Welcome back to Five Wide Fullbacks! In today’s article we are discussing 2026 quarterback recruiting, the transfer portal closing with not much news to speak of out of South Bend, the scholarship situation heading into fall camp in August, the best players of spring, and the strengths of the current Notre Dame coaching staff.
1) The spring transfer portal closed without any of the Notre Dame quarterbacks leaving. Is that surprising or to be expected?
I was a little surprised, even before spring practice began I thought it was highly likely that Kenny Minchey would leave. Or maybe, that it was in his best interest as a football player to leave. However, it does seem like both Minchey and Steve Angeli are really sold on Notre Dame’s culture (a phrase I typically loath using) or at least really enjoy being student-athletes at Notre Dame. And if that’s true in this transfer portal world, that’s pretty cool.
It’s possibly both got ‘stuck’ in just the right way that was advantageous to them both sticking around for another year. Minchey probably didn’t have enough of a proven rep to transfer to a great situation for 2024–his transfer would’ve been almost exclusively out of frustration and seeing the progress of true freshman CJ Carr behind him. That’s a story that has played out a million times in the annals of college football and sometimes these quarterbacks leave and sometimes they stick around…for a while longer.
Minchey decided to stay.
It never made sense for Angeli to leave unless A) He was clearly passed up as the backup or B) He was able to find a suitable starting job at another school. The first didn’t happen and a post-spring waltz into a starting position at another school is really difficult unless you’re dropping down to a much lower level. With Angeli presumably able to graduate sometime after the 2024 season it makes too much sense to grab that diploma and see where he stands with 2 years of eligibility remaining starting in 2025.
2) Notre Dame is currently sitting at 88 scholarships after the addition of Australian punter James Rendell who was signed as a grad transfer last week. How will the Irish get down to 85, specifically while they continue to chase transfers at a couple other positions?
I’m working under the impression that if Notre Dame brings in any more transfers it’ll probably be limited to just 1 addition. They look to be sniffing around some additional corner and nickel depth but I’m not sure how likely it will be that they ultimately pull the trigger on someone who might not even be a starter.
A preferred walk-on defensive tackle Quentin Autry was just added from Columbia and this might be what we’ll see more of this summer to fill out the back end of the depth chart.
So, 3 or possibly 4 scholarships will be coming off the books over the next 15 weeks or so.
The situation with defensive tackle Tyson Ford seems tenuous at best. His family seems extremely committed to Notre Dame but the former blue-chip recruit with high hopes remains so far away from playing time and this smells like a medical scholarship situation.
There are some other players who have dealt with long-term and/or multiple injuries that continue to set their career back. Looking over the roster, tight end Kevin Bauman and defensive end Aiden Gobaira stick out as players who have not been able to stay healthy and are not in line to contribute much in 2024.
3) Who were the bronze, silver, and gold medal winners for players who had the most impressive spring at Notre Dame?
I’m mostly thinking of younger guys for these awards as typically the established players are either already too good or don’t do a whole lot during spring anyway. Like, what did Howard Cross do this spring besides mostly chill?
Bronze – Adon Shuler
We came into spring with some pretty concerning question marks regarding the quality depth at safety and Shuler seemed to largely answer a big portion of them. At minimum, he appears to have moved up to a trusted no. 3 option behind Xavier Watts and incoming grad transfer Rod Heard. This was a box that needed to be ticked in the spring. Job done.
Silver – Micah Gilbert
In terms of overall production and hype this was probably a certified gold performance for Gilbert. My only reservation is that the receiving corps wasn’t at full strength this spring and it’s difficult to assess whether Gilbert truly is someone ready to push for top 5 snaps this fall or someone who will have a more expected true freshman timeline of starting at 4 games played and seeing if it’s worth it to burn his redshirt later in the season. But, he received a ton of praise during spring practice and looked awfully good leading the Blue-Gold Game with 79 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.
Gold – KVA
A curious decision for gold if you’re not someone who follows the program super closely or paid much attention to spring practice. Yet, there are a handful of really positive signs for the former California High School Player of the Year. One, he seems to have picked up the scheme really quickly. Normally, there’s an abundance of discussion about not knowing enough and that doesn’t seem super present for KVA right now.
Two, he’s awfully athletic for a middle linebacker and looks to be an immediate upgrade in that department over a fairly athletic Drayk Bowen. This spring he went from ‘maybe he won’t redshirt’ to ‘he’s going to see the field a lot’ to possibly ‘well at some point KVA might be the starting Mike.’
4) There’s been a lot of deserved talk about the strength of this Fighting Irish coaching staff. Where do they rank heading into 2024 among the best in recent Notre Dame history?
We can’t separate the head coach from the whole staff but I will for just a moment. There’s a collection of men on this staff that are really impressive including both coordinators Al Golden and Mike Denbrock, plus running backs coach Deland McCullough, defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, and defensive line coach Al Washington. That’s nearly half of the staff and it’s among the best core of assistants in recent Irish history.
I would tag the others with to-be-determined situations including special teams coach Marty Biagi, linebackers coach Max Bullough, quarterback coach Gino Guidugli, offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, and strength coach Loren Landow. The good thing for this group is that we don’t have any red flags or major concerns yet.
Notre Dame has provided Freeman a lot of support.
Right now, this feels like one of the highest floors for an entire coaching staff at Notre Dame in a very long time. Who is the suspected weak link? However, success is really going to come down to Marcus Freeman and his abilities, especially at his age. This is where things are really to be determined but heading into year 3 it’s time to start turning heads.
We can quibble about the details but ESPN didn’t include Freeman in its list of top 10 coaches back in April, nor did Freeman pick up any votes from the other remaining 12 coaches. Some might think Freeman is a top 20 head coach but even having that debate isn’t a good sign. He’ll need to elevate the whole staff just as much as they are elevating him.
5) Notre Dame had been zeroing in on Cocoa, Florida quarterback Brady Hart in the 2026 recruiting class and now momentum is moving towards Lake Mary, Florida signal caller Noah following another visit to campus that included a scholarship offer. Which player do you like better?
This is a tough one because both have such a long time to complete their high school careers, obviously. I think Grubbs is a little bit more gifted with his arm strength, has a more physical frame, and he makes me think he’s going to develop a lot more athletically. On the other hand, I would like Hart more right now in a game. His poise and accuracy look top-shelf for a 2026 quarterback, and while he might not be quite the specimen physically, he was extremely productive against a tough schedule down in the Sunshine State.
My heart says Grubbs because his ceiling might be ridiculously high and there’s more clay to mold right now in high school. My brain says Hart will be a top 100 overall type of player and hold steady there for this cycle while being a really tantalizing but safer choice.
Had never seen that espn list, that’s rough. dan lanning 5th seems really high. I mean he’s basically marcus freeman if nd beat ohio state this year. And BK not in the top 10 seems wrong.
What is marcus range of outcomes this years? 10-2, finish around 12 and miss playoffs or first round playoff loss=status quo. go 11-1/12-0 and win playoff game level up. reach semis or finals and level way up. worse than 10-2 and yikes?!? that feels about right
Good point for discussion, Eric, and good start of discussion, Cardinal. I’ve posted too much already about the historical cruciality (I know, not a word) of any ND head coach’s third year. This particular 3rd year really is going to be about HCMF, and how he oversees building the pieces (looking right at you, O-line) and then how he puts the pieces together. On the negative side:
On the positive side:
We’ll find out.
It feels like a good list if your aim is to generate clicks and debate. I would agree that BK should be included.
If Freeman misses the playoffs, it’s not status quo – it’s a failed season and he’s missing the playoffs next year away from getting fired. The vibes next offseason after missing the playoff would definitely not be like this offseason. But I think we’re gonna make the playoffs this year, so hopefully we don’t have that to be thinking about a year from now.
Losing round 1 of playoffs is status quo. Getting some playoff wins is how he starts getting any consideration for being a top-15 type coach.
yea the playoffs have changed and so the expectations have changed around getting into and winning in the playoffs. We should be regularly getting into the playoffs now and in the better years we need to be winning 1 game (as the favorite).
Right I think the question is whether the standard for a successful coach is like 2/3 playoffs or a little more or less than that, but in the 12 team era (and definitely once it expands beyond that) success definitely requires more than averaging even every other year.
Yea it’d be interesting to go back through the Kelly era and see how many times we would have made the playoffs with the current rules.
But yes making it at least 2 out of every 3 years is probably the baseline and winning a game at least 1 of those years (as the presumptive favorite) included.
Eyeballing it, best case scenario – 2012, 2015, and 2017-2021. But we were outside the top 12 going into the playoffs in 2017 and 2019, so 2012, 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2021 is more likely.
So five out of twelve seasons but charitably three of the last four. LSU also likely out both seasons as they were #14 going into bowl season in 2022 and #14 in 2023. Big Game Brian indeed.
That seems pretty extreme to me. ND is investing a lot in Freeman and he’s recruiting well, so I doubt he’s going to be fired after fewer than five seasons. Frankly, I think the administration is going to pull out pretty much any stop they have to to make him a success.
Quick firings just don’t seem to be the MO of ND’s administration anymore — there were like 3 or 4 instances in which they would have been totally justified in firing Kelly but they never pulled the trigger.
As to fans’ reaction to the playoffs, I think we’ll have to see. I’m guessing that just making the playoffs will not be seen as much of an achievement if you lose in the first round.
You may be right for bigger-picture reasons, but I dunno man if we don’t make the playoffs in the next two years he will definitely have a should-be-fired track record. Maybe if they go 10-2 both years and get left out or something that wouldn’t be the case, but otherwise his track record would be really subpar (at best) at that point given where the program was when he took over.
But again I think it’s a moot point because we’re gonna make the playoffs this year imo.
Going 10-2 two years in a row and missing the playoffs both years is astronomically unlikely. Look back at each final CFP ranking…it’s not the norm for a 10-2 team to not make the new cut.
Oh yes I agree with that. I’m just trying to spin up a scenario where we don’t make the playoffs the next two years and the fanbase isn’t done with Freeman. I think that’s what it would take, with some controversy for us not getting in (which probably would be the case if we were 10-2 and didn’t get in two years in a row).
ah, gotcha…yeah totally could happen in a terrible version of reality that i hope we never have to see.
I mean, if he goes 3-9 this season he will be precisely on Charlie Weis’s track record, which was “should be fired but still got five years.” I’m guessing (/knocks furiously on every wood surface) we’re not going to go 3-9 this year.
Re: Making the playoff — I think people are trying to apply an NFL mindset here and it doesn’t really fit. If we make the playoff at 10-2 and lose a December 22 on-campus game, is that really going to feel like a success? Will it feel materially different from going 10-2, missing the playoff, and winning a minor bowl on December 28? I don’t think so but we’ll see.
I’m with you on the possibility of Freeman getting stuck in a 9-3 rut that never really goes anywhere and that scenario starting to get awkward. Not sure I’d predict that right now but it’s certainly plausible.
I was told repeatedly that no one cares about the Sun Bowl and it’s actually bad, yet it’s going to be a Big Deal with Notre Dame wins the [Sun Bowl Equivalent] as a ~playoff game~ and gets to get pasted by Georgia the next week instead of ending on a high note.
I thought the sun bowl was fun, but making the playoff (much less winning a playoff game) is obviously not a Sun Bowl equivalent. If we go 9-3 this year, we’re going to the Sun Bowl equivalent again, not the playoff.
Again if we go 10-2, miss the playoff because of a soft schedule, then win the sun bowl equivalent there’s maybe a chance that one could argue it wasn’t a failed season. But, short of that – which is a pretty unlikely scenario – any season going forward where you miss the playoff is not a good one.
A game three steps removed from the national title game is about on par with the Sun Bowl
Maybe 30 years ago but not, like, last year. We were #14 playing an unranked team (with substantially all of the pro prospects not playing, too). That’s not exactly the same thing as a 5-12 matchup, which is the “worst” playoff game.
It’s a December 29th bowl game, it’s the same
If we go 10-2 this year we are very likely not hosting a playoff game. And, yes, losing in R1 won’t feel like a great success, but it at least would be a step forward from the last two seasons. IMO it would be good if he just wins some playoff games this year and these hypothetical discussions look silly a year from now.
The thing about Freeman and recruiting, is that I’m not sure he’s really doing all that better than Kelly. He definitely tries harder, and seems to have set his sights higher, though we’ll have to see if he lands this year’s class to see how that’s actually finished up. Even if Deuce ends up a 5 star and doesn’t decommit, I don’t think this class will finish in the top 10. He seems to have raised the floor some, but the ceiling isn’t higher.
Right, but my point was more that he’s not destroying recruiting a la Willingham such that firing him next year would be on the table.
That doesn’t surprise or worry me yet. As I see those lists and conversation of best coaches, it’s either going to be the Saban/Smart types (clearly dominant programs) or the Bill Snyder/Lance Leipold/Kyle Whittingham etc. overperforming at an underpowered program. Norvell stands out to me as a weird inclusion but eh, none of it matters.
Recency bias is pretty strong with these lists. Norvell is 19-1 over the last 1.5 years which is not nothing.
Completely arbitrary end points in that case. They were 4-3 or something when that win streak started and the acc sucks. nd boat raced all of those 2022 teams fsu was beating. Not saying norvell isn’t too 10 but would like to see him legit build a winner
Oh yeah I know it was mostly based on last year (which make what you will of it but ended in an ass kicking) while he was in danger of getting canned two years back after a rough two season start.
Not at all surprised by MF not being included on that list. Top 10 coaches don’t have clunker losses like he has had the past two seasons. Having said that, he seems to be doing all of the right things with building this program and the coaching staff. He just needs to move past the 9-3 and 10-2 range, especially with this year’s schedule which should be an 11-1 or 12-0 type year.
As much as most of us here hate BK nowadays, he should be on a top list of coaches
If KVA passes him, does Bowen leave next off-season?
It seems that Bowen is good enough to be a starter at ND and at LB that probably means getting a lot of snaps even if KVA passes him up (even if it’s only 40% of the MLB snaps). So it’d be a bit of a surprise for Bowen to leave if KVA passes him. This isn’t like QB where only one plays. KVA might also get time rushing the passer and doing different things so it’s not like he’ll only eat into Bowen’s snaps.
I would hope not; most position groups have such a big rotation to keep bodies fresh. And maybe there’s some situational differences that would warrant him being on the field in maybe: third down (like Sneed last year), short yardage/goal line/heavy run sets a la navy.
I think defenses are at their best with a healthy rotation of bodies to limit chronic wear and tear throughout the season, so starter or early off the bench rotater on defense is a pretty thin margin.
KVA (Will) and Bowen (Mike) could be a long-term pairing, we’ll see!
Want to see. Really really want to see.
I sort of wonder if the QBs looked at Buchner and Pyne as cautionary tales about the risks of transferring.
Expectations may have also over-adjusted to the portal era. Both Angeli and Minchey went to Catholic high schools. Both talked about Notre Dame as their dream offer, for Minchey it was the only school he’d change his commitment for, Angeli had family play on National Championship teams. For those who know, no explanation’s necessary.
Probably helps that neither guy was a 5* or even top 150 recruit (Angeli well below that even). It’s different when you’re say the #26 overall player and commit to OSU/Bama/Georgia and then they also get the #45 overall player and the next year sign the #3 overall player, all at QB. Someone very high up will still gladly take a shot at any of those who transfer. Not to knock out guys, but a five star can still call up even other top tier programs and maybe get to start right away.
It must help that Angeli and Minchey don’t have Tommy Rees screaming at them.
Enjoying this back and forth as we are now into the post-spring ND f-ball doldrums. Here’s my take on the 3 year-5 year head coach longevity issue.
I persist and sign as the French say that ND history for over a century shows that a head coach’s third year will definitively reveal his potential. This has never meant that a coach whose third year showed limited potential would not get 5 years, they all did (with the notable example of Tyrone Willingham, but in his case the lack of even trying to recruit was just astoundingly bad). But after a not-stellar third year, the handwriting would be on the wall, in every case.
The interesting aspect to me with Coach Freeman is what constitutes not-limited potential, hence patience for more than 5 years — given let’s say that winning a third year Natty like Rock, Leahy, Ara, Devine, and Lou is really a high bar these days?
In this case, my standards would be: make the playoffs and win the first two games. I’m thinking playoffs and a first round win would not be enough to demonstrate MF has “it”.
Keep our standards high!
Those seem like fair standards for sure.
Maybe I’m drunk on the Kool aid, but I’m sky high on freeman. For the mistakes he’s made as HC, I’ve never seen one beat him twice. I don’t necessarily want to give him a mulligan for last seasons offense, but….
He’s not an OC, and the guy who he was forced to hire when the school botched the Ludwig offer wasn’t ready for the moment either. The playcalling deficiencies were painfully obvious in all their big games, but I’m not putting that on him.
If freeman is going to succeed, this is the staff and type of squad to do it. He’s improved the talent and depth across every position group since being hired, a case could be made maybe not OL, but they were already King Shit with OL recruits.
He has 2 coordinators who need little to no oversight on managing their in game calls, a brutalizinf defense that can ACTUALLY PLAY MAN COVERAGE (when was the last time they could)?
Whatever the over under on season record is, I’m betting the over. No doubt, this team wins at least 11 games
I agree that winning at least one playoff game is necessary to really call this season a step forward. Preferably two. This is a very soft schedule, and 10-2 would likely mean losing to the only two good teams on the schedule, or else another improbable clunker, which would be a concerning pattern. So I’d really like to see 11-1 and some playoff success to say “Freeman’s got it!”
Totally. It would be difficult to say a 13-2 season with a loss in the semifinal or even 12-2 with a close loss to a higher seeded team in the quarterfinal is anything but a step up.