ESPN Extremely High on The Future of Notre Dame Football

It’s hard to one-up a national championship appearance. In fact, there is only one way a program can put together a better campaign: win the national title. 

With that in mind, one may think that things can only turn downhill for Notre Dame. But, at least in the eyes of ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, the Fighting Irish have quite the bright future. 

Rittenberg put together a “College Football Future Power Rankings through 2026”, and rated every Power Four team, plus Notre Dame, in the country. 

The rankings were compiled based on a variety of criteria, including long-term quarterback, the strength of the offensive/defensive line, overall roster management, star power, and the coaching staff. In the end, the Fighting Irish landed fifth. 

Of the aforementioned categories, the only one Notre Dame has even remotely a question mark in is long-term QB. With Riley Leonard off to the NFL, the Fighting Irish will have their offense run by either redshirt freshman CJ Carr, or sophomore Kenny Minchey. 

Whether Carr or Minchey gets the job, both already have experience in the program and will have remaining eligibility to ensure their impact is felt beyond just one season. 

In every other aspect, the outlook in South Bend is promising. Not only do the Fighting Irish have an offensive line that Rittenberg characterizes as “one of the nation’s most talented groups”, but they also have “a bona fide Heisman Trophy candidate in running back Jeremiyah Love.”