Notre Dame football: Where do the Irish rank in early 2022 ranking?

Oct 9, 2021; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Tyler Buchner (12) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 9, 2021; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Tyler Buchner (12) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Notre Dame football team has elite talent on both sides of the ball heading into 2022, but where do they rank early on?

When it comes to the 2022 Notre Dame football team, one thing is for sure, and that is they will be one of the more well-rounded teams in the country. Getting some key players back that were destined for the 2022 NFL Draft certainly puts Notre Dame in the elite category heading into next season, and they have a talented group of true freshmen coming in as well.

All told, this is as deep an Irish team as we have seen in quite some time, and after nearly missing out on the College Football Playoff this past season, a berth in the CFP could be in the cards when all is said and done in 2022.

Notre Dame football a top-10 team for 2022

Recently, Lance Dawe from Yahoo Sports! put together his way-too-early 2022 top-25 rankings for next fall. In his ranking, Dawe gives a small tidbit about each of the teams he ranked, including the Notre Dame football team.

The Irish are ranked at No. 7 in the early rankings put out by Dawe, but he does state that they will be a contender next season. In fact, Notre Dame is ranked above the likes of Michigan and Clemson, two CFP contenders from the last few seasons, and could certainly finish a lot higher than No. 7 if everything goes their way.

Dawe also speaks to the Irish having to replace Jack Coan, but as we know, the cupboard certainly is not barren when it comes to the quarterback position in South Bend.

Overall, a No. 7 ranking this early is not unfair to the Irish, though I do believe they will enter the 2022 season higher, as it is likely only Georgia, Alabama, and maybe Ohio State will be above them when the initial rankings are released. And while these rankings do not mean much right now, they are always fun to keep an eye on as we inch closer to spring practices.