Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

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As true in all areas of life, change is inevitable. And when it comes to Notre Dame Football in 2026, this statement certainly holds true. College football fans are very used to players coming and going from the previous year's roster, with some opting for the NFL draft and others hitting the transfer portal in search of a fresh start.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI / December 19

Notre Dame Gets Surprise Support From Former SEC Head Coach

As the College Football Playoff gets started this weekend, Notre Dame is sitting at home getting ready for 2026. Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish were of course left out of the CFP as the final at large bids instead went to Alabama and Miami.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / ACC Digital Network / December 19

Watch: The crowd went insane #notredame #accbasketball #ncaabasketball #collegebasketball #basketball

College Football News / Yardbarker / December 19

Nick Saban rips James Madison making CFP over Notre Dame

Nick Saban blasts James Madison's inclusion in College Football Playoff over Notre Dame

The idea of the Dukes, who have only played one power conference opponent all season, getting into the playoff and Notre Dame getting left out is still something that seven-time champion and college football Hall of Famer Nick Saban disagrees with.

The 25 greatest players in Notre Dame football history

The 'College nicknames that don't end in s' quiz

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI / December 18

Could This Be Notre Dame’s Next Starting Running Back?

Notre Dame will again have a mighty impressive amount of talent in 2026, but will need to find a solution at running back. Yes, Marcus Freeman and the

College Football News / A to Z Sports / December 18

Notre Dame football continuing to front run for a priority recruit from an important Fighting Irish pipeline that is forming

Notre Dame football has been recruiting at an extremely high level under head coach Marcus Freeman. The Fighting Irish staff has seemingly cast a wider net to attract talented football players who can fit in South Bend.

College Football News / ESPN / December 17

Notre Dame RB Price joins Love in entering draft

Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price is entering the NFL draft after backing up Heisman Trophy finalist and fellow draft entry Jeremiyah Love the past two years.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Yardbarker / December 17

Notre Dame RB Jadarian Price makes 2026 NFL Draft decision

Price rushed 113 times this season for the Irish and notched 674 yards and 11 touchdowns on an extremely healthy 6.0 yards per carry.

Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love makes 2026 NFL Draft decision

Notre Dame lands elite 2027 CB Xavier Hasan over Ohio State, Florida State and others

The 25 greatest players in Notre Dame football history

The '2024-25 college football bowl game host cities' quiz

Marcus Freeman News / Athlon Sports / December 17

Notre Dame Receives Clear Message From Coveted Recruit Amid Intense Battle

Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish finished the 2025 regular season 10-2. After failing to make the College Football Playoff, the Fighting Irish declined to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI / December 17

Could Notre Dame and the ACC Breakup? It's Complicated

Ever since Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua publicly stated that "permanent damage" has been done between the Irish and the ACC due to how the CFP race was talked about / handled /manipulated, depending on who you speak with, by the conference, there have been more questions than answers about the future.

Jeremiyah Love News / Ball Exclusives / December 17

Notre Dame star RB Jeremiyah Love declares for NFL draft

Notre Dame Fighting Irish runningback and Heisman finalist Jeremiyah Love has officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. “Those who know me best know I’m very direct,” Love wrote on social media.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI / December 17

What Positions Notre Dame Should Target in the College Football Transfer Portal

Notre Dame doesn't go heavy into the transfer portal for talent, but when it does make a move, it's big. With plenty of free time on its hands, it should be ready to rock in the fight for talent this offseason.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI / December 16

How Will Notre Dame Navigate Its ACC Conundrum?

There's no doubt that in the light of recent CFP events, Notre Dame's relationship with the ACC conference is strained. How strained? Enough that Irish AD Pete Bevacqua stated publicly that the relationship has suffered "permanent damage." Notre Dame feels that the ACC targeted one of its financial partners with anti-Irish CFP rhetoric.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Yardbarker / December 17

Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love makes 2026 NFL Draft decision

Love finishes his Notre Dame career with 2,882 yards rushing and 594 yards receiving with 42 touchdowns in three years.

How QB Arch Manning's return to Texas impacts 2026, 2027 NFL Drafts

NFL Draft intel: How Indiana's Fernando Mendoza compares to past Heisman-winning QBs

The 25 greatest players in SEC football history

The 'College nicknames that don't end in s' quiz

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI / December 15

Who Will Be Notre Dame Football’s Next Heisman Contender?

With Jeremiyah Love getting to New York City as a Heisman finalist, who are the next Notre Dame stars that could make a run at the prestigious award? CJ Carr is the most obvious choice for this award, given the quick start to his collegiate career.

Marcus Freeman News / Yardbarker / December 15

Notre Dame lands elite 2027 cornerback Xavier Hasan

Notre Dame lands elite 2027 CB Xavier Hasan over Ohio State, Florida State and others

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish may still be smarting over being left out of the College Football Playoff, but there's still work to do on the recruiting trail.

The 25 greatest players in SEC football history

The 'College nicknames that don't end in s' quiz

Jeremiyah Love Discusses Notre Dame Opting Out of 2025 Bowl Game

The '2024-25 college football bowl game host cities' quiz

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI / December 15

Notre Dame Football Lands Yet Another 5-Star Talent on Defense

After securing commitments from numerous 5-stars on the defensive side of the ball last cycle, the Irish are at it again. This time, they secured a commitment from Xavier Hasan, who’s ranked as the 38th overall player in the 247Sports composite rankings.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Larry Brown Sports / December 15

Notre Dame commit shatters opponent’s state title dreams with unreal Hail Mary TD pass

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish didn’t make the cut for the College Football Playoff, but the program got something to feel good about over the weekend.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / The Spun / December 11

College Football Programs Are Reportedly 'Threatening' Notre Dame

Despite missing out on the College Football Playoff, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have managed to steal all the headlines this week. Heading into last weekend's conference championship games, Notre Dame was on track to grab the final at-large bid in the CFP.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Mike Farrell Sports / December 10

Even Notre Dame Gets Snubbed—Take Heart When You Do

If you were the perfect candidate for that job and didn’t get it, don’t get too down. If you feel like the world is against you, don’t fret. If you think you’re always getting screwed over, just take some solace in this, even Notre Dame football gets snubbed.

Paul Finebaum News / The Spun / December 10

Paul Finebaum Slams Notre Dame For 'Loser' Behavior

ESPN personality Paul Finebaum is never afraid of calling out members of the college football world. With that said, he took aim at Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua this Wednesday.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Athlon Sports / December 9

Notre Dame Gets Good Recruiting News Amid College Football Playoff Controversy

Notre Dame was left out of the College Football Playoff after the matchups were unveiled on Sunday. Notre Dame was the first team out of the CFP, which made the school really upset because it felt it deserved a spot after finishing the regular season with a 10-2 record.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Larry Brown Sports / December 9

Notre Dame warns NFL teams about trying to hire Marcus Freeman

If any NFL team wants to hire Marcus Freeman away from Notre Dame, they are clearly going to have to spend big money to do it. Freeman has been speculated to be a potential target of the New York Giants in their coaching search.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Last Word On Sports / December 9

The Big Ten Should Make A Play For Notre Dame

So, Notre Dame is a bit peeved about the College Football Playoff committee leaving it out of this year’s dance. Ever since the initial CFP rankings, the Fighting Irish were ranked ahead of the Miami (FL) Hurricanes despite the head-to-head loss.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News / Larry Brown Sports / December 8

Notre Dame athletic director unloads on the ACC

Everyone associated with Notre Dame is furious with the College Football Playoff selection committee for leaving the Fighting Irish out of this year’s tournament, and athletic director Pete Bevacqua says those feelings of frustration extend toward the ACC as well.