Notre Dame football opens fall camp this week, and head coach Marcus Freeman has high expectations for the Fighting Irish heading into the 2026 college football season.

Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock returns a talented squad, and while quarterback and offensive line are largely settled, several key positions remain up for grabs. From running back to wide receiver to tight end to right guard, these fall camp battles will shape Notre Dame’s offensive identity.

Here is a position-by-position breakdown of the most compelling competitions and who I see winning each one.

Running back

Junior Aneyas Williams heads into camp as the assumed leader in the clubhouse to be Notre Dame’s starting tailback. Players like Nolan James Jr., Kedren Young, and true freshmen Javian Osborne and Jonaz Walton will all vie for touches in the backfield.

While I really do like the prospects of Young fully healthy, and the Notre Dame staff is high on James as well as the true freshmen, I think Williams will get the initial call to begin the season.

This is going to be a committee approach regardless, so don’t expect a 90% snap share in Williams’ favor. But when the games begin this fall, he should be the guy who gets the first nod at running back, barring some sort of injury. His ability as a short-yardage runner, combined with his experience creating explosives and his passing game prowess, make him a good all-around weapon for Notre Dame going into the season.

Prediction: Aneyas Williams

Boundary wide receiver

Jordan Faison is going to start at Z receiver to the field, but the two other wide receiver spots are heavily contested. At boundary receiver, redshirt sophomore Micah Gilbert will try to hold off sophomore Ohio State transfer Quincy Porter for the starting spot.

Porter, who is 6-4 and 207 pounds, is arguably the team’s most talented overall pass catcher. He enters fall camp with some question marks, though, mostly due to injury. He has not yet been fully cleared on the field after recovering from a January knee surgery, which has clouded his potential to seize that boundary role and run with it.

Gilbert, on the other hand, is experienced in the system but has not had a ton of overall opportunities, having hauled in only nine receptions a season ago.

While I have a high expectation for what Porter can do when healthy, I’m going to give the slight nod to Gilbert to win that starting job in fall camp. That doesn’t mean Porter won’t overtake him during the season, and in fact, I might predict that to happen. But the availability concerns with Porter have me just a little bit hesitant about how much of an impact he will make early in camp. I also don’t want to undersell the talent that Gilbert brings to the table.

Prediction: Micah Gilbert (for now)

Slot wide receiver

This might be the most fascinating conversation on the offensive side of the football. In one corner you have Ohio State transfer Mylan Graham, a former five-star recruit who has received rave reviews this offseason for what he accomplished in the spring. His offseason work continued over the summer as well.

In the other corner is Jaden Greathouse, who, when healthy, has been a really good player for Notre Dame. He’s coming off an injury-riddled season and has had multiple issues dealing with hamstring ailments in the past. Greathouse enters fall camp as a bit of a wild card.

For now, I’m picking Graham to win the starting spot based on availability and the momentum he has been able to build this offseason.

I think Greathouse will play a ton, and similar to the boundary conversation, I could see him potentially overtaking Graham depending on who becomes the more consistent player in the slot. But give me Graham’s combination of explosiveness and big-play ability that Notre Dame needs desperately to continue adding to this offense.

Prediction: Mylan Graham

Tight end

This isn’t as much of a traditional competition because you’re going to see two to three tight ends pretty regularly in Mike Denbrock’s offense.

I think Cooper Flanagan will end up being the de facto starting tight end for this team. James Flanigan will play a ton as well. You’ll also see some Ty Washington. I think down the stretch of the season, you’re going to see more and more of Ian Premer, and he’s eventually going to be a breakout down the stretch for the Fighting Irish passing attack.

But the 6-6, 250-plus-pound Flanagan brings such an easy baseline as a blocker with a big body and strong hands, which I think this offense will gravitate towards.

Prediction: Cooper Flanagan

Right guard

The offensive line is pretty much set. The only starting spot up for grabs is right guard, where Charles Jagusah’s injury continues to cloud his Notre Dame future. With Jagusah’s long-term status in question, the battle comes down to redshirt junior Sullivan Absher and redshirt freshman Matty Augustine.

Absher started a ton last year and checks in at 6-8, 325 pounds, bringing a very solid baseline to the table. However, I believe this Notre Dame staff is extremely high on Augustine, who is also 6-8 and 310 pounds. The redshirt freshman also has four years of eligibility remaining. With Jagusah’s long-term future in question, I think it would make sense for Notre Dame to opt for the younger option with more runway for development if the competition is close.

I’m going to pick Augustine in a slight upset over Absher as the starting right guard for this team.

Prediction: Matty Augustine