Notre Dame Fighting Irish
FBS Independents
0-0 (0-0 conf)
SP+ #5
Ratings
2025 final
- SP+
- 24.4 (#5)
- SP+ Offense
- 40.0
- SP+ Defense
- 16.3
- SRS
- 24.1
- FPI
- 25.3
- Elo
- 2243
- Talent
- 912
- Recruiting
- —
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
11.0p10 10.0 — p90 12.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 0.0% | |
| Make CFP | 96.5% | |
| Quarterfinal | 88.8% | |
| Semifinal | 47.2% | |
| Natl. final | 21.9% | |
| Natl. champ | 8.5% |
Schedule
proj record 10.9–1.1
Schedule
59th
toughest of 136
Offenses faced
82nd
toughest of 136
Defenses faced
46th
toughest of 136
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 136 (easiest) · by 2025 SP+.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NWisconsin | -4.4 | 34-13 | +20.8 | 93% | — |
| 2 | vsRice | -14.8 | 49-11 | +37.8 | 100% | — |
| 3 | vsMichigan State | -3.4 | 39-18 | +21.1 | 93% | — |
| 4 | @Purdue | -6.1 | 36-10 | +25.7 | 96% | — |
| 5 | @North Carolina | -6.6 | 36-7 | +29.8 | 98% | — |
| 6 | vsStanford | -11.8 | 46-12 | +33.6 | 99% | — |
| 7 | @BYU | +15.9 | 28-24 | +3.9 | 61% | — |
| 9 | NNavy | +6.2 | 42-15 | +26.2 | 97% | — |
| 10 | vsMiami | +20.7 | 30-22 | +7.3 | 69% | — |
| 11 | vsBoston College | -8.5 | 43-12 | +31.7 | 99% | — |
| 12 | vsSMU | +13.4 | 35-20 | +14.9 | 85% | — |
| 13 | @Syracuse | -13.1 | 35-6 | +29.2 | 98% | — |
Quarterbacks · 1
2026 · 65
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | CJ Carr | FR | 6'3" | 210 | ★★★★ |
Running Backs · 2
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Aneyas Williams | SO | 5'10" | 200 | ★★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Nolan James Jr. | FR | 5'10" | 214 | ★★★★ |
Wide Receivers · 13
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Jordan Faison | JR | 5'10" | 183 | — |
| WR | 2nd | Will Pauling | SR | 5'10" | 190 | — |
| WR | 3rd | Micah Gilbert | FR | 6'2" | 201 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 4th | Mylan Graham← Ohio State | SO | 6'1" | 195 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 5th | Jaden Greathouse | JR | 6'1" | 212 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 6th | Quincy Porter← Ohio State | FR | 6'4" | 210 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 7th | Matt Jeffery | SO | 5'11" | 197 | — |
| WR | 8th | Elijah Burress | FR | 6'0" | 184 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 9th | Leo Scheidler | SR | 6'1" | 194 | — |
| WR | 10th | Cam Williams | FR | 6'2" | 198 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 11th | Jerome Bettis Jr. | FR | 6'1" | 208 | — |
| WR | 12th | Tyler Buchner | SR | 6'1" | 215 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 13th | Logan Saldate | FR | 6'0" | 189 | ★★★★ |
Tight Ends · 2
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Ty Washington | JR | 6'4" | 247 | ★★★ |
| TE | 2nd | Jack Larsen | FR | 6'3" | 250 | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 3
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL | — | Matty Augustine | FR | 6'7" | 295 | ★★★★ |
| OL | — | Joe Otting | SO | 6'4" | 312 | ★★★★ |
| OL | — | Sullivan Absher | SO | 6'8" | 328 | ★★★★ |
Defensive Line · 18
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | 1st | Boubacar Traore | SO | 6'4" | 247 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 2nd | Francis Brewu← Pittsburgh | SO | 6'2" | 280 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 3rd | Jason Onye | SR | 6'5" | 302 | — |
| DL | 4th | Bryce Young | SO | 6'7" | 273 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 5th | Elijah Hughes | JR | 6'3" | 297 | ★★★ |
| DL | 6th | Jordan Botelho | SR | 6'3" | 260 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 7th | Jared Dawson | SR | 6'1" | 288 | — |
| DL | 8th | Tionne Gray← Oregon | FR | 6'6" | 336 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 9th | Donovan Hinish | JR | 6'2" | 277 | ★★★ |
| DL | 10th | Junior Tuihalamaka | SR | 6'2" | 260 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 11th | Keon Keeley← Alabama | SO | 6'5" | 282 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 12th | Cole Mullins | FR | 6'5" | 273 | ★★★ |
| DL | 13th | Armel Mukam | SO | 6'3" | 304 | ★★★ |
| DL | 14th | Loghan Thomas | SO | 6'4" | 218 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 15th | Kobi Onyiuke | JR | 6'4" | 261 | — |
| DL | 16th | Christopher Burgess Jr. | FR | 6'4" | 270 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 17th | Sean Sevillano Jr. | FR | 6'2" | 343 | ★★★ |
| DL | 18th | Gordy Sulfsted | FR | 6'5" | 260 | — |
Linebackers · 8
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Drayk Bowen | JR | 6'2" | 235 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 2nd | Jaiden Ausberry | SO | 6'2" | 228 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa | SO | 6'3" | 230 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 4th | Jaylen Sneed | JR | 6'2" | 228 | ★★★★★ |
| LB | 5th | Madden Faraimo | FR | 6'2" | 235 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 6th | Kahanu Kia | SO | 6'2" | 229 | ★★★ |
| LB | 7th | Teddy Rezac | FR | 6'3" | 222 | — |
| LB | 8th | Ko'o Kia | FR | 6'2" | 215 | — |
Defensive Backs · 13
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | DJ McKinney← Colorado | JR | 6'2" | 180 | ★★★★ |
| CB | 2nd | Leonard Moore | SO | 6'2" | 195 | ★★★★ |
| CB | 3rd | Dallas Golden | FR | 6'0" | 185 | ★★★★ |
| CB | 4th | Jayden Sanders← Michigan | FR | 6'1" | 193 | ★★★★ |
| CB | 5th | DeVonta Smith | SR | 5'11" | 196 | ★★★★ |
| CB | 6th | Christian Gray | JR | 6'0" | 188 | ★★★★ |
| CB | 7th | Mark Zackery IV | FR | 5'11" | 170 | ★★★★ |
| CB | 8th | Isaiah Dunn | SR | 5'11" | 176 | — |
| S | 1st | Adon Shuler | SO | 6'0" | 207 | ★★★★ |
| S | 2nd | Tae Johnson | FR | 6'2" | 193 | ★★★★ |
| S | 3rd | Jalen Stroman | SR | 6'1" | 199 | — |
| S | 4th | Luke Talich | JR | 6'4" | 209 | — |
| S | 5th | Ethan Long | FR | 6'3" | 211 | ★★★ |
Special Teams · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LS | 1st | Joseph Vinci | FR | 6'4" | 233 | — |
| P | 1st | James Rendell | SR | 6'6" | 223 | — |
| PK | 1st | Noah Burnette | SR | 5'10" | 179 | — |
| PK | 2nd | Erik Schmidt | FR | 6'2" | 210 | ★★★ |
| PK | — | Marcello Diomede | JR | 6'1" | 195 | — |
Season History · last 12
5 AP top-10 · 10 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10-2 | 0-0 | #5 | #6 | — |
| 2024 | 11-1 | 0-0 | #8 | #2 | 3-1 |
| 2023 | 9-3 | 0-0 | #8 | #9 | 1-0 |
| 2022 | 8-4 | 1-0 | #35 | #5 | 1-0 |
| 2021 | 11-1 | 5-0 | #11 | #5 | 0-1 |
| 2020 | 10-1 | 9-1 | #5 | — | 0-1 |
| 2019 | 10-2 | 0-0 | #19 | — | 1-0 |
| 2018 | 12-0 | 0-0 | #13 | — | 0-1 |
| 2017 | 9-3 | 0-0 | #12 | — | 1-0 |
| 2016 | 4-8 | 0-0 | #18 | — | — |
| 2015 | 10-2 | 0-0 | #8 | — | 0-1 |
| 2014 | 7-5 | 0-0 | #34 | — | 1-0 |
Recruiting Classes
avg #12 · 169 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★235 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12 | 270 | 1 | 14 | 6 |
| 2024 | #9 | 276 | 0 | 15 | 7 |
| 2023 | #12 | 273 | 0 | 19 | 4 |
| 2022 | #7 | 275 | 1 | 17 | 4 |
| 2021 | #9 | 269 | 0 | 14 | 10 |
| 2020 | #17 | 251 | 1 | 9 | 2 |
| 2019 | #16 | 259 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| 2018 | #10 | 269 | 0 | 14 | 13 |
| 2017 | #10 | 251 | 0 | 10 | 6 |
| 2016 | #15 | 249 | 1 | 9 | 8 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 7net -8Out 15
Portal avg stars (in / out)4.0 / 3.2
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Francis Brewu | DL | 4★ | ← Pittsburgh |
| ▲ | Quincy Porter | WR | 4★ | ← Ohio State |
| ▲ | Tionne Gray | DL | 4★ | ← Oregon |
| ▲ | Keon Keeley | DL | 4★ | ← Alabama |
| ▼ | Kenny Minchey | QB | 4★ | → Kentucky |
| ▼ | Armel Mukam | DL | 4★ | → — |
| ▼ | Ben Minich | S | 4★ | → Miami (OH) |
| ▼ | Joshua Burnham | EDGE | 3★ | → Indiana |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
20 items
- Notre Dame Should Accept Their Role As The Villain Of College FootballStop chasing approval and embrace the hate. With a powerhouse roster and a bullseye on their back, the Irish must trade self-righteousness for a ruthless new era.ND1h
- Notre Dame is one massive update away from landing a historic 2027 recruiting class – An important date remainsNotre Dame is putting together a historic 2027 class. There are only a couple of important targets to know, especially for a complete group.ND2h
- Notre Dame football still has one remaining obstacle to get past to complete a potentially historic 2027 defensive line classNotre Dame football is on the cusp of history. There is one remaining priority target to keep a close eye on for HC Marcus Freeman.ND2h
- Former elite Notre Dame recruiting target is predicted to land with an SEC power ahead of his commitment dateNotre Dame landed a commitment from 2028 quarterback Trey Tagliaferri last week. Another talented signal caller is set to come off the board.ND3h
- Everything to know about Notre Dame's elite 2027 recruiting class, with only a couple of key targets remainingWhere do things stand with the 2027 Notre Dame recruiting class? Only a couple of priority targets and key questions remain.ND4h
- 10 College Football Playoff guarantees for 2026: Notre Dame embraces villain role, 2 ACC teams get inThe College Football Playoff is infamously hard to predict, CBS Sports bowl expert Brad Crawford is standing by these 10 guarantees for the fallND5h
- Notre Dame not chosen by 2028 4-star who opts to stay in FloridaNotre Dame football missed out on 2028 Florida 4-star wide receiver who chose to stay home and play in-state.ND8h
- Notre Dame's Top Five Best Single Season Defensive Performances 2000-2025From Manti Te’o’s historic Heisman run to Justin Tuck’s relentless pass rushing, rediscover the legendary playmakers and record-breaking seasons that defined two decades of dominant Irish defense.ND1d
- Notre Dame 2026 Player Profile: Wide Receiver Dylan FaisonThe dynamic dual-sport athlete arrives in South Bend with elite quickness. Discover how this freshman standout plans to master the playbook and carve his own legacy on offense.ND1d
- Three things I like about Notre Dame LB Drayk BowenWho are the best 20 players on Notre Dame’s football team this season, and what is there to like about them?
- 2027 standout guard Albert Simien picks Notre DameSimien figures to be a huge part of what the Fighting Irish will do up front in 2027.ND2d
- Nebraska misses out on five-star recruit Albert Simien to Notre DameFive-star interior offensive lineman Albert Simien committed to Notre Dame over Nebraska on Friday afternoon after a cooperative commitment.ND2d
- Predicting the next five Notre Dame commitments following the Fighting Irish landing elite OL Albert SimienNotre Dame landed a massive commitment from elite 2027 OL Albert Simien. Who are the next potential commitments for the Fighting Irish?ND2d
- Notre Dame football didn't just land another elite 5-star player – They made a recruiting statement to the rest of CFBNotre Dame just made a massive recruiting statement to the rest of CFB. HC Marcus Freeman and the Irish continue to up their game.ND2d
- LSU football loses elite Louisiana lineman to Notre DameLSU football watched a Louisiana five-star commit to Notre Dame today. Louisiana's top three recruits are now committed elsewhere.ND2d
- Notre Dame football adds 5-star lineman over LSU, Texas A&MFive-star OL Albert Simien has committed to Notre Dame over LSU, Texas A&M, and several SEC powerhouse programs in the 2027 class.ND2d
- Albert Simien fakes out LSU, Ole Miss before committing to Notre DameAlbert Simien fakes out LSU, Ole Miss before committing to Notre DameND2d
- Notre Dame continues recruiting momentum, lands 4-star OLNotre Dame continued its recruiting surge Friday with a commitment from four-star prospect Albert Simien, the top-ranked offensive guard in the 2027 class.ND3d
- Another 5-star prospect joins Notre Dame’s 2027 recruiting classNotre Dame football got a massive commitment on Friday, as another 5-star will join its 2027 recruiting class.ND3d
- Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame football win pledge of 5-star OL Albert SimienSimien is regarded as one of the top offensive line prospects in the 2027 recruiting cycle.ND3d