Last year’s College Football Playoff snub still stings months later in South Bend. So it’s no surprise that Notre Dame opened spring practice with a simple motto: Leave No Doubt.
With 15 starters returning from last year’s 10-win squad, along with a favorable schedule, leaving no doubt doesn’t just mean a trip to the playoff. Instead, the Fighting Irish clearly have their sights set on ending a national title drought in South Bend that’s lasted since 1988.
Quarterback CJ Carr took some early lumps but eventually tied for second nationally in yards per passing attempt (9.4) and threw 24 touchdowns in a standout freshman season. Carr’s progression into one of the nation’s elite quarterbacks is a big reason why head coach Marcus Freeman’s program can win it all. There’s no shortage of talent at receiver with Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison returning, along with former highly touted prospects Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham arriving from Ohio State via the transfer portal.
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Running back Jeremiyah Love will be missed, but Aneyas Williams (7.6 yards per carry over 58 attempts) has flashed in limited time. Outside of replacing Love, Notre Dame’s biggest concern is the offensive line. Two starters are gone, and key cogs in center Ashton Craig and tackle Charles Jagusah are on the mend after significant injuries in ’25.
Like Carr, the defense took its share of early lumps. Under new coordinator Chris Ash, the Fighting Irish surrendered 98 points in the team’s first three contests. This unit showed marked improvement the rest of the way by limiting opponents to 12.6 points per contest over the next nine games and allowing just 4.8 yards per snap for the entire ’25 campaign. Notre Dame shouldn’t need a transition period on this side of the ball this season, with eight starters back, including All-America cornerback Leonard Moore.
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Notre Dame could be favored in 11 or all 12 of its games. The schedule features only three matchups against power-conference opponents — at BYU, Miami (Fla.) and SMU — that had a winning record in ’25.
Thanks to a small playoff structure tweak for ’26, the Fighting Irish simply need to be in the top 12 of the final ranking to be guaranteed a spot. But with a little extra motivation from last year’s snub, a favorable schedule, an experienced two-deep and one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in Carr, the goal in ’26 isn’t just to take a spot in the field. Instead, Freeman’s team is set for a national-title-or-bust campaign.
