Kirk Herbstreit Doubles Down on 2026 National Championship Prediction

The iconic ESPN commentator isn't budging when it comes to his National Championship prediction.

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Typically speaking, the month or so leading up to the start of the college football season is the time that pundits, reporters, and analysts alike make their predictions for how the new campaign will unfold.

"Prediction season," as it's known more colloquially, produces some of the hottest takes of the entire year, with just about every major media commentator stirring up some form of controversy and ticking off some portion of the wider college football world.

ESPN mainstay Kirk Herbstreit, who is in many ways the primary voice of the sport, is no stranger to hot takes, and he made some headlines earlier in the offseason when he picked the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to go all the way in 2026.

Herbstreit recently joined the Dan Patrick Show to discuss the upcoming season, and he said that while he believes the race will be competitive, he still chose the Fighting Irish to win it all.

“There are so many good players returning.”

-@KirkHerbstreit on who will win the College National Championship pic.twitter.com/byFTgXCO64

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) August 10, 2026

"I just think that there's so many good players returning," Herbstreit said. "I think Miami, I think that Indiana, I know that both of those teams had great years last year... It's really gonna come down to, with both of those teams, the quarterback play there. But I love Notre Dame. If I had to pick a team, you know, preseason we always have to make a pick, I would probably pick Notre Dame."

Irish are Loaded

South Bend, IN, USA; The Notre Dame Leprechaun runs with a Notre Dame flag after a touchdown in the first quarter of the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Miami Hurricanes at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It may seem a bit wild to say that Notre Dame can actually win the national championship, given the reputation they've garnered over the past 20 or so years, but this Fighting Irish squad appears to be completely different from those in years past.

Head coach Marcus Freeman has stocked the roster with top-flight talent at every level that Notre Dame has been unable to load up on in the past. This has given his squad the edge they need to compete with anybody in the country.

The Irish are also returning more production than anybody in the country, and they have a quarterback who enters the season as the odds-on Heisman favorite in redshirt sophomore CJ Carr.

That being said, championships aren't won by pre-season hype or perceived potential, and we've seen plenty of Notre Dame squads come in with plenty of hype only to fall flat. Until Notre Dame proves that this season is different, it's all just noise.

Still, there is plenty of reason for Herbstreit to feel optimistic about his pick. If ever there was a year for Notre Dame to break their nearly 40-year title drought, then 2026 would be the one.