Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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12 MARCH 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Will Donovan — Lacrosse The senior long-stick mid- fielder from Greenwich, Conn., gathered 2026 Preseason All- ACC honors Jan. 27. He is con- sidered one of the best in the country at his position, and en- ters this season having already earned All-America honors and All-ACC recognition after last season. Known more for his defensive prowess at a blue-collar position, Donovan scored 1 goal and added 1 assist in 14 games for the Irish during the 2025 season. Micaela Kastor — Softball The senior pitcher/utility player from Simi Valley, Calif., tossed a no-hitter in Notre Dame's 8-0 victory over North Carolina Central Feb. 7 in Clearwater, Fla. She faced 17 batters in five innings, record- ing 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. It was the 41st solo no-hitter in school history and the 61st overall. The program has now achieved at least one no-hitter in 26 different seasons. Ben Pable — Track & Field The fifth-year senior from Waukegan, Ill., broke the Notre Dame school record in the men's weight throw en route to an individual title at the Wooo Pig Classic Feb. 7 in Arkansas. The transfer from Dartmouth posted a 21.94-meter throw in his third attempt at the meet to surpass the previous Irish record of 21.37 set in 2019. Pable's personal-best throw also traveled six feet farther than the second-place competitor's at the meet. Madison Rassas — Lacrosse The sophomore midfielder from Sterling, Va., continued the hot start to her season when she scored a career- and game-high 6 goals and added 3 assists for 9 points in a 25-0 win over Central Michigan Feb. 8. Two days earlier, Rassas recorded a hat trick in a 12-10 Irish victory over No. 12 Michigan, bringing her totals during the undefeated 2-0 weekend to 9 goals, 3 assists, 5 ground balls and 3 forced turnovers. TOP TOP OF THE CLASS OF THE CLASS Irish student-athletes excelling on the field and in the classroom ✦ GIMME FIVE According to the final Rivals rankings, Notre Dame signed five five-star players in the 2026 class. Not only is that the most the Irish have signed in the internet recruiting era — topping their previous program high of three — it's more than the Big 12 and ACC combined. The Big 12 signed two five-star prospects (Houston quarterback Keisean Henderson and Utah offen- sive tackle Kelvin Obot), while the ACC signed one (Miami offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell). The Big Ten led the way with 13 five-star signees, while the SEC was close behind with 11. Of Notre Dame's five-star additions, offensive tackle Grayson McKeogh and edge rusher Rodney Dunham are Rivals' favorites at No. 7 and No. 8 overall, respectively. Cornerback Khary Adams is No. 23, safety Joey O'Brien is No. 25 and tight end Ian Premer rounds out the group at No. 27. Only one school secured as many five-star players as the Irish did: Ohio State, which also signed five. — Jack Soble CHARTING THE IRISH CAKEWALK LOADING? You've likely heard pundits making fun of Notre Dame's schedule. The truth is, they're half right. The high end is much better than many give it credit for. The Irish host Miami, which was six points away from the national championship and is fully reloaded for another playoff run. They visit BYU, a 12-win team that brings back most of its stars and will begin the year in the top 15. Even SMU, which won 20 games the past two years and also returns plenty of talent, is nothing to scoff at. But at least on paper, the bottom two-thirds of Notre Dame's 2026 slate is atrocious. Of its 10 Power Four opponents, eight teams lost eight or more games in 2025. All finished below 80th in ESPN's SP+, too. And many are not expected to get better in 2026, either. According to Athlon Sports' way-too-early pro- jections, the Irish face the 14th-, 15th- and 18th- ranked teams in the Big Ten, as well as the 14th-, 15th-, 16th- and 17th-ranked teams in the ACC. That is bad, any way you slice it. What does this mean for the 2026 Irish? It means 10 victories might not be enough to make the Col- lege Football Playoff again, particularly if the two losses are against Miami and BYU. Opportunities to pick up quality wins will be few and far between. But if Notre Dame does get past the Hurricanes and Cougars, its third 12-0 regular season since the Lou Holtz era is likely to follow. — Jack Soble TEAMS ON NOTRE DAME'S SCHEDULE WITH EIGHT OR MORE LOSSES IN 2025 School 2025 Record Final SP+ Wisconsin 4-8 85 Rice 5-8 120 Michigan State 4-8 83 Purdue 2-10 90 North Carolina 4-8 91 Stanford 4-8 112 Boston College 2-10 97 Syracuse 3-9 115 2026 RIVALS FIVE-STAR BREAKDOWN BY CONFERENCE Rk. Conference/School Five-Star Signees 1. Big Ten 13 2. SEC 11 3. Notre Dame 5 4. Big 12 2 5. ACC 1 Wyndmoor (Pa.) La Salle College High offensive tackle Grayson McKeogh is one of a school-record five Fighting Irish five-star signees in the class of 2026. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS