Rece Davis Strongly Backs College Football Powerhouse for 2026 National Championship

ESPN personality Rece Davis during the Fiesta Bowl and the semifinal game. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a lot of hype heading into the upcoming season after narrowly missing out on the College Football Playoff last season.

Notre Dame Has a Lot of Hype in 2026

The Fighting Irish started the year 0-2 after playing in the national championship game in 2024. But the team rallied, becoming one of the hottest teams in the sport, winning 10 straight games. Despite that strong finish, the Miami Hurricanes jumped Notre Dame after conference championship weekend, even though neither team played that week.

Notre Dame returns the most production in college football, including star quarterback CJ Carr. He threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in his first year as the starter. He's one of the Heisman favorites and projected to be one of the top picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. The Fighting Irish start the year ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman waits in the tunnel. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rece Davis Picks Notre Dame to Win the 2026 National Championship

ESPN's Rece Davis appeared on "The Pat McAfee Show." The "College GameDay" host was asked if he thought Notre Dame had an argument for being ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Poll. Davis said not only does it have a say, but he has them ending a nearly four-decade national championship drought.

"Notre Dame is my preseason No. 1 team, and they're the team that I believe will win the national championship," Davis said. "So, to answer your question, yes. Now the schedule is helpful to them early. They've got Miami and BYU, I believe, later on in the season, who I think will be really good. But I think the Irish are loaded. I really believe in CJ Carr. I think this is the year Notre Dame breaks through."

Notre Dame Has Clear Path to the College Football Playoff

Notre Dame has plenty of reasons to believe 2026 can finally be the year it breaks through. The Fighting Irish return an elite amount of production, have one of the country's most intriguing quarterbacks in Carr and enter the season with the confidence that comes from knowing they were good enough to win 10 straight games last year.

The biggest question is whether Notre Dame can avoid another slow start and take care of business when its biggest opportunities arrive. If Carr takes another step and the Fighting Irish can navigate games against Miami and BYU, Davis' prediction may not be as bold as it sounds.

For a program that hasn't won a national championship since 1988, led by the late great Lou Holtz, Notre Dame has another opportunity to change that in 2026.