After making the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in the 2024 season, Notre Dame missed the Playoff in 2025. It was far from a down season for Marcus Freeman's team as they finished 10-2 and were the team left on the bubble of the Playoff. Notre Dame rightfully was upset with how things played out, and now they'll have a massive chip on their shoulder in 2026.
The Fighting Irish return a loaded roster for the 2026 season headlined by stars in CJ Carr, Jordan Faison, Leonard Moore, and Drayk Bowen to help lead the charge. Given how much talent Marcus Freeman has coming back, he didn't need to add much in the Transfer Portal, but he still found a way to make a splash.
Grading Notre Dame's quiet, but impactful offseason
Most Important Addition: Quincy Porter
The knock on Notre Dame for the longest time was that the Fighting Irish didn't have the elite 5-star players on the outside that every school they faced in the Playoff had. This offseason, Marcus Freeman and his staff landed Quincy Porter a year after he was one of the most sought after players in the Country. CJ Carr is getting an elite talent who should emerge with a role in the offense.
Most Impactful Addition: Keon Keeley
Coming out of High School, Keon Keeley was a highly sought after 5-star recruit that Notre Dame tried everything possible to land. At Alabama, Keeley was stuck behind future NFL stars, and was never given a big enough role to fully develop. Keeley can instantly step into the Notre Dame defensive line rotation, and provide the Irish with a pass rushing presence with a ton of upside.
Sleeper Addition: DJ McKinney
DJ McKinney committed to Notre Dame than decommitted, but everything worked out in the end as he signed with the Fighting Irish. This season, DJ McKinney allowed just 18 catches for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns on 287 coverage snaps. Pairing DJ McKinney with Leonard Moore gives Notre Dame two elite athletes at cornerback which allows this defense to throw a ton of different looks at opposing offenses.
Highest Upside Addition: Mylan Graham
Like his former teammate Quincy Porter, Mylan Graham arrives in South Bend as a former highly touted 5-star recruit. In his two seasons in the loaded Ohio State wide receiver room, Graham played sparingly, catching 6 passes for 93 yards. Now that Graham will have a role in the offense, he'll have a great chance to emerge as an elite talent.
Biggest Loss: Joshua Burnham
Marcus Freeman and his staff have done a great job retaining players as they didn't lose anyone that they'll truly miss next season. The biggest loss is likely losing edge rusher Joshua Burnham to Indiana as he could've contributed next season after recording 16 tackles and 3 sacks this season.
Offensive Grade: B
Notre Dame only made two additions on offense bringing in the duo of Ohio State transfers at receiver. The offensive grade could end up as an A+ or an F by the end of the season depending on how the two develop. Marcus Freeman only needs one to live up to their potential to make this a home run as both have a ton of talent.
Defensive Grade: A-
Notre Dame didn't have a ton of holes to fill on defense as this is going to be one of the best units in the Country. Adding DJ McKinney is massive as it gives this unit another long, athletic cornerback to play opposite Leonard Moore. The hope will be that Keon Keeley, Tionne Gray, and Francis Brewu can make a big enough impact on the defensive line to make this rotation even scarier.
Overall Grade: B+
Marcus Freeman and his staff didn't have a ton of major holes to fill which makes it hard to grade the Fighting Irish harshly for only making 7 additions. The staff is betting on upside with a ton of additions which is a risk that could haunt them, but it also comes with a high reward. The biggest knock that you can have on this class is that they should've added a high level back to pair with Aneyas Williams to help replace Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price.