Notre Dame football and head coach Marcus Freeman open the 2026 college football season this weekend against the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field. ‘

The Fighting Irish enter the year as a national title favorite, and while Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell brings a tricky roster to Green Bay, this game is about Notre Dame proving it can match the offseason hype with on-field performance. After a disappointing end to 2025 that saw the Irish miss the College Football Playoff and opt out of the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Freeman’s program has spent months channeling frustration into development.

The runway has been long, and the expectations are sky-high.

With that in mind, here are the biggest things to watch for the Fighting Irish in Saturday’s opener.

Notre Dame has to start fast

This one starts at the top. Freeman-era Notre Dame has a well-documented history of slow starts, both in individual games and in season openers. The Marshall loss, the Northern Illinois debacle, starting 0-2 last year. Those stumbling blocks cannot happen again for a team with legitimate championship aspirations.

Notre Dame is far more talented than Wisconsin, and the Badgers are a program in a fragile spot. Fickell needs a huge 2026 season, and his fan base knows it. If the Irish come into Lambeau Field and punch Wisconsin in the mouth early, the environment could shift against the home-state team in a hurry.

Freeman’s group needs to come out with energy, explosiveness, and the kind of physicality that makes this a non-contest early. Set the tone for the game, set the tone for the season, and make the rest of college football take notice.

CJ Carr’s maturation in the passing game

Notre Dame is always going to run the football, but the 2026 ground game is going to look different.

The Irish went from Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to a backfield of Aneyas Williams, Nolan James Jr., and Kedren Young. The running game should still be productive, but it figures to be more about efficiency than consistent explosive plays. Think singles, doubles, triples, and the occasional home run rather than 70- and 80-yard gashes.

That means the explosive plays have to come from somewhere else, and CJ Carr is the answer. The redshirt sophomore has a significantly upgraded wide receiver room around him.

Jordan Faison returns as the most proven option, and Jaden Greathouse flashed at times during his career, but the depth is what makes this group special. Mylan Graham, Micah Gilbert, Quincy Porter, and a dynamic freshman class headlined by Bubba Frazier, Devin Fitzgerald, and Kaydon Finley give Carr weapons he did not have a season ago.

Notre Dame needs to show it can lean on the passing game far more than it did in 2025.

How quickly does the offensive line gel?

This might be Notre Dame’s most talented offensive line from the 1 through 5 spots to begin a season in several years, but it is still a relatively inexperienced group.

Will Black makes his first career start at left tackle. Guerby Lambert, a double-digit game starter at right guard last year, shifts to right tackle for the first time. Anthonie Knapp, the most experienced member of the unit, moves to a new position at left guard. Ashton Craig returns from injury, and the right guard and center spots remain fluid.

Will it be Joe Otting at center with Craig at guard? Styles Prescod making his first career start? Sullivan Absher?

The spring and summer reports on Black, Lambert, and the rest of the group have been encouraging, and Knapp has legitimate All-American potential. Now it is about putting the pieces together and showing the cohesion in a live game environment.

Weaponizing Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa at linebacker

The secondary is in good hands, and there is some intrigue around Christian Gray at nickel and whether DJ McKinney or Jayden Sanders earns the starting nod alongside him. But the real defensive storyline on the second level is Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa.

There is tremendous NFL Draft buzz around KVA heading into his junior year, and for good reason. He has the versatility to play either linebacker spot, blitz off the edge, blitz inside, and affect the game in a variety of ways. He could be the best overall linebacker in the country.

The first question is simple: is he healthy? After that, the focus shifts to how the defensive staff plans to weaponize him.

Outside of Leonard Moore, Viliamu-Asa may be Notre Dame’s most dynamic defensive player. His role in this defense could define the unit’s ceiling.

Finding a secondary pass rusher

This is the biggest defensive question facing the Irish. Boubacar Traore is going to be a force off the edge after recording 6.5 sacks last season. Behind him on the sack chart, though, the numbers drop quickly: 3.5 from linebacker Drayk Bowen, 3 from Viliamu-Asa. There is not a ton of proven pass rush production returning outside of Traore.

Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph is an athletic passer who can extend plays with his legs and break out of tackles. Notre Dame needs someone to emerge as a complementary threat.

The talent is there with Bryce Young, Keon Keeley, and Rodney Dunham on the edge, along with interior options like Francis Brewu and Armel Mukam. But talent and production are different things. Identifying that second pass rusher early will go a long way toward determining how dominant this defense can be.

Game week is here. Let’s answer the questions. Go Irish.