2, 197 lbs., Jr.
CB2 - Mark Zackery IV, 5-10, 190 lbs., So.

CB1 - 2, DJ McKinney, 6-1, 190 lbs., 5th year
or - 12, Jayden Sanders, 6-0, 195 lbs., So.

Safeties

BOUND1 - 8, Adon Shuler, 6-0, 205 lbs., Sr.
BOUND2 - 20, Joey O'Brien, 6-5, 200 lbs., Fr.

FIELD1 - 9, Brauntae Johnson, 6-2, 200 lbs., Jr.
FIELD2 - 28, Luke Talich, 6-4, 222 lbs., Sr.

What Freeman said about the defensive line being the deepest part of the team is certainly something. I can't help but look at the names on this list, see their history, and think this is easily the best defensive backfield in the country, with depth to boot.

How many Power Four teams would Golden, Sanders, O'Brien, or Talich be clear-cut starters on? Good luck on obvious throwing downs against this squad in 2026.

Notre Dame Depth Chart - Special Teams

PR1 - 6, Jordan Faison, 5-11, 185 lbs., Sr.
PR2 - 1, Jaden Greathouse, 6-1, 212 lbs., Sr.
or 22, Aneyas Williams, 5-10, 210 lbs., Jr.

Kick Return - 22, Aneyas Williams, 5-10, 210 lbs., Jr.
or 2, Nolan James Jr., 5-10, 215 lbs., So.
20, Jonaz Walton, 5-9, 214 lbs., Fr.
or 21, Kedren Young, 5-11, 234 lbs., Jr.

KO1 - 18, Erik Schmidt, 6-2, 211, So.
KO2 - 36, Micah Drescher, 6-5, 196 lbs., Fr.

PK1 - 35, Spencer Porath, 6-0, 200 lbs., Jr.
PK2 - Micah Drescher, 6-5, 196 lbs., Fr.

P1 - 39, Jasper Scaife, 6-6, 222 lbs., Fr.
P2 - 18, Erik Schmidt, 6-2, 211 lbs., So.

LS1 - 96, Joseph Vinci, 6-4, 233 lbs., Jr.
LS2 - 49, Andrew Kros, 6-4, 227 lbs., Sr.

Holder - 35, Jasper Scaife, 6-6, 222 lbs., Fr.

A couple thoughts: I can't say I'm thrilled with Greathouse doing anything other than catching passes or blocking after his issues staying healthy really for his entire Notre Dame career.

Also, nice to see the squad just copy and paste the running back room into the kick return spot. Can one of those running backs step up and do what Jadarian Price did at the position during his career, though?

And can Spencer Porath bring consistency to the kicking game that simply hasn't been there outside of three game stretch from Mitch Jeter during the 2024 postseason?