Historic College Football Program Predicted to Land Nation’s No. 10 RB Amid Heated Recruiting Battle

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish aim to return to the College Football Playoff in 2026 after feeling snubbed and missing out in 2025.

The Fighting Irish concluded the year with a record of 10-2 and were ranked No. 10 in the projected College Football Playoff field as they approached the conference championship weekend.

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However, they dropped behind the Miami Hurricanes in the final rankings, despite neither team competing that weekend. This change was likely influenced by the BYU Cougars' loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who defeated them 34-7 in the Championship Game.

BYU was previously ranked just behind Notre Dame and ahead of Miami. However, it dropped in the rankings, placing Notre Dame and Miami next to each other. Consequently, the committee decided to acknowledge Miami's head-to-head victory over Notre Dame from their season opener. Feeling snubbed, the team chose not to participate in a bowl game.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with a player after a touchdown. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

As the team prepares for the 2026 season with spring practices in progress, they are simultaneously focusing on recruiting for the 2027 class. The team received a significant prediction regarding one of the top running backs in this class. Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong predicts that Isaiah Rogers will play his college football in South Bend.

Rivals Industry Ranking has identified Rogers as the No. 197 overall player and the No. 10 running back in his class. The native of Springfield, Massachusetts, holds offers from several prominent programs, including the Penn State Nittany Lions, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Georgia Bulldogs, Indiana Hoosiers, Florida Gators, and Michigan Wolverines, among others.

However, Rivals has assigned an 89.4% chance for the Fighting Irish to secure his commitment.

Notre Dame has established itself as one of the top programs for developing running backs. Over the past two seasons, the team has been led by Jeremiyah Love, who won the Doak Walker Award. In 2025, he finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy after rushing for 1,372 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns. He is ranked as the top running back prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.

However, he is not the only option. Jadarian Price, who has served as the backup running back for the past two seasons, is also highly regarded. Over his three seasons, he rushed for 1,692 yards and scored 21 touchdowns. ESPN ranks him as the second-best running back prospect in his class.

The future of head coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame in securing Rogers' commitment remains uncertain. Even with Wiltfong's prediction in their favor, it won't be easy to fend off the other powerhouse programs that have also offered the talented running back.

However, if Notre Dame can successfully win out, Rogers will be joining a prestigious lineage of skilled players at that position.