With the Notre Dame football season opener just five days away, it’s time to identify the players most likely to deliver breakout seasons.
Who won’t Fighting Irish fans see on this list? Leonard Moore and CJ Carr, to name two. Both have already had breakout seasons. Even if they improve and have career seasons, that would qualify them at the end of the year for “best” season, but certainly not breakout.
So which Notre Dame football players are the best breakout candidates?
Notre Dame football’s best candidates for a breakout 2026 season
Mylan Graham
Over the offseason, the Irish added two transfer wide receivers from Ohio State. Quincy Porter has gotten more attention, but he’s currently injured, and it doesn’t feel like the team has a clue when he might be back. That opens the door for Mylan Graham, who was named a co-starting wide receiver on Notre Dame’s first depth chart of the season. Graham is listed alongside Jaden Greahouse as an “or,” so it’s not clear who will actually start against Wisconsin on Sunday night.
It’s easy to overlook Graham since he tallied just 6 receptions for 93 yards in two seasons with Michigan. However, the wide receiver is a former 5-star prospect who recorded more than 2,000 career receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in his high school career at New Haven. His best season there came when he hauled in 48 passes for 1,149 yards and 13 touchdowns during his junior season in 2022.
James Flanigan
Like Graham, it’s felt like others have overshadowed James Flanigan at his position. However, also like Graham, Flanigan was listed as an “or” on the depth chart and could be the starter against Wisconsin. Ironically, he’s currently competing with Cooper Flanagan for that role.
The biggest difference between the two is that Cooper has long been known more as a blocker than a receiver. Meanwhile, James had more than 500 yards receiving and 6 TDs in his junior season. In his senior season, he became the first non-traditional wide receiver to win the Al Toon Award, named after the former NFL receiver and given annually to the most outstanding high school wide receiver or tight end in the state of Wisconsin.
Joey O’Brien
Unlike Graham and Flanigan, Joey O’Brien did not have an “or” next to his name on the first depth chart of the season. Instead, the true freshman safety was listed as the top backup at his position behind Adon Shuler.
Considering O’Brien ended spring practice by suffering an injury that required early summer surgery, his performance in training camp and in preparation for Wisconsin has been remarkable. Now, the Notre Dame staff has officially given him the go-ahead to see the field plenty and compete for a breakout season in South Bend.
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