Notre Dame Football's QB recruiting battle: New contender emerges

No one ever said Notre Dame Football would have it easy in its quest to land one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 class. However, things got a bit harder on Thursday as one of its two top targets announced a new contender for his services.

Noah Grubbs and Brady Hart are thought to be the two guys that Notre Dame Football is taking aim at this season. With Deuce Knight committed from the 2025 class and CJ Carr safely tucked away in South Bend, the Irish are hoping that they can get another top of the line quarterback in the next recruiting cycle where there’s an opening.

It’s long been thought that whoever between the two pulls the trigger first is the one who will get the spot from Notre Dame. Could an unofficial visit to North Carolina mean that Hart is now the frontrunner in this race?

Grubbs announced the unofficial visit to the Tarheels on Thursday morning and immediately sent a few shockwaves through the quarterback recruiting world. 

Of course, any Notre Dame Football fans who are getting nervous don’t need to be there yet. Not long after Grubb’s first announcement, he also let the world know who is in his Top 10. Unsurprisingly, the Irish are right there.

Notre Dame Football has unexpected competition for top QB recruit

In addition to the Irish, Grubbs is looking at Florida, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Miami, North Carolina, Auburn, Nebraska, Michigan and UCF.

The announcement that he’s only pared it down to 10 might be another indicator that Hart is going to be the guy. Grubbs doesn’t appear all that close to naming his new school.

Things can move quickly in the recruiting world. It’s possible that 10 will be cut down to 5 or 3 soon. This will certainly be one to continue keeping an eye on for Notre Dame Football.