It is mid-January 2026 and the South Bend air is predictably freezing. But inside the Guglielmino Complex, things are heating up in a way we haven't seen in maybe a decade. Everyone is obsessed with the numbers. Specifically, they're looking at where the notre dame ranking football lands after a wild 2025 campaign that felt like a ten-month-long heart attack.
If you just glance at the AP Poll, you see a "9." It looks clean. Solid. A top-ten finish for Marcus Freeman's fourth year. But rankings are liars. They don't tell you about the 0-2 start that had fans calling for heads after losses to Miami and Texas A&M. They don't mention the ten-game win streak that followed, fueled by a freshman quarterback who looks like the second coming of Joe Montana.
The Rollercoaster of the 2025 Season
Honestly, the season was a mess before it was a masterpiece. Losing 27-24 to Miami in the opener was a gut-punch. Then, falling 41-40 to Texas A&M the following week? That was supposed to be the season-ender. The Irish dropped to No. 24 in the polls. People were writing them off.
But then CJ Carr happened.
The kid finished the year with 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns. More importantly, he stopped playing like a freshman after September. By the time they blew out Syracuse 70-7 in late November, the notre dame ranking football had clawed its way back into the top ten. They ended the regular season 10-2.
Recruiting: Where the Real Number One Lives
While the "on-field" ranking is No. 9, the "future" ranking is No. 1.
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Just two days ago, on January 15, 2026, Notre Dame officially overtook Texas for the top spot in the overall team recruiting rankings for the class of 2026. This isn't just "good for an independent." This is better than Alabama. Better than Georgia. Better than Ohio State.
The commitment of Oregon defensive lineman transfer Tionne Gray was the tipping point. Freeman has built a monster. We’re talking about a class with four five-star recruits and 26 four-stars. The average player rating is a staggering 92.21.
What People Miss About the Independent Ranking
You’ve probably heard the argument: "Notre Dame’s ranking is inflated because they don't play a conference schedule."
That’s a tired take. In 2025, their strength of schedule was ranked 25th in the country. They played USC, Texas A&M, Miami, and Boise State. They didn't hide. In fact, their "Simple Rating System" (SRS) score—which accounts for margin of victory and strength of schedule—ranked them 3rd overall.
Basically, the computers liked them way more than the human voters did.
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The CJ Carr Factor
You can’t talk about where this team is ranked without talking about No. 12. Carr’s 66.6% completion rate isn't just a stat; it’s a security blanket.
He stayed healthy. That’s the big one. Behind an offensive line led by Billy Schrauth and Aamil Wagner, Carr had time to actually breathe. And when he didn't, he had Jeremiyah Love. Love was a cheat code this year. 1,372 rushing yards. 18 touchdowns on the ground. When the notre dame ranking football started to slip in the eyes of the CFP committee, Love would go out and rip off a 94-yarder like he did against Boston College to remind everyone why they belonged.
Defensive Identity Under Chris Ash
Chris Ash stepped in as DC and didn't miss a beat. They ran a 4-2-5 base that made life miserable for ACC and Big Ten opponents alike.
- Points Against: 17.6 per game (11th in the nation).
- The Adon Shuler Effect: The safety play was elite. Shuler’s interception against BC was the turning point of the entire middle-stretch of the season.
- Drayk Bowen: 100+ tackles. He’s the heart of that defense, and he’s coming back.
Why the 2026 Outlook is Terrifying (For Everyone Else)
So, where do they go from here?
The early signing period this past December cemented what many are calling the greatest Notre Dame class of the internet era. They didn't just get "guys." They got specific needs.
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Take Ian Premer. He’s the No. 1 tight end in the country. 6'5", 220 pounds, and runs like a wideout. With Eli Raridon graduating, Premer is expected to start Day 1. Then there’s Ben Nichols, a 335-pound human mountain from Michigan who chose the Irish over Bama and Ohio State.
When you have the No. 1 recruiting class and a returning star QB, your "preseason" notre dame ranking football for 2026 is likely going to be top five. Top three, maybe.
The CFP Elephant in the Room
The biggest frustration for fans this year was the College Football Playoff. Despite being No. 9 in the AP, they were No. 11 in the final CFP rankings.
Because they don't have a conference championship game, they missed out on the "automatic" bids and the first-round byes. It’s the price of independence. But the 12-team format was supposed to help. In 2025, it felt like the committee punished them for those two early losses more than they rewarded them for the 10-game win streak.
It's sort of a "catch-22." Stay independent for the history and the TV money, but accept that a two-loss Irish team will always be jumped by a two-loss SEC team with a "quality loss" in a title game.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Offseason
If you’re tracking the notre dame ranking football moving forward, here is what actually matters over the next few months:
- The Portal Watch: Keep an eye on secondary depth. While the recruiting class is elite, they lost some veteran experience to the NFL draft.
- Spring Game (Blue-Gold): Watch the backup QB battle. If Carr goes down, the ranking plummets. Kenny Minchey looked okay in relief, but the gap is wide.
- Schedule Strength: The 2026 schedule is already looking beefy. Success in the first three weeks will be the difference between a No. 2 ranking and another "climb from the bottom" season.
The Irish are currently the No. 1 recruiting program in the nation and a Top 10 program on the field. For Marcus Freeman, the "honeymoon" period is long over. It’s time to see if that No. 1 recruiting rank can finally turn into a No. 1 trophy.