Six Notre Dame football players have officially been invited to the 2026 NFL Combine. However, it's the absences from the invite list that should draw the most eyeballs from Fighting Irish fans.
Most of the names that did get an invite are far from surprising. Running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are joined by wide receiver Malachi Fields, tight end Eli Raridon, and offensive linemen Bill Schrauth and Aamil Wagner.
Among those Notre Dame players who were not invited, the ones who should raise the most eyebrows are defensive backs Jalen Stroman and Devonta Smith. Both had very good seasons in a secondary that was amongst the best in the country.
It's also quite interesting that they weren't invited considering that every player the NFL does want to see more of, up close and personal is from the offensive side of the ball. That certainly hasn't been anywhere near close to the case in past years.
Over the last few seasons, it's been the defensive side of the ball that's gotten more attention from front offices and scouts.
The other interesting factor in all of this is that Notre Dame got less NFL Combine invites than they did a year ago. Last spring, the Irish had eight players invited compared to this year's six.
Stroman, who had 37 tackles, 2 passes defended, an interception and a touchdown, as well as Devonta Smith (20 tackles, 3 passes defended) will both still get a chance to show what they can do to NFL people during the Notre Dame Pro Day. But not getting an NFL Combine invite is certainly noteworthy.