The NCAA’s adoption of new age-based eligibility rules is all but a formality on Wednesday. The implications of the change are massive for every sport under the NCAA’s umbrella, but for Notre Dame, the football team might see the biggest impact, as it could mean players who saw 2026 as their final year now return if they want to. The effect of the rule change, which gives every player five years to play five seasons, becomes more complicated for those who looked at this season as their final year before departing for the NFL, even if they already had eligibility left.
The rule change is rather simple on its face. Starting July 1, the eligibility clock for any player begins if they enroll in college no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday. They will then have five years of eligibility, medical hardship waivers, and redshirting is no longer a thing. Or at least they won’t be in 2027. Players who had eligibility remaining before this new rule passed can decide whether to take advantage of the change or follow the previous rules, whichever gives them more playing time.
Should every Notre Dame football player take advantage of the age-based eligibility rule, the Irish have a dozen guys who just got an extra year to play. It should come as no surprise that quite a few of them are high-impact players. And a few of them are players who could greatly improve their NFL chances with that extra year.
Notre Dame football players who go from one year to two years left
- WR Jordan Faison
- CB Christian Gray
- LB Drayk Bowen
- DT Elijah Hughes
- S Luke Talich
Faison is perhaps the most noteworthy name among these five players if only because the way he’s developed, it seems like two more years could be a very big deal for the wide receiver. He’s very, very good, but most NFL Mock Drafts don’t see him going early on. Could he come back for a 2027 season and try to go in the first two days of the 2028 draft?
Christian Gray and Drayk Bowen could also help their 2028 draft chances, but it’s hard to see Bowen, especially playing two more seasons in South Bend. Those guys likely started 2026 preparing as if this was their last year with Notre Dame. Shifting that thought process will be interesting to watch.
Notre Dame stars with three years left instead of two years
- CB Leonard Moore
- RB Aneyas Williams
- DT Francis Brewu
- OL Anthonie Knapp
- K Spencer Porath
- DE Loghan Thomas
- LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
- DE Bryce Young
The player with the lowest odds of taking advantage of this eligibility rule? The easy pick is Leonard Moore. He’s already considered a Top 10 draft pick next spring. The most interesting name on this list is Aneyas Williams. The running back played just enough to blow any redshirt season. If he decided to stick in college for three more years, he could certainly help his eventual NFL chances. That would have to be balanced with the short football careers of running backs, though.
Notre Dame players who had three years and now have four
- LB Madden Faraimo
- CB Dallas Golden
- WR Quincy Porter
- CB Jayden Sanders
- K Erik Schmidt
- CB Mark Zackery IV
Of this group, Quincy Porter might be the biggest beneficiary. He’s coming off an injury last year, and there is some doubt he’ll be 100% by the start of fall camp. No longer having to worry about keeping a redshirt, Porter could wait until he’s all the way back, play the second half of the season, and really show what he can do for Notre Dame moving forward.
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