I haven’t done a scholarship update since early October and now that the 2025 recruiting class is in the books it’s time to transition to a new cycle. I think it’s fair to say that this 2026 cycle has been a little on the slow side for the Fighting Irish–only offensive lineman Tyler Merrill has been a commit that has come in 2025 while we’re approaching 50 days without a verbal to Notre Dame.

Fear not, the commits will come. The big question is if the Irish can build off their run to the National Championship Game and sign a top recruiting class. Could 2026 be the best recruiting class of the Marcus Freeman era? We’ll address that down below as well as take a peek into the positions where the portal is likely to be called upon later this year.

***18 Stripes Scholarship Tracker CLICK HERE***

Out of Eligibility Following 2025:

WR Malachi Fields
WR Will Pauling
TE Kevin Bauman
LB Junior Tuihalamaka
DE Jordan Botelho
DT Gabriel Rubio
DT Jason Onye
DT Jared Dawson
CB Chance Tucker
CB Davonte Smith
S Jalen Stroman
PK Noah Burnette
P James Rendell

This list doesn’t appear to be very long and comprises 7 transfers or former transfers that have come to Notre Dame and will be finishing their careers with the Irish. That might not include Rendell, I’m still not sure anyone knows what his eligibility situation looks like for 2026.

2026-27 Academic Classes

7 Verbal Commits
25 Sophomores
23 Juniors
23 Seniors
11 Graduates
89 Total Scholarships

At our last update our 2026 class sat at just 2 players with quarterback Noah Grubbs and wide receiver Dylan Faison in the fold. Since then we’ve added interior offensive lineman Sullivan Garvin, corner Chaston Smith, interior offensive lineman Ben Nichols, the aforementioned Merrill, and linebacker Thomas Davis, Jr.

List of Eligible 2026 Grad Students

Tier 1

QB Steve Angeli
RB Jadarian Price
TE Eli Raridon
OL Ashton Craig
OL Billy Schrauth
OL Aamil Wagner
DE Josh Burnham
DT Donovan Hinish
LB Jalen Sneed

I’ve sorted the tiers this cycle by position instead of changing things based around how much they are likely to be asked back and/or want to return to Notre Dame in 2026.

I would imagine 2-3 of these players (the most likely being Angeli, Price, and Sneed) are on track to finish their career elsewhere unless they vault into a starting position during this upcoming season.

Tier 2

RB Gi’Bran Payne

Payne will be interesting to watch as he comes back from injury. I’ve gotten the sense he’s a very important locker room presence but he plays a position where he might have precious few reps available. Then again, both Love and Price could be gone and some competition could open up in 2026.

Tier 3

TE Ty Washington

I had to put someone in this category and I’ll place the redshirt junior Washington here until further notice. He comes from Arkansas with 2 years remaining, remember. However, he’s yet to play a full season of college football and I’m curious if he’s being brought in as a depth piece only or if they believe he’s truly a starting quality level of tight end.

Positional Needs

LOW NEED: QB, IOL, CB

Unless we experience the decommit process with anyone, things appear done at quarterback and on the interior of the offensive line. The cornerback depth chart is solid in the program with the Irish still chasing Maryland athlete Khary Adams (0.9622) at the position and an official visit coming up this summer.

MEDIUM NEED: OT, DE, LB, S

I would classify each of these positions in a pretty healthy spot from previous recruiting successes, although numbers are still needed for 2026 anyway. We won’t worry about tackle and Davis is an excellent start at linebacker. You always want to get a certified dawg on the edge and Charlotte pass rusher Rodney Dunham (0.9816) fits the bill and will have an official visit in June.

HIGH NEED: RB, WR, TE, DT

Notre Dame is in decent shape on running back targets and should have some promising recruits eventually choose the Irish, and while there isn’t a clear path forward at the moment on tight end, the school’s legacy can always turn things around there in a hurry.

Bigger questions remain at wide receiver and defensive tackle. Brayden Robinson (0.9018) and Kayden Finley (0.9518) are hopefuls at wideout with the former setting up an official visit. Defensive tackle is looking pretty rough right now.

The next 5 months will pretty much close out this class as recruiting is 90% done by the time the season kicks off. Right now, we’ll need to see a handful of big surprises for this to be the best class of the Freeman era.

Portal Picking

Notre Dame continues to increase its incoming transfers from the portal every cycle and the bulk of the players are coming from a select few positions: wide receiver, defensive line, defensive back, and kicker with a side of quarterback.

The Irish have 0 commits on the defensive line right now and 7 players in the senior or graduate classes for the 2025 season. It would be program negligence if this wasn’t a massive priority in the off-season transfer portal to come.

I think we can assume 2 wide receivers will be targeted in the portal unless things change in a big way with the 2026 class or someone on the roster puts up a 1,200 yard season as an underclassman.

The Irish did just sign a freshman kicker and if the season is a success we’re hoping quarterback is scratched off as a need in the portal.

A nickel corner seems to be baked into the roster help every year, too.