Josh Pate Reveals Notre Dame's Biggest Concern Amid National Championship Hype

Notre Dame is one of a handful of college football programs poised for a national championship run in 2026.

The Fighting Irish opted out of postseason opportunities last season when they were excluded from the College Football Playoff, a decision that brought copious negative attention toward them. At the same time, that exclusion has imbued a veteran roster to prove the College Football Playoff committee wrong this season.

College football media personality Josh Pate is one of the many believers in the Fighting Irish ahead of the 2026 season. He only had one concern about Notre Dame on a recent edition of "Josh Pate's College Football Show."

"How dynamic are they going to be at wide receiver? Because there are not a lot of questions with Notre Dame either, at least to me," Pate said. "Let's look at that receiver room. Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse, these guys, I said in spring, I thought had the potential to be the best wide receiver room that Marcus Freeman's had to this point at Notre Dame."

The questions for Notre Dame surround what lies behind Faison and Greathouse. The receiving corps includes several unproven sophomores and redshirt freshmen, including a pair of former blue-chip Ohio State signees in Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham. The Fighting Irish could also utilize the sons of two Pro Football Hall of Famers in 2026: Jerome Bettis Jr. and Devin Fitzgerald.

Greathouse was also injured for the majority of 2025, so Notre Dame's next-most productive wide receiver returning from last season's roster is Micah Gilbert. He caught nine passes for 93 yards and a touchdown.

Notre Dame possesses one of the most veteran-heavy rosters in college football

The 14 starters Notre Dame returns from its 2025 roster are the second-most nationally, sitting behind only USC.

The Fighting Irish return 12 of the top 13 tacklers from last year's elite defense. Defensive tackle is the only position that utilized the NCAA transfer portal to find a new starter; the entirety of the starting linebackers and secondary, including All-America First Team selection Leonard Moore, are back.

A proven starting quarterback always boosts the confidence around an offense, and such is the case with Notre Dame. CJ Carr is receiving attention both in the Heisman Trophy race and 2027 NFL draft conversations after Notre Dame powered through the final 10 games of 2025.

The schedule should facilitate a College Football Playoff berth

Jadarian Price in Notre Dame's 2025 game against Purdue. — Sep 20, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; A Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price (24) gets through a tackle attempt by Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Traveon Wright (17) during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pate alluded to Notre Dame's schedule, which is one of the most conducive for a College Football Playoff run nationally.

The Fighting Irish's first six opponents of the season finished with a combined 23-50 record last season, and none of its Power Four opponents in that stretch are poised for major steps forward. The first real challenge will be at BYU on Oct. 17, a matchup against a team with legitimate College Football Playoff aspirations following a 12-win campaign a year ago.

The game against Miami is massive for College Football Playoff seeding, but it likely won't be the elimination game it was last season. The Hurricanes also have the fortune of playing a weaker schedule, so the No. 7 bout is far and away the toughest game of the year for both teams.

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