Notre Dame football opens the 2026 season against the Wisconsin Badgers in just a few days, and the time for predictions has arrived.

Head coach Marcus Freeman returns a loaded roster with all three coordinators back, a second-year starting quarterback in CJ Carr, and depth across the board. The Fighting Irish enter the year as one of the most talented teams in college football, and the expectations in South Bend match that reality.

Here are some bold predictions and hot takes heading into the 2026 campaign.

Notre Dame goes 12-0 in the regular season

This one will be controversial to mostly outsiders. Not as many Notre Dame fans will push back on this prediction, but the Fighting Irish are going undefeated in the regular season.

The two biggest games on the schedule are the matchup against BYU in Provo and the home game against Miami. Notre Dame gets the Hurricanes at home, which is massive for the revenge factor after last season’s 27-24 loss. The Irish fell behind early in that game, came roaring back and tied it, but Miami got the victory in the end.

With how the 2025 season concluded, Freeman and the veterans returning have had a bad taste in their mouths all offseason. Notre Dame is going to come out ready for that game, and the slow starts that have plagued Freeman’s tenure should be a thing of the past. This team has been a little bit angry this offseason, and they’re ready to roll.

The trip to Provo to face BYU does give me some pause because the Cougars are a good football team with dynamic playmakers like running back LJ Martin and quarterback Bear Bachmeier on both sides of the ball. But Notre Dame is the better football team on paper, and even with BYU’s home-field advantage, the Irish get it done.

There are a couple of other games you can’t overlook, like SMU, but Notre Dame finishes 12-0 in the regular season.

Notre Dame wins the national championship

This is the more controversial one. I think Notre Dame wins the national championship this year.

For people who have followed me, I like to think I have an optimistic view of this program. But since I entered the media realm in 2018, I have never once predicted Notre Dame to win a national championship. I’ve predicted them to make the playoffs, I’ve predicted them to make a run in the playoffs, but I have never said the words until now. Notre Dame is going to win the national championship this year.

A lot of people are saying it, and it’s become a trendy pick, which actually makes me nervous because I’d rather Notre Dame fly under the radar. But when you have a head coach and all three coordinators back for at least two seasons now, with offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock entering Year 3, defensive coordinator Chris Ash entering Year 2, and special teams coordinator Marty Biagi also returning, the continuity is real.

Add in a second-year starting quarterback, elite recruiting, and depth everywhere to a much higher degree than years past, and the picture becomes clear.

The stars on all levels of the defense are legitimate. Boubacar Traore, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Drayk Bowen, Leonard Moore, and Adon Shuler give this team game-changers at every position group. All of those things together give me high hopes for this season. Notre Dame has everything in its arsenal and everything in the playbook to get this thing done.

There are fair question marks. How does the offensive line gel? What does the defensive tackle impact look like? How do you replace Jadarian Price and Jeremiah Love? What exactly does the wide receiver room look like?

Those are all fair criticisms and fair questions. But this team is extremely talented, and I am buying stock in Notre Dame football without question.

Jordan Faison goes over 1,000 receiving yards

It has been several years since Notre Dame has had a 1,000-yard receiver, dating back to Chase Claypool. The conversation this offseason has centered on the depth of the wide receiver room, and rightfully so. Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse, Mylan Graham, Quincy Porter, Matt Jeffery, talented young freshmen, and Mikey Gilbert as the starting boundary receiver to begin the season give Notre Dame a loaded group.

Despite that depth, Faison eclipses 1,000 yards this year. He had over 600 last season in 12 games, and for the first time, Faison has had the opportunity to focus solely on football after deciding to move away from lacrosse this past offseason.

That full offseason devoted to one sport matters. There are some decent NFL draft grades out there for Faison that should only go up, and the chemistry he has built with Carr should pay dividends.

Part of this projection is that if Notre Dame plays 15-plus games with a deep playoff run, there are a lot of opportunities to accumulate yardage. Consistent performances of 50, 60, or 70 yards per game add up quickly. Buying stock in Faison having a full football offseason combined with a long season equals a productive senior campaign.

Armel Mukam records 10-plus tackles for loss

This would have been a bigger hot take two weeks ago, but Armel Mukam, now the starting defensive tackle as a redshirt junior in his fourth year, is going to have a breakout season. I liked Mukam a lot coming out of Woodbury Forest. I like his background, his talent, and the upside he brings to the table.

Everything you’ve heard this offseason paints the picture of a player who earned his spot. After entering the transfer portal and then deciding to come back, Mukam had to work his tail off to fend off Francis Brewu, Tionne Gray, Jason Onye, and Elijah Hughes, plus younger players like Sean Sevillano Jr.

There is a lot to like about what defensive tackle Armel Mukam has done to earn his spot atop the Notre Dame depth chart. He has technically had the deck stacked against him throughout his time with the program, and that is exactly why there should be so much confidence in his development. When a player has his back against the wall, it reveals his character, and Mukam has responded at every turn.

The talent has never been in question for Mukam. It appears that defensive line coach Charlie Partridge is finally getting the best out of him, and that should have Notre Dame fans very excited about what the 2026 season could bring. If Mukam can be the best defensive tackle on this roster, the ceiling for this entire position group becomes tremendous.

Consider the depth behind him. With the rest of a loaded room that includes Christopher Burgess when healthy, Notre Dame’s defensive tackle group has a chance to be outstanding. The Fighting Irish are building something special up front.

Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa could be the best linebacker in the country

The biggest prediction for the 2026 Notre Dame defense centers around linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. There is a belief that he could be the best linebacker in the entire country when fully healthy. He is currently listed as questionable for the season opener against the Wisconsin Badgers, but for the entirety of the 2026 season, whether that is 11 games, 12 games, or hopefully many more, Viliamu-Asa has All-American potential.

The talent he possesses is rare.

At 6-3, 230 pounds, Viliamu-Asa can play on the second level, blitz from the outside, and blitz from the inside. That kind of versatility is exactly what makes him such a dynamic weapon for Notre Dame’s defense. His ability to impact the game in multiple ways gives defensive coordinator Al Golden a chess piece that few programs in the country can match.

If Viliamu-Asa can stay healthy and produce at the level his talent suggests, the Fighting Irish defense has a legitimate chance to be elite. Combined with the depth along the defensive tackle rotation, Notre Dame’s front seven could be the driving force behind a special 2026 season.

This Notre Dame football team has the talent, the coaching continuity, and the motivation to make this a special year in South Bend. The predictions are bold, but this roster warrants bold expectations.