Tim Prister

The majority of Notre Dame's 12 opponents likely will struggle to have success throwing the football against the Irish. Notre Dame should be challenged, however, by Miami's Mensah, SMU's Jennings and BYU's Bachmeier in what projects to be its three most difficult games of 2026.

The array of quarterbacks the Irish faced in 2025 was striking compared to the bottom seven of 2026. Does CJ Carr deserve to be ranked ahead of Miami's Darian Mensah? In what order would you rank the five defensive linemen who look to be headed Notre Dame's way in the Class of 2027?

The No. 13-rated player in Notre Dame's freshman Class of 2023 over several players who would rise to starting roles with the Irish, Devan Houstan spent two years along the defensive line before shifting to the interior offensive line where the competition is just as stiff as it was in the defensive trenches.

Schmidt kicked in 10 of 12 games during his freshman season in 2025. He made his collegiate debut in Game 3 against Purdue when he converted all eight extra-point attempts to become the first Irish freshman to convert a PAT since 2015.

As we assess the Irish and their 12 upcoming opponents, we dip back to 2025 for an opening barometer heading into the 2026 season. Most of the faces at quarterback are new with the exception of CJ Carr (Notre Dame), Kevin Jennings (SMU), Bear Bachmeier (BYU), Ryan Browne (Purdue) and Steve Angeli (Syracuse).

Similar to former Notre Dame tight end Cane Berrong, an undersized tight end with pass-catching skills at the top of his list of assets, Larsen will be seeking a niche in a bit more crowded tight end room with the arrival of two freshmen, including highly-touted Ian Premer.

Eight of Notre Dame’s 12 upcoming opponents had losing records in ‘25. But if there was a collective strength, at least among the top half-dozen, it was on defense. Generally speaking, the stoutest defenses among ’26 opponents belonged to Miami, BYU, SMU and outliers Wisconsin and North Carolina.

Mike Martin throws a quick jab in USC's direction. Have you heard about the new Pac-12? Early lines favor Notre Dame by a substantial amount. Vast majority of talent among Notre Dame opponents rests almost solely on three programs. The process of “skipping USC” in pre-season perusals.

Playing both the slot (Z) and boundary (X) positions this spring, Saldate saw seven new faces (two transfers and five early-entry freshmen) in the receivers room. The competition to be one of those receiving throws from CJ Carr this fall is heated.

Jack Kiser is, by all accounts, the real deal. A great representative of Notre Dame and one of the more respected players of the Marcus Freeman era, Kiser will be seeking a spot on the field in Jacksonville beyond special teams duty following the free-agent departure of All-Pro Devin Lloyd.