Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543321
42 MARCH 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY MIKE SINGER N otre Dame's 2026 football re- cruiting class is complete, and according to the Rivals Indus- try Team Recruiting Rankings, the Fighting Irish's haul landed at No. 2 nationally. And when asking various experts about how the Irish class compares to other blue blood programs and if Notre Dame is recruiting at a high enough level, answers have been in the eye of the beholder. But for the 2026 class, the three ex- perts interviewed for this year's re- cruiting magazine all echoed the same sentiment. Instead of asking, "Is this class good enough?" the question moving forward, if Notre Dame continues to recruit at this level, is, "Do the Irish have the best class in the country?" Here's what the trio of national ex- perts told Blue & Gold Illustrated about the Fighting Irish's 2026 recruiting class. BGI: What are your general im- pressions on Notre Dame's 2026 recruiting class? How does it stack up against the other elites in the country? Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "This is the best class Notre Dame has signed in my time in this business, dating back at least 15 years. It's certainly one of the best classes in the 2026 cycle nationally and has a case for the No. 1 class in the country. It's in that top elite tier. "When you look at the top with their number of five-stars, they signed high- end talent at premium positions. And when you work your way down the class, there's really quality depth throughout. There's not any dead weight in the class. You can see a path for every player in the class to make an impact and contribute during their time at Notre Dame. "They hit a home run with this class. It can be a foundational building block for a really strong run under Marcus Freeman. This class goes a long way to further Notre Dame's status as one of the top programs in the country." Rivals vice president of recruiting and transfer portal Steve Wiltfong: "I think Notre Dame signed the top class in America. When you look at who they landed on the offensive line, defensive line and secondary, paired with run- ning back, wide receiver and tight end, they're among the best in each of those position groups. It's a very balanced, RECRUITING ROUNDTABLE National experts break down Notre Dame's 2026 class Aledo (Texas) High's Kaydon Finley, the No. 20 wide receiver and No. 122 overall prospect nationally per Rivals, could be an instant impact performer for the Irish this fall. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER