Notre Dame Football’s Continuity Is Already Paying Off in 2026

Marcus Freeman discussed an early positive for Notre Dame this spring

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates after the defense scored a safety in the second half of a NCAA football game against NC State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame football wrapped up its sixth practice of the spring session, the first of which included live tackling on Wednesday, and Marcus Freeman met the media afterwards.

It didn't take him long to get to something that he's seen as a positive so far in spring practice.

In fact, he said he's been more impressed with it at this point than at any other point since he's been at Notre Dame.

Marcus Freeman on Notre Dame's Closeness

Early on in the media availability on Wednesday, Freeman spoke on the closeness of this Notre Dame team.

"It feels like the closest group we've had."

Finish the play 👏#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/FsYxkHciYx

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) April 1, 2026

Freeman went on to also discuss how the team needs to have an edge at practice each day, something last year's quarterback competition helped create. He added that he's tried to bring some of that in different ways so far this spring.

Examining Notre Dame's Closeness

2026 might be Marcus Freeman's fifth season as head coach at Notre Dame, but its the first time he returns an important trifecta of players and staff from the year previous.

Player-wise, CJ Carr is back as the no-questions-asked starting quarterback, which immediately raises the bar for where an offense can start.

Add in that offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock is back for a third season to call plays, and you can see early how his time with Carr already as a starter, is allowing for Notre Dame to be ahead in this department.

Nov 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Acrisure Stadium. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The final of the three comes as defensive coordinator Chris Ash returns for a second season. Ash and the Notre Dame defense started on shaky ground last season, but developed into one of the best defenses nationally as the year went on.

Mix those three key components together, and add in Freeman's now four completed seasons in charge, and it'd be newsworthy if the togetherness level wasn't at a high.

Nick Shepkowski's Thoughts

This allows Notre Dame to start the spring in a more advanced place than it's used to, but that translates to the fall as well.

The cohesion is real and its an asset for Notre Dame going into this season.

It's a team that returns more production than any other in the country, and has added key elements to parts that could use a boost when it comes to looking at the team through a national championship-contending lens.

Add it all together and you have a team that checks every single box to be on the shortest of lists to contend for a national title in January.