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Irish Breakdown

What’s Different About Notre Dame in 2026? Changes Defining This Season

For the first time in the modern era of college football, Notre Dame is a preseason title winning favorite, and for good reason
John Kennedy|
Apr 25, 2026; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) warms up before the Blue-Gold game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images
Apr 25, 2026; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) warms up before the Blue-Gold game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Now that spring football is concluded, we move into the next phase of the college football yearly cycle, the waiting phase.

We hit this period of the football calendar every year, finding more questions than answers as fans cross days off their summer calendars.

While this period of time has always existed, it feels very different this time around. Why? Because Notre Dame is considered a legitimate title contender.

Will 2026 be the year of the Irish? Will it really be different this time? There are reasons to believe the answer can be yes.

Notre Dame has the most talent and depth it's had since 1993

Notre Dame has one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the entire country. This is something that hasn't been true since Lou Holtz was pacing the sidelines in the early 90's.

This is the most critical factor in the Irish title odds calculation. The Irish now have the athleticism, speed, and depth needed to match up and play with anyone.

This has been Notre Dame's biggest hurdle in the modern era, and it isn't a problem anymore. This is a big deal. The Irish can line up and beat any team it faces.

It's now a matter of execution.

Quarterback CJ Carr is considered one of the very best in the country

Another reason things feel very different for the Irish this time around is that quarterback CJ Carr is considered one of the best signal callers in the nation. Gone are the days of the Irish just relying on good defense and a run game to collect wins.

The quarterback, the most important individual position in all of sports, is one of the best. The sky is the limit for the Notre Dame offense with Carr under center.

The Notre Dame defense is elite

Not only does Notre Dame have one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but the Irish also feature one of the best defenses as well.

This is a veteran-led group that has been bolstered on the front and back end by high-quality portal players. Expectations for Chris Ash's unit in year two are for a very physical and disruptive group to keep points to a minimum.

Notre Dame's schedule sets up for a deep CFP run

Aside from the build of the actual team, the Notre Dame schedule sets up perfectly for a deep CFP run. The schedule is relatively light compared to many, but it is spaced out for maximum performance.

Notre Dame will be favored heavily in each of its first six games before a tough night trip to BYU. In the second half of the year, the Miami game is surrounded by very winnable games. This schedule sets up for success, as long as the Irish play to their capabilities.

Marcus Freeman is the final piece of the puzzle

Marcus Freeman is no longer a "rookie" coach. He is now entering his fifth year in the head chair and has learned many tough lessons in his head coaching journey. He is now entering the prime of his career, has reshaped the Irish roster and staff, and is in his "title window".

Things feel different around this program because things are different around this program. Notre Dame is a modern college football operation that has checked all of the boxes it takes to compete. Now comes the hard part, delivering the ultimate result.

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Published
John Kennedy
JOHN KENNEDY

Founder and content creator of the Always Irish LLC Notre Dame Football social media, podcast, and radio show brand since 2016 covering all things Irish football daily from the fan's perspective. Previously Notre Dame Football staff writer for USA TODAY Fighting Irish Wire before joining Notre Dame On SI. Known as the “voice of the Irish fan.”

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