The Transfer Portal is closed. It's time for Notre Dame to focus entirely on getting ready for the 2026 campaign.
As the Fighting Irish prepare, there are many questions surrounding the team. Right at the top of the list is whether the team will be the contender that many analysts expect.
One question that's been plaguing Notre Dame for most of the winter is whether they'd get head coach Marcus Freeman back after he was at the top of every NFL team's candidate list. It's great not to have that issue hanging over their heads, but there are still three very prominent questions Freeman and his crew have to answer this year.
What happens if CJ Carr gets hurt?
Marcus Freeman has spent his career in South Bend, boasting a luxury few teams in this era could. He's always had a backup quarterback on the roster who was thought to be able to step in if the starter went down with an injury. That's the case in 2026. With Kenny Minchey gone, the backups are young and completely untested.
At the moment, Carr and Blake Hebert are the only quarterbacks on the active roster. They'll be joined soon by 2026 signees Noah Grubbs and Teddy Jarrard. In other words, only Carr has taken a single snap in college, and only Hebert has even stood on the sidelines for the Irish.
Freeman admitted Notre Dame wanted to get a veteran quarterback who was ok being the backup in the Transfer Portal. Unfortunately, that never materialized, and now the Irish are one injury away from having to hand the starting job to a complete unknown.
Can Notre Dame's defensive line continue to be a strength?
On Tuesday, the Irish learned they get Jason Onye back for one more season. That's a big step in the right direction. It's almost like they added another Transfer Portal player, but this one, they know very well.
With Oregon's Tionne Gray, Pitt's Francis Brewu, and Alabama's Keon Keeley added to the mix this winter, there's a very good chance Notre Dame's defensive line will be excellent. It's all about finding someone who can step up and the meshing of the new parts.
Who complements Jordan Faison in the Notre Dame wide receiver corps?
With Malachi Fields, Will Pauling, Eli Raridon, and Jeremiyah Love, the Irish have a lot of questions in the passing game. Jordan Faison led the team in receptions with 49. The man with the second-highest number of catches returning to the Irish is Micah Gilbert, who had 9 receptions in 2025.
Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter, former Ohio State Buckeyes, were added to the roster through the portal. Devin Fitzgerald, Kaydon Finley, Bubba Frazier, Brayden Robinson, and Dylan Faison signed last month as new wide receivers. Ian Premet and Preston Fryzel joined as tight ends.
That's a ton of talent joined by Jaden Greathouse and several other young players who could see more playing time in 2026. Still, Notre Dame's receiving corps is as big a question mark as it has been under Marcus Freeman.