Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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44 MARCH 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE pushed hard for. It didn't mean as much at the time, but when you think about it now, they beat out Indiana for him." Lemming: "Preston Fryzel, the tight end from Ohio. He's outstanding and reminds me of Tyler Eifert, who was a bit heavier as a recruit but similar type of a receiver with their athletic ability. Fryzel could be the sleeper." BGI: What is the strongest posi- tion group of Notre Dame's 2026 class? Power: "It's the secondary. Notre Dame signed the top defensive back class of any school in the 2026 cycle. They have a great product to sell with how they've produced at the position under Mike Mickens, and Aaron Henry has a good shot of continuing that con- sidering his track record at Illinois. "It's a phenomenal secondary class. It's hard to imagine signing a better group than this in the 2026 cycle. You start with multiple five-stars in Joey O'Brien and Khary Adams. O'Brien is the No. 1 safety in the cycle, and Adams has the traits you look for at corner with his size, ball skills and speed. O'Brien is so versatile in coverage and can be a game-changer. "Ayden Pouncey pushed for a fifth star and can play any spot in the secondary. I like Notre Dame starting him out at cornerback. He's an incredible player. Chaston Smith is a technical corner with strong ability, and Nick Reddish comple- ments the group as a nickel." Wiltfong: "On paper, it's the defen- sive backs, but it's close. They're bring- ing in a terrific defensive line group. It's arguably the best D-line group in the country. This class really is loaded." Lemming: "Without a doubt it's defensive back. Ayden Pouncey is out- standing. Nick Reddish really came on strong as a recruit after his sophomore season, and O'Brien, Adams and Chas- ton Smith are great players." BGI: Which position group could Notre Dame have done a better job with? Power: "Notre Dame signed two quality quarterbacks in Teddy Jarrard and Noah Grubbs. They're going to need to find a starting solution after CJ Carr, and I can see a scenario where either wins the job. But it's going to take time, and they're going to need develop- ment. Jarrard played one less year of high school ball after reclassifying, and Grubbs has areas to improve upon. "When you're talking about recruit- ing at an elite, elite level, I would say quarterback after Carr is unsettled. But Notre Dame may have time to figure that out depending on if Carr enters the draft after this season or if he comes back in 2027. "And I'd also consider interior de- fensive line. Notre Dame has a type that they like — guys who can eat blocks and are gritty players. But when you look at the type of teams you're talking about on the elite national level, interior D- line is another position, but it's nitpick- ing when you're answering this ques- tion. It's arguably the top class in the country." Wiltfong: "Notre Dame did a great job from top to bottom with this class. If you were ranking the class by position, it goes defensive back, defensive line, tight end, running back, wide receiver — and those are arguably the top classes in the country at the respective position groups. "They landed two talented quar- terbacks and got the linebackers they wanted, but if you stack those two posi- tions up nationally, they're not arguably No. 1 like the other positions are." Lemming: "At linebacker, Thomas Davis Jr. is good. They only brought in two, though. I would have brought in four defensive tackles because they're usually weaker at that position. "They brought in two good ones in Elijah Golden and Tiki Hola, but I would've brought in even more." BGI: Do you believe Notre Dame is recruiting at a level where they can win a national championship? Power: "It certainly is. There are sev- eral difference-makers and potential first-round picks out of this class. Notre Dame didn't go outside of their player prototype in terms of guys who are fits at the school for what it values. "They were able to get the best Notre Dame fits, in addition to the players. It's a dream Notre Dame class." Wiltfong: "I've said yes to this question the past couple of years, and a big difference is how they're attack- ing quarterback recruiting. From flip- ping Kenny Minchey from Pittsburgh to landing CJ Carr, they're being competi- tive for very talented guys after taking low-hanging fruit in previous cycles. "They do a great job of identifying kids who want Notre Dame for on and off the field reasons. And it's worked out that these prospects also have high up- side. They win a national championship this year, and this class will keep them in this conversation for years to come." Lemming: "Absolutely, and this is the year for them to win it. They have the talent. With this class coming in and the transfers they brought in — and if CJ Carr stays healthy —they'll win the national title this year. This is their best chance to win a title, even though they were close in the 2024 season." ✦ Winter Park (Fla.) High standout Ayden Pouncey, Rivals' No. 4 cornerback and No. 34 overall pros- pect in the country, is part of an outstanding Irish defensive backs class. PHOTO BY MIKE SINGER