It’s now or never for several Notre Dame players with spring practice set to begin ahead of the 2026 CFB season
There are several Notre Dame players with a lot on the line when spring practice officially begins.
Head coach Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame football are set to begin spring practice on Friday. With the 2026 version of the team ready to hit the field, the optimism for the Fighting Irish going into next season is extremely high.
Like every offseason, there will be some players who take a monumental leap, and others who don’t quite realize their potential. With how well Freeman and the Irish staff have recruited over the last several years, this is a deep and talented roster that will bring a lot of competition. That includes some players who are in the middle of now or never opportunities.
There are several players who need to have a big spring and fall, or else they could miss out on their chances to earn a substantial role. Here are some of those talented players with the most on the line when practice kicks off in a couple of days.
RB Kedren Young (RS So.)
If healthy, Young probably would have played a good bit last season. With him coming off the knee injury, Aneyas Williams appears to have the inside track to start next season. Nolan James Jr. is also liked by the Irish staff and has a chance to solidify a main role. Young will either earn a legitimate role this season, or one of the younger players like Javian Osborne and Jonaz Walton could take some of his opportunities. It could be a make or break offseason.
WR Cam Williams (RS So.)
Williams came to Notre Dame via the 2024 recruiting class with some extremely high expectations. The Chicago native was billed as a top-50 overall player, yet Williams has not made the impact many had hoped for so far during his Fighting Irish career. With Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse coming back, Williams was always going to need to fight for a secondary role in 2026. With Ohio State transfers Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham now with the program, as well as a talented five-man wide receiver class coming in, this is a deep wide receiver depth chart for Williams to try to crack.
WR Micah Gilbert (RS So.)
Gilbert is in a pretty similar situation as Williams, although he has played a bit more. The North Carolina native will get an opportunity to play at boundary in the Notre Dame offense this season, but he will have to hold off the likes of Porter and some of the youngsters. If Gilbert doesn’t win a starting option now, it’ll only get harder as that wide receiver room gets deeper. He needs to have a big offseason.
TE Jack Larsen (RS So.)
Through two seasons, Larsen has been an afterthought in the Irish tight end room. With Cooper Flanagan returning fully healthy, and James Flanigan expected to make a sizable leap, Larsen’s fight will be as a depth player. The problem is that Ty Washington is also in the room. If either of the true freshmen Ian Premer and Preston Fryzel pass him up this fall, it will be extremely difficult for Larsen to earn playing time during his final three years.
EDGE Loghan Thomas (Jr.)
Thomas is an impressive pass rusher with an outstanding blend of explosiveness and bend. The issue with Thomas has always been keeping weight on, far too often falling short of 220 pounds. The talented defender will need to show that he can keep that weight on his frame, while also playing with functional power. If he can’t, Thomas could get a bit lost in a deeper group of players.
EDGE Keon Keeley (RS Jr.)
The talented defender spent his first three years at Alabama, and Keeley heads to Notre Dame with two years of eligibility remaining. He’s expected to be in the two-deep with Bryce Young opposite of Boubacar Traore. While Keeley is expected to play a lot this fall, he needs to be prepared to hold off true freshmen Rodney Dunham and Ebenezer Ewetade. In the blink of an eye, the defensive end position has become one of the deepest on the roster.
DT Amel Mukam (RS Jr.)
After entering the transfer portal this offseason, Notre Dame was able to retain Mukam for another year. The talent has always been there for the 6-3, 305-pound defensive tackle, but folks around South Bend are still waiting for Mukam to put it all together. He’s now competing with the likes of Jason Onye, Francis Brewu, Tionne Gray, and Christopher Burgess for playing time, making this a bit of a now or never situation.
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