Apr 12, 2025; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman smiles as he walks off the field after the Blue-Gold game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Is Notre Dame a Top Five College Football Program?

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By John Kennedy | Last updated May 18, 2025 12:39 PM ET

2024 changed the narrative of the modern Notre Dame program

2024 was a huge year for Marcus Freeman. As he entered his third year at the helm of the Irish program, the weight of the world was on his shoulders to deliver in the "sacred" third go around that has been a historical benchmark that indicates which coaches will "make it" in South Bend and which ones will flame out.

In response to all of this pressure, the Irish won 14 games in a row, including three playoff wins en route to a competitive albeit ultimately disappointing title game appearance. Where does this leave Notre Dame entering the 2025 season in the pantheon of college football?

Is Notre Dame a top five program right now?

The Fighting Irish Remain ELITE

Notre Dame Returns Multiple Top 10 Players for the 2025 Season☘️ pic.twitter.com/cOTfRNaqc9
— PFF College (@PFF_College) May 12, 2025

Notre Dame must do more to be a top five program, at least for right now

Being a true top five program seems a bit premature, after the one big year.

To me, it takes more than a hot playoff run to launch a program into top five status unless the team wins a championship in that year.

Consistency over time is key.

Loosely based and without any metrics under than at-the-moment feel, and. not going by all-time history, Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Oregon, with Texas in the running, Penn State possibly making a push this year, and ... Notre Dame is close.

Should the Irish make a deep playoff run in 2025 with a first-time starting quarterback to add to the 2024 success, then I will be much more inclined to put Notre Dame in the elite of the elite tier list.

Notre Dame's program has modernized a great deal in the short three years of the Freeman era. The roster is faster, longer, deeper, and more athletic than any team Kelly could dream of putting together, and the results of this are beginning to show.

The Irish are entering their "winning window" of the Freeman era, and it'll be thrilling to see what this program accomplishes in the next few seasons.

For more Irish news & notes, follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and on your preferred audio podcast provider.

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

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