Which Notre Dame true freshmen will have the biggest impact during the 2026 college football season? There are several to watch.
With spring practice behind us and a long way to go before the 2026 college football season gets here, Notre Dame fans are left digesting recruiting content and some early preview stuff. With head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish welcoming in an elite 2026 recruiting class, many are wondering how much impact the freshmen could have this upcoming season. There is a large range of outcomes for that group.
To have a little bit of fun, I ranked Notre Dame freshmen by my expectations for the impact they can have in 2026. To make it even more digestible, I also broke it up for offense and defense. I didn't include punter Jasper Scaife or kicker Micah Drescher, who are both projected to be backups this Fall.
Here is my early ranking before Fall camp.
While Premer isn't enrolling until the Summer, I just find it hard to imagine him not earning some sort of role this season. The tight end room has some outstanding blockers, but not much impact as pass receivers, which is where I see Premer finding a role.
Fitzgerald has a bigger frame and tremendous ball skills, which have already flashed since getting to South Bend. While his upside isn't the highest in the freshman wide receiver room, I could see Fitzgerald finding a spot in the rotation earlier than the others.
I like Javian Osborne's upside more than Walton's, but with him injured, Walton was able to take advantage of the opportunity so far this offseason. He is a strong runner with notable long speed, which could pair well with Aneyas Williams and Nolan James Jr.
It is very possible that we don't see anything from Grubbs in 2026, but he is still in contention to be the main backup to quarterback CJ Carr . If he does earn that spot, then Grubbs suddenly becomes an important player for the Irish offense.
I would expect Frazier to carve out a role on special teams, while also competing for reps on offense. Frazier is a dynamic space player who offers some intriguing upside as a gadget offensive threat in a simplified role.
6. RB Javian Osborne
If Osborne were healthy in the spring, he would be much higher on this list. He's an outstanding athlete, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him earn some reps down the stretch of the season as an explosive change-of-pace option.
7. WR Kaydon Finley
Finley was my top-ranked wide receiver in the 2026 Notre Dame class. There just hasn't been a ton of hype for Finley so far, which shouldn't be concerning. It is just possible he could be more of a 2027 breakout than a huge contributor as a freshman.
8. OT Grayson McKeogh
I don't anticipate any of the freshman offensive linemen playing much in 2026 outside of some mop-up duty. McKeogh probably has the best chance, possessing the size, length, and movement skills to position himself well behind left tackle Will Black .
9. TE Preston Fryzel
The future is extremely bright for Fyrzel as a passing game weapon. At just 225 pounds, he does, however, need to add a substantial amount of weight. I expect Fryzel to spend the next few months becoming best friends with the nutrition, strength and conditioning staff.
10. QB Teddy Jarrard
There is a good chance that Jarrard becomes the quarterback of the future whenever CJ Carr heads off to the NFL. With Grubbs getting a head start on him, however, it feels like we might see minimal opportunities for Jarrard in 2026. This year is about getting him ready to compete in 2027, potentially.
11. IOL Tyler Merrill
At 6-6 and 330 pounds, Merrill can walk onto a college football field tomorrow and be ready to play. He still has a long way to go technically and is in a crowded offensive line room.
12. WR Dylan Faison
Faison has spent time with the Notre Dame football and lacrosse teams this offseason. With development needed for Faison's game, I wouldn't expect to see him much during the 2026 season.
13. IOL Sullivan Garvin
There is a chance that Garvin could eventually become the center of the future after Ashton Craig heads off to the NFL. He is a big and physical presence who could compete right now. There just isn't a major need for him.
14. IOL Ben Nichols
From a physical perspective, Nichols is ready to play early in his Notre Dame career. He doesn't enroll until the Summer, however, and there isn't much of a need for him to contribute on the offensive line this season.
15. OT Gregory Patrick
With Patrick not arriving until the Summer and also being undersized right now, it is unlikely that he sees the field in 2026. Let Patrick redshirt, get stronger, and develop him for the future.
16. WR Brayden Robinson
Robinson is an undersized wide receiver coming back from an injury. The future is bright for Robinson, but there is no reason to see him in 2026.
17. OT Charlie Thom
At just around 280 pounds, Thom is still a long way away from being ready to play physically. Unless there is a disaster on the offensive line, you won't see the talented young offensive tackle this season.
From a physical perspective, Dunham came in ready to play. Despite a talented rotation at defensive end, you should expect Dunham to get regular playing time this season, at least in obvious passing situations.
We have yet to see Adams while recovering from an injury, but I expect him to earn some playing time as a potential depth option behind Leonard Moore at boundary cornerback. His talent is off the charts and could be the main contender to be the top cover man once Moore heads off to the NFL.
While O'Brien is currently recovering from an injury, he might just be too talented to keep off the field this season. The safety depth chart is strong, but O'Brien was a five-star player for a reason. His upside is tremendous.
Ewetade is slowly but surely developing physically. He is an explosive pass rusher, but Ewetade is also a bit raw. It wouldn't be shocking to see him get some reps as a designated pass rusher or barely any at all.
Notre Dame needs to find more impact from the middle of their defense. Golden is a gifted athlete who could conceivably provide some help as an interior pass rusher early on. If not, there could also be an opportunity for Golden to earn some reps on special teams.
6. DT Tiki Hola
Hola is ready to play from a raw strength perspective, but he is also returning from injury. The defensive tackle room is deeper than it has been in a long time, however, so Hola feels like a player who might have to wait his turn.
7. CB Ayden Pouncey
From an instincts and movement-skills perspective, Pouncey is ready to contribute to the Notre Dame defense. He is, however, in a loaded secondary and needs to fill out his frame. I am unsure how much we will see Pouncey this fall.
8. LB Thomas Davis Jr.
I am very high on Davis's long-term future on defense, but not in 2026. I expect him to compete to earn a role on special teams. We could see Davis a bit next season, but I wouldn't expect a ton.
9. LB Ja'Kobe Clapper
Clapper walks into a loaded linebacker room, which limits his ability to make a huge immediate impact on defense. I wouldn't, however, be shocked to see Clapper earn some reps on special teams.
10. CB Chaz Smith
The movement skills for Smith are incredibly impressive, but he needs to get a lot stronger. I expect Smith's freshman year to be dedicated to building up his body physically.
11. S Nick Reddish
With Reddish recovering from an injury, needing to get stronger, and being a part of a loaded secondary, I imagine that he is a firm redshirt candidate as a freshman. I don't expect to see a ton of him in 2026.
