Notre Dame Has A Lot To Prove Early In 2026

Here we are, folks. After an off-season that felt like it would never end, Notre Dame Football is back. Not only is Irish football back, but genuine preseason title expectations for the program are also back in South Bend for the first time in decades.

Notre Dame players know what's at stake this year. Marcus Freeman and his staff know what's at stake this year. Now it's time to deliver.

In order for any playoff expectations to be fulfilled this season, the Irish must do something they haven't yet been able to under Marcus Freeman. Win all early games. With that in mind, let's take a look at what Notre Dame fans should be focusing on in the month of September.

Notre Dame has many new offensive pieces that must come together

Notre Dame's offense is in a very interesting position. The Irish will feature many new faces in new places that must all come together quickly.

The first thing we must acknowledge is that CJ Carr is the undisputed leader of this offense and the team overall. The question for Carr is how much of a leap he can make between his first and second year in all areas of his game. This will be the key throughline to making the entire offense hum.

In order for Carr to continue to evolve, he will need solid offensive line play starting with game one, support he didn't get one year ago to start the season.

Offensive line coach Joe Rudolph is still trying to find the right starting five combination, and I'm not concerned about who lands where; I just need them to be effective enough as a collective group to enable Notre Dame to win games while this group fully "gels" over time.

While there are some exciting players in the receiving room, Quincy Porter not being able to play yet, coming off a leg injury, has thrown off the original plans for this group. There will be an opportunity for players to step up, and they will need to.

Jordan Faison is as reliable as they come, and if Jaden Greathouse and Micah Gilbert can also become that, it's a great start. But who else will emerge between Mylan Graham and an entire next level of depth players like Cam Williams, Jerome Bettis Jr, Bubba Frazier, or Devin Fitzgerald? If one or two of these players can "hit", the Irish can take their offense to the next level.

The best quarterback in college football 🙌

CJ Carr has been named to the Manning Award Watch List.#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/3svR1avMam
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 24, 2026

Notre Dame's defense is expected to be elite

The Notre Dame defense is in a very different position than the offense. Defensively, most of the two-deep is established with players who have already proven themselves. The mission of this group is to add the final touches.

New defensive line coach Charlie Partridge is considered one of the best coaches in football, and I expect his group to be deep, physical, and disruptive.

This depth sounds great on paper, but it needs to translate on the field, meaning multiple players can rotate in the game without the unit suffering a drop-off in production. A terrific defensive line is a prerequisite for winning a title. Everything starts up front.

On the backside of the defense, Leonard Moore is a future first-round pick, and Shuler and Johnson are reliable safeties. The big question here is: can Christian Gray be a productive nickel, and will McKinney and/or Sanders be lockdown corners opposite Moore? If the Irish get favorable answers to these questions, South Bend will truly be a no-fly zone.

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