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Notre Dame will never be a program that flips 40-50 players on its roster from one year to the next. That kind of portal play just doesn't align with the academic path or culture.
The bulk of the Irish roster will always come from the high school recruiting ranks. In this regard, Freeman and his staff have done a wonderful job, evidenced by the most recent 2026 consensus top-five recruiting class.
Due to the excellent recruiting, Notre Dame can be very selective in its approach to the portal, and the 2026 batch of additions could just be the missing title ingredients that finally push the Irish over the top.
Entering the portal period, everyone around the Notre Dame program agreed there were two main areas of need, one being along the defensive line and the other at receiver.
To bolster the defensive front, Notre Dame acquired Francis Brewu from Pittsburgh, Keon Keeley from Alabama, and Tionne Gray from Oregon.
This group of players each has different bodies and skill sets that add much-needed talent and depth to the defensive front. With these additions paired with the group of players that were already in the program, like Boubacar Traore, Bryce Young, and Jason Onye, this unit added bulk and flexibility.
New defensive line coach Charlie Patridge will be able to mix, match, and rotate players at will, depending on the down and distance situation, with minimal or no production dropoff.
This is a luxury Notre Dame hasn't had in recent years and will help make what should be a top-notch defense even more dangerous.
BREAKING: Pitt transfer DL Francis Brewu has committed to Notre Dame, @Hayesfawcett3 reports☘️https://t.co/L9D21RM3dJ pic.twitter.com/EdQUAsd0u6
It's no secret that Notre Dame has struggled to recruit and develop wide receivers to a title-winning level in recent years.
As a result, this was another area of heavy portal need for the Irish, and the Irish landed two ultra-talented players, both from the receiver factory known as Ohio State. Myalan Graham and Quincy Porter are low on experience but high in talent.
Mylan Graham from CJ Carr.
Probably happening a lot. Graham has been outstanding this spring. pic.twitter.com/Lww45nJhcV
Adding these players to the mix with Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse, and Micah Gilbert gives Notre Dame the most flexibility and talent in this room overall in recent vintage. This group will also benefit from having CJ Carr's arm talent deliver them opportunities to shine, one snap at a time.
Notre Dame has addressed its biggest needs for the 2026 season as well as any team could, and these additions at key positions could be the final touches of a special Irish roster. The 2026 Notre Dame team has the talent to win the title. Now it's time to perform.
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Founder and content creator of the Always Irish LLC Notre Dame Football social media, podcast, and radio show brand since 2016 covering all things Irish football daily from the fan's perspective. Previously Notre Dame Football staff writer for USA TODAY Fighting Irish Wire before joining Notre Dame On SI. Known as the “voice of the Irish fan.”
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