If you’ve spent any time around South Bend lately, you know the vibe is... different. Usually, mid-January is a time for quiet reflection on what could have been. But the latest news Notre Dame football fans are waking up to this week feels less like a post-mortem and more like a massive, aggressive pivot.
Marcus Freeman isn't just "staying put" despite those pesky Pittsburgh Steelers rumors. He is actively tearing up the old Notre Dame playbook for how to build a roster. Honestly, it’s about time. For years, the Irish felt like they were fighting with one hand tied behind their back because of strict admission rules on transfers. That’s gone now.
The Portal Shift No One Saw Coming
The most jarring piece of latest news Notre Dame football insiders are buzzing about isn’t a single player. It is the fact that the university just admitted eight undergraduate transfers in one go. You have to understand how big of a deal that is for this school. Traditionally, Notre Dame only took graduate transfers—guys who already had their degrees. It was a self-imposed handicap.
Now? The floodgates are open.
Take a look at the defensive line. Tionne Gray, a 6-foot-6, 330-pound monster from Oregon, just committed. He joins Francis Brewu (Pitt) and the much-hyped Keon Keeley, who is finally coming "home" after a stint at Alabama. These aren't just depth pieces. These are elite, multi-year starters who are being dropped into a defense that already returned its biggest stars.
Who is actually coming back?
While the portal is flashy, the real win this week was the NFL Draft deadline. We lost the offensive stars—Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are gone to the pros. That hurts. Love finished third in the Heisman voting, and replacing 42 career touchdowns isn't something you do over breakfast.
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But the defense? It’s basically intact.
- Boubacar Traore: The dude led the team in pressures and sacks last year. He’s back.
- Drayk Bowen: Our captain and leading tackler. Staying put.
- Christian Gray and Adon Shuler: The backbone of the secondary. Both returning.
Basically, Chris Ash is inheriting a defensive unit that finished 13th in scoring defense and just added three or four NFL-caliber tackles and edges through the portal. It’s a "championship or bust" defensive front.
The Marcus Freeman-Steelers "Scare"
We need to talk about the Albert Breer report. For a few days there, every Irish fan on Twitter was convinced Marcus Freeman was headed to the NFL to replace Mike Tomlin. It made sense on paper. He’s 40, he’s a defensive mastermind, and he has that "command" that the Steelers love.
The reality? Freeman publicly shut it down.
"I'm the head coach at Notre Dame," he told reporters on Wednesday. He admitted he talked to NFL GMs, but claimed he was just "gaining wisdom." Whether you believe that or not, the university responded by reportedly enhancing his contract. He’s currently 43-12 in South Bend. He’s not leaving a top-five recruiting class and a wide-open 2026 playoff path for a rebuilding job in the pros. Not yet, anyway.
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A New Era at Quarterback: The CJ Carr Show
With the latest news Notre Dame football focusing on the portal, it’s easy to overlook the most important position on the field. For the first time in what feels like a decade, Notre Dame isn't hunting for a "quick fix" transfer quarterback.
We are officially in the CJ Carr era.
Carr took nearly 700 snaps as a redshirt freshman last year. He’s polished, he’s the grandson of a coaching legend, and he finally has some weapons. The Irish just snagged Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham—two elite wideouts from Ohio State—out of the portal. If Carr can’t win with this group, then the "quarterback whisperer" label we’ve given this staff might need a second look.
The backup situation is... interesting
- Blake Hebert: He’s the projected QB2. Think Steve Angeli but maybe with a higher ceiling.
- Noah Grubbs: The true freshman. Huge arm, but he’s not a runner. He’ll get a ton of work this spring.
- Teddy Jarrard: He reclassified to join early, but he won't be here until fall.
It's a young room. Very young. If Carr goes down in September, things could get shaky fast. But that’s the risk you take when you stop buying "rent-a-QBs" from the ACC.
Coaching Carousel: Al Washington’s Big Promotion
Losing Max Bullough to Michigan State sucked. There’s no other way to put it. He was a rising star. But the latest news Notre Dame football staff-wise is that Al Washington is staying. Boston College tried to lure him away to be their Defensive Coordinator, but Freeman countered by making him the Linebackers coach and Defensive Run Game Coordinator here.
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Washington is now the second-longest tenured assistant on the staff behind Mike Mickens. That continuity matters. Especially when you’re trying to integrate five-star freshmen like Madden Faraimo into a starting lineup.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 2026 Schedule
Everyone is looking at the 2026 slate and saying it’s "manageable." Is it?
Sure, we don't have a gauntlet of five straight top-10 teams. But we’ve seen this movie before. Last year’s losses to Miami and Texas A&M happened because of depth issues and a lack of interior size. The portal additions of Tionne Gray and Francis Brewu are specifically designed to stop that from happening again.
The goal isn't just to make the 12-team playoff. The goal is to earn a bye. To do that, the Irish have to be perfect, or very close to it. With the defense returning nearly everyone and the offense getting a speed injection at receiver, the excuses are officially running out.
Actionable Insights for the Offseason
If you're following the latest news Notre Dame football and wondering what to watch for next, keep your eyes on these specific milestones:
- The Blue-Gold Game (April): This will be the first real look at the Carr-to-Porter connection. If the chemistry isn't there yet, don't panic, but watch the timing on deep routes.
- Summer Enrollment: Keep an eye on the remaining 2026 recruits. Notre Dame currently has the #2 ranked class per On3. Holding onto guys like Rodney Dunham and Grayson McKeogh is vital as SEC schools start circling with NIL bags.
- The RB2 Battle: With Love and Price gone, Aneyas Williams is the guy. But who is behind him? Watch for freshman Jonaz Walton. He’s got track speed (10.63 in the 100m) and could be the lightning to Williams' thunder.
The 2026 season is shaping up to be Marcus Freeman's defining moment. The facilities are being upgraded (the Shields Family Hall opens soon), the transfer rules have been relaxed, and the roster is deeper than it’s been since the Lou Holtz days. Now, they just have to go out and win the games that matter.