Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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26 SUMMER 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED Players Signed: 23 Players Available In 2026: 19 (4 transfers) 2024 Recruiting Rankings: No. 9 by Rivals, No. 10 by 247Sports, No. 11 by On3 and No. 12 by ESPN Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Taebron Bennie-Powell S 6-1 177 Recorded a tackle in lone game appearance against Syracuse last fall; trans- ferred to Boise State after two seasons at Notre Dame. CJ Carr QB 6-2 215 Excelled in first season as a starter in 2025 with one of the best passing effi- ciency ratings in college football; expected to be a Heisman Trophy candidate in 2026. Micah Gilbert WR 6-2 205 Caught his first career touchdown in season opener at Miami but missed time with a hand injury as he remained in backup role; struggled in Blue-Gold Game while making case for starting role. Karson Hobbs CB 6-1 196 Started against Texas A&M but fell out of rotation as last season progressed; transferred to Florida State after two seasons at Notre Dame. Brauntae Johnson S 6-2 200 Helped solidify struggling Irish secondary when he entered starting lineup against Purdue and became playmaker for Irish; positioned as a rising star in the Irish defense. Peter Jones OL 6-5 315 Redshirted as a freshman with just three game appearances and missed the 2025 season with an ankle injury; spent spring as a third-string guard. Bodie Kahoun LB 6-2 225 Played in 11 games across two seasons, primarily on special teams; trans- ferred to Boston College this offseason. Anthonie Knapp OL 6-5 304 Started 17 games at left tackle in his first two seasons; moved inside to left guard this spring to make room for redshirt freshman left tackle Will Black. Guerby Lambert OL 6-7 325 Started all 12 games at right guard last season as a redshirt freshman; moved outside to right tackle this spring to replace NFL-bound Aamil Wagner. Jack Larsen TE 6-3 248 Tallied his first 3 career receptions for 30 yards in six games as a redshirt freshman; stuck behind trio of tight ends competing for big roles in 2026. Leonard Moore CB 6-2 197 Improved upon a Freshman All-America season with unanimous All-America status as a sophomore; considered by many as the top cornerback in college football entering the fall. Cole Mullins DT 6-4 280 Played in all 12 games as a redshirt freshman after missing 2024 with a knee injury; fighting for a spot in defensive tackle rotation. Styles Prescod OL 6-6 298 Spent redshirt freshman season as the backup left tackle; likely stuck in that role once again in 2026 behind a younger player. Teddy Rezac LB 6-3 226 Played 20 games in his first two seasons primarily on special teams; likely blocked from defensive role behind experienced and deep linebacker rotation. Logan Saldate WR 5-11 185 Recorded first career reception as a redshirt freshman while playing in just four games; moved from slot to field receiver in spring while still trying to get into rotation. Sean Sevillano Jr. DT 6-2 320 Took the field in three games in each of his first two seasons; remains buried in competitive defensive tackle depth chart. Loghan Thomas DE 6-3 215 Earned playing time in 26 games across two seasons primarily on special teams; playing time is available this fall but weight remains a concern. Kennedy Urlacher S 5-11 195 Transferred to USC after one season at Notre Dame; tallied 26 tackles, 1 interception and 1 pass broken up in 13 games with three starts for Trojans. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa LB 6-3 230 Led all Irish linebackers with 7.5 tackles for loss as versatile role expanded as sophomore; working his way back from an ACL injury in November. Aneyas Williams RB 5-10 210 Saw playing time decrease in 2025 after impressive freshman season, but patience should be rewarded with starting running back role. Cam Williams WR 6-2 201 Caught lone career reception while remaining low on the depth chart; spent spring showing more flashes that could lead to playing time this fall. Bryce Young DE 6-6 260 Finished second on team with 29 pressures but only turned them into 2 sacks in elevated role as a sophomore; production should increase as starter after 28 games of experience. Kedren Young RB 5-11 234 Missed redshirt freshman season with a torn ACL suffered in preseason camp and remained sidelined through the spring; could compete to be in rotation if healthy this fall. JUNIOR CLASS REVIEW Leonard Moore might be the best cornerback in college football by a sig- nificant margin. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT