Latest news and updates about the Notre Dame
We’re doing A LOT of talking about rankings and which Notre Dame player is the best here and there, but football isn’t an individual sport — it’s a team game comprised of groups. So, which are the best position groups at Notre Dame? You know what? Why don’t you just rank them for me in […]
I recently finished my Top 20 list of Notre Dame football players for 2026 with a full explanation of why I had who, where (sort of). So it’s fun to see how these guys shake out on other lists from around the media and the country. PFF College just published its Top 50 Players in […]
In college football recruiting, money talks. Coaches promise elite facilities, championship hopes, and NFL dreams, but one of the strongest pitches is still a very simple promise: show recruits what former teammates are earning on Sundays. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman now has fresh numbers to back that pitch. “Notre Dame alumni in the […] The post Marcus Freeman Gets Major Recruiting Boost as Former Notre Dame Players Reach $278M NFL Milestone: Report appeared first on EssentiallySpo...
Notre Dame has been following a proven strategy to build its 2027 class, which helped Marcus Freeman secure 4‑star safety Zayden Gamble from Florida. The move helped spark a new pipeline: Florida‑Dame. Three months after the elite prospect committed to the Irish, he has already started his own recruiting pitch, one that puts four Power […] The post Marcus Freeman’s Elite Notre Dame Commit Declares Recruiting War on Four P4 Schools: “We’re Gonna Get Your Favorite Player” appeared first on Ess...
It’s July 4th, the day we celebrate one of history’s earliest and most impactful conference realignments. The decision by our founding fathers that the British Empire’s revenue sharing model just wasn’t for them, and became the Notre Dame of the Western Hemisphere, geopolitically speaking. Their fateful decision saved us from a number of indignities, such […]
Losing an elite Louisiana recruit is bound to grab attention in Baton Rouge. When 5-star OL Albert Simien committed to Notre Dame over LSU, people started pressing the panic button for Lane Kiffin. But according to insiders, the decision may have come down to value and how far the Tigers were willing to stretch their […] The post Lane Kiffin Passed on In-State 5-Star Recruit to Avoid Paying Him More Than LSU Starters: Report appeared first on EssentiallySports .
Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame has always been a powerhouse in recruiting, but this year, he is facing unexpected setbacks. Standout linebacker Ellis McGaskin decommitted from the program in January. Last month, James Franklin’s Virginia Tech flipped linebacker Amarri Irvin, who had been committed to South Bend since November. In another blow to Marcus Freeman, a […] The post Ex-Notre Dame QB Commit Flips to SEC Powerhouse on Friday appeared first on EssentiallySports .
If you are a longtime listener to the OFD Podcast/Earned 5-Star Podcast/One Foot Down Football show — you already know we dive into a lot of serious subjects that aren’t entirely Notre Dame football related. One of the deepest and oldest of the lores is Brendan’s insistence that BIG GRAIN is truly the one running […]
I hope everyone has enjoyed the “Thee Things I Like” series about Notre Dame’s Top 20 players. I wanted to rank the players, but I didn’t want to get too in the weeds with why a guy is here instead of there, so I thought this was a fun way to go about it all. […]
Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame’s search for a quarterback in its 2028 recruiting class suddenly fell apart. Just last month, Bergen Catholic High School quarterback Trey Tagliaferri committed to the Fighting Irish. That commitment, however, lasted less than a week. Per Hayes Fawcett of Rivals, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound signal-caller has decommitted from Notre Dame just […] The post Marcus Freeman’s QB Commit Leaves Notre Dame Just 6 Days After Commitment appeared first on EssentiallySports .
Each year, 250+ college prospects are drafted by NFL teams and another 500+ are signed as undrafted free agents. These roster candidates are provided by 800+ college football programs from coast-to-coast. 93 percent of NFL 53-man active rosters came from NCAA FBS schools in 2025. According to drafthistory.com, Notre Dame (538) has had the most […]
We live in a college football world of lists, rankings, and countdowns. Many players on Notre Dame’s roster have been talked about and written about over the last few months — so let’s fall in line. This will be my official Top 20 Notre Dame Football Players ranking. I will unveil each player, and list […]
Ah, the preseason AP Top 25 Poll. It's the ranking system that we all love to mock, to belittle, and to demean, yet it's the list that college football fans flock toward at its mere mention. Don't believe me? You're reading this article right now, aren't
Well that was about as quick as it gets. 4-Star quarterback Trey Tagliaferri decommitted from Notre Dame and its 2028 football recruiting class just less than a week after giving his public commitment. I’m not going to dive too far into the weeds for this one — it’s the 2028 class and that’s still forever […]
For nearly three quarters, Notre Dame looked to be cruising toward another comfortable victory. The Irish built a commanding 28-10 lead over Air Force on October 28, 2000, and appeared to have the game well in hand. Then everything changed. The Falcons mounted an improbable comeback, erased the 18-point deficit, and lined up for a […]
We live in a college football world of lists, rankings, and countdowns. Many players on Notre Dame’s roster have been talked about and written about over the last few months — so let’s fall in line. This will be my official Top 20 Notre Dame Football Players ranking. I will unveil each player, and list […]
In triple digit heat indexes… we run the triple option. THE CJ CARR HYPE IS REAL AND RUNNING ON ROCKET FUEL Notre Dame fans know that we have something special with CJ carr at quarterback for the Irish. He’s a talent the Irish haven’t had since Jimmy Clausen and Irish fans haven’t had this much […]
We live in a college football world of lists, rankings, and countdowns. Many players on Notre Dame’s roster have been talked about and written about over the last few months — so let’s fall in line. This will be my official Top 20 Notre Dame Football Players ranking. I will unveil each player, and list […]
Notre Dame will open the 2026 college football season on the road on September 6 against the Wisconsin Badgers. The game will be played inside Lambeau Field (home of the Green Bay Packers) as part of Notre Dame’s Shamrock Series. One of the many different things about a Shamrock Series game is the different alternate […]
We live in a college football world of lists, rankings, and countdowns. Many players on Notre Dame’s roster have been talked about and written about over the last few months — so let’s fall in line. This will be my official Top 20 Notre Dame Football Players ranking. I will unveil each player, and list […]
We live in a college football world of lists, rankings, and countdowns. Many players on Notre Dame’s roster have been talked about and written about over the last few months — so let’s fall in line. This will be my official Top 20 Notre Dame Football Players ranking. I will unveil each player, and list […]
Perhaps CBS knows something about Brian Kelly that the rest of us don’t. Maybe it sees a budding broadcasting star who just needs more reps and the right setting. Or, more likely, it simply called the first available guy with a recognizable name. CBS’s decision to hire Kelly is curious at best. He is expected…
Albert Simien, a 5-star interior offensive lineman from Sam Houston High School in Louisiana, committed to Notre Dame on Friday, according to Hayes Fawcett of Rivals.
On Friday the Notre Dame football recruiting machine hit the ludicrous speed button, because that’s when 5-Star offensive lineman, Albert Simien, announced on ESPN his commitment to the Irish and its 2027 class. The 6’5″ 295 pound offensive lineman from Sam Houston High School in Lake Charles, Louisiana, chose the Irish over his other finalists, […]
In the last game before their bye in 2026, your Notre Dame Fighting Irish will be headed out west and at long last granting the deepest desire of BYU fans’ hearts, playing in Provo for the first time in 22 years. Despite what the BYU community would have you believe, that game, which Tyrone Willingham’s […]