Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 7, 2026 9 UNDER THE DOME ✦ BY THE NUMBERS PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER 2 Notre Dame players were included in ESPN analyst Field Yates' October mock draft of the first 10 selections in 2027: junior cor- nerback Leonard Moore at No. 3 to the Tennessee Titans and junior quarterback CJ Carr at No. 7 to the New York Jets. Texas was the only other program with two players projected to be selected in the top 10. "Moore has size (6-foot-2, 197 pounds), a fierce mentality to covet tough matchups, excellent ball skills and solid overall anticipation," Yates noted. "He is a true shutdown cornerback, which warrants a selection this high." 3 Fighting Irish players earned midseason All-American accolades: junior cornerback Leonard Moore was named first team by the Associated Press and The Athletic, while senior defensive end Bouba- car Traore was tabbed first team by On3 and second team by the AP, and junior guard Anthonie Knapp listed on the second team by On3. In addition, running back Jonaz Walton was tabbed as a midseason Freshman All-American by On3 and The Athletic. 5th Worst officiating call of the 2026 college football season through Week 8 happened in the Notre Dame-BYU game Oct. 17 per On3. The media outlet asked fans on X to share their opinions on some of the most controversial calls in college football so far this year and then trimmed it down to a list of the 10 worst calls. "In a top-five showdown in Week 7, Notre Dame looked to mount a late charge against BYU," On3's Nick Schultz noted. "CJ Carr led the Irish down the field, but his final pass fell incomplete as the Cougars held on for the victory, though it wasn't without controversy. "Replays appeared to show one second left on the game clock when Carr's pass to Jaden Greathouse fell incomplete. However, officials declared the game over, and the Big 12 said later that night Notre Dame should have had one more second." Here is the complete top 10: 1. Michigan wins on Hail Mary vs. Western Michigan after refs add one second 2. No pass interference called late in Georgia vs. Alabama 3. Florida State Hail Mary at Miami called back after holding penalty 4. BYU called for roughing the kicker, UCF scores game-winning TD 5. Big 12 admits Notre Dame should have had one more second at BYU 6. Oregon two-point conversion vs. UCLA spotted incorrectly 7. Kiffin: Ref said 'too much at stake' to blow tush push TD dead vs. Kentucky 8. Tennessee recovers onside kick against Texas, SEC says refs got it wrong 9. Duke whistled for roughing the passer vs. Georgia Tech 10. Offsides penalty wipes away Michigan State onside kick recovery against Illinois 7 Fighting Irish players appeared on CBS Sports draft analyst Mike Renner's 2027 NFL Draft Big Board of the top 150 prospects at college football's midway point: junior cornerback Leonard Moore at No. 2, ju- nior quarterback CJ Carr at No. 10, se- nior defensive end Boubacar Traore at No. 29, junior linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa at No. 36, senior wide receiver Jordan Faison at No. 43, junior defensive tackle Francis Brewu at No. 71 and junior offensive guard Anthonie Knapp at No. 83. "Traore has a lab-built edge frame with explosiveness to run through opposing tackles," Renner noted. "He's also looked far more consistent with his pass-rushing plan this fall than he did returning from an ACL tear in 2025. He's the kind of athlete defensive line coaches will relish the chance to develop in the NFL." 10 Was Notre Dame junior quarterback CJ Carr's ranking on ES- PN's list of the top 25 players in college football at midseason. "After a fantastic debut as Notre Dame's starter in 2025, Carr lost four of his top five targets but hit the ground running in 2026 all the same," ESPN's Bill Connelly noted. "He has improved his already excellent Total QBR and completion rate, and he has become almost unsackable, taking only two in his first seven games this season. He didn't get enough run support and faced a lot of third-and-longs against BYU, but he still came within 8 yards of a top-10 road win. He'll get another chance at a marquee win soon against Miami." 83.8 Overall grade for Notre Dame junior right tackle GUERBY LAMBERT, per Pro Football Focus. That made Lambert the fifth-high- est-graded offensive lineman in the country through Week 8, behind only No. 1 Monroe Mills (89.2) of Virginia, No. 2 Teddy Williams (87.9) of Army, No. 3 Anthony Boswell (85.3) of Houston and No. 4 Earnest Greene III (84.0) of Georgia. "Lambert has earned his top-five spot by making life miserable for defenders in the running game," Zach Tantillo noted. "His 84.9 run-blocking grade ranks fourth among FBS tackles, and he's been especially good on gap-scheme runs, earning an 84.3 grade. "Pass protection hasn't been quite as impressive, with Lambert earning a 68.9 grade in that department. Still, there's something to be said for keeping the quarterback upright, and he has yet to allow a sack across 205 pass-blocking snaps." 9.16 million Viewers on aver- age, with a peak of 13.2 million, for the Notre Dame-BYU game Oct. 17. That made it the second-most- watched college football game of Week 7, behind only Ohio State- Indiana on FOX (10.38 million). It marked the most-watched Big 12-controlled game since 2022 (excluding conference championship games) and the most-watched BYU game in re- cords dating to 2011. Heading into Week 9, the Notre Dame-BYU game ranked seventh on the list of most watched col- lege games this season. The sea- son opener between the Irish and Wisconsin (7.42 million) ranked 12th. — Steve Downey