Sep 21, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman prepares to lead his players onto the field for the game against the Miami Redhawks at Notre Dame Stadium. Matt Cashore / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN Recruiting Rankings Update: Texas Climbs, Notre Dame Slides

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By Nick Shepkowski | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 9:35 AM ET

Notre Dame football has assembled a major recruiting class for 2026, widely regarded as the program's strongest in years. It currently consists of 26 commitments as the calendar nears August. Perhaps the biggest remaining objective for Marcus Freeman and company with the class will be to keep it all intact.

As strong as Notre Dame's class is, other major football factories are starting to catch and pass the Fighting Irish in the 2026 recruiting rankings.

At least according to ESPN.

ESPN Drops Notre Dame 2 Spots

The outlet has updated its team rankings for the 2026 recruiting cycle, and although it gives praise to Notre Dame in the update, the Irish have fallen from third to fifth nationally.

Texas has been on fire on the recruiting trail of late, moving all the way up to number four from number 11. Texas A&M, who had been ranked fourth, also passed Notre Dame as it moved up to third in the update.

USC remains in the top spot with Georgia right behind it. Alabama, Ohio State, and Michigan check in right behind Notre Dame at No. 6-8, respectively.

Notre Dame's Biggest Remaining 2026 Recruiting Target

"Top247 defensive lineman Elijah Golden ( @backfield_e ) is set to announce his commitment LIVE on July 26 at 3:30 pm ET with @247Sports and @CBSSportsCFB .

The finalists are:@AlabamaFTBL @OU_Football @NDFootball @HokiesFB " - @TomLoy247 pic.twitter.com/6bRCSLUpDT
— Cardinal Mooney Football (@Mooney_FB) July 2, 2025

Notre Dame's biggest realistic remaining target for now with the 2026 recruiting class is defensive lineman Elijah Golden of Sarasota (Cardinal Mooney), Florida. He's seen as a top 200 player overall nationally in 2026 cycle and is down to Notre Dame, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Virginia Tech as finalists. He'll announce his college decision on Aug. 9.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Takeaway:

Ultimately, if Notre Dame finishes fourth, fifth, or sixth, it doesn't matter a whole lot. The bigger thing is if this class can serve as a foundational piece for Notre Dame recruiting going forward.

Marcus Freeman and his staff have taken big swings in places that haven't traditionally been easy for Notre Dame to recruit and come up big this cycle. Can that continue, and can Notre Dame continue to challenge for top five recruiting rankings instead of trying to have one sneak into the top ten every five years or so?

In a sport where the margin of error is so thin, that can make the difference between getting to a National Championship Game and winning one.

This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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