Notre Dame football kicks off the 2026 college football season on Sunday at Lambeau Field against the Wisconsin Badgers, and with the season officially here, recruiting conversations are about to ramp up significantly.

With the 2027 class mostly solidified for head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish, the month of September will be far busier in the 2028 and 2029 recruiting classes. That includes a couple of home games that already have a long list of impressive players set to visit South Bend.

The Sept. 12 game against Rice and the Sept. 19 matchup against Michigan State should both be relatively easy wins for Notre Dame on the field, but the Fighting Irish have a chance to impress off the field as well. Here are the players you need to know for Notre Dame’s recruiting efforts in both 2028 and 2029.

Sept. 12 vs. Rice: A smaller but meaningful recruiting weekend

The Rice game is going to be a smaller recruiting weekend for obvious reasons. Notre Dame pulls out all the stops for marquee matchups, and you can bet the home game against Miami is going to have an insane list of talented recruits on hand. For this one, there are two players to know early on.

The first is 2028 Brookline (Mass.) Dexter School defensive end Jeremiah Figaro. The talented pass rusher is currently considered a four-star player on the 247 Sports Composite ranking, the No. 231 overall player, the No. 21 defensive end, and the No. 4 player from the state of Massachusetts for the 2028 class. Notre Dame has done a good job closing in on talent in the Northeast when there is a player who catches their attention, and Figaro is a name to know early on.

The Fighting Irish appear to be in a pretty good spot as things currently stand.

The other player to keep a close eye on is 2029 Kendallville (Ind.) East Noble linebacker Austin Phillips. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound linebacker received an offer from Notre Dame this offseason, which is a rarity in the 2029 class so far. Phillips is a really outstanding athlete and a local product, which should have the Irish automatically in a decent spot early.

Phillips, however, is a player that a lot of schools are going to go after hard, so Freeman and Co. will have to do a really good job when he’s on campus and over the next couple of months.

Sept. 19 vs. Michigan State: A loaded visitor list featuring several top-100 prospects

The Michigan State game brings a much longer list of impressive players set to visit campus, including several top-100 players on the 247 Sports Composite ranking.

2028 Jameer Miles, LB, Mundelein (Ill.) Carmel Catholic

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound defender is rated as a four-star, the No. 52 overall player, the No. 3 linebacker, and the No. 5 player from the state of Illinois on the composite ranking. Miles is a fast and explosive linebacker who excels in space and has the frame to add a lot more weight. He is one of the local Illinois players in the 2028 class that Notre Dame has high interest in early on.

2028 Wyatt VanBoening, OT, Mundelein (Ill.) Carmel Catholic

The 6-foot-7, 285-pound offensive tackle is rated as the No. 80 overall player, the No. 11 offensive tackle, and the No. 7 player from Illinois on the composite ranking. He’s a player that offensive line coach Joe Rudolph has taken a high liking to early on, and Notre Dame appears to be in a very strong spot.

2028 RJ Wyms, DL, The Woodlands (Texas) College Park

The son of former NFL defensive lineman Ellis Wyms, who attended Mississippi State, RJ Wyms is currently rated as a four-star, the No. 57 overall player, the No. 6 defensive lineman, and the No. 5 player from the state of Texas. He’s a smaller interior defensive lineman at 6-foot-1 and about 255 pounds, but he has some playmaking potential, and his game is eerily similar to that of current Notre Dame defensive tackle Francis Brewu. Defensive line coach Charlie Partridge appears to be infatuated with Wyms early on, so he is definitely a player to keep a close eye on.

2028 Cam Toomey, EDGE, Saratoga Springs (N.Y.) High School

Toomey is rated as the No. 47 overall player and the No. 9 edge in the 2028 class. He’s been pursued by schools from across the country, so getting him on campus is a big deal for the Irish.

2028 Langston Pidgeon, CB, Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic

Pidgeon is rated as the No. 89 overall player in the class. Like Tooney, he’s a highly ranked recruit who has drawn interest from programs nationwide, and Notre Dame will have an opportunity to make a strong impression.

Other notable visitors for the Michigan State game

Several other talented prospects will be making the trip to South Bend for the Michigan State matchup.

Notre Dame legacy Xander Edwards, a 2028 running back from Jacksonville, Florida’s The Bolles School, is rated as a four-star, the No. 113 overall player, the No. 7 running back, and the No. 15 player from the state of Florida. Edwards is a player that Notre Dame did not pursue early on, which allowed schools like Miami to make a huge impact. The Irish have been doing a better job recently, so it will be worth watching how hard they push now going into the season.

Ryan Drakeford, a 2028 linebacker from Gaithersburg, Maryland’s Quince Orchard, is rated as the No. 319 player overall in the composite ranking.

Allen Kennett V, a 2028 linebacker from Anaheim, California’s Servite, is rated as a four-star and the No. 201 overall player.

Luke Nabors, a 2028 edge from Buford (Ga.) High School, is rated as a four-star and the No. 295 overall player.

Jack McNamara, a 2028 tight end from Chicago’s Brother Rice, is only rated as a three-star, but that has not stopped Notre Dame from pursuing the talented player. He’s considered an early favorite of the staff.

Thomasville (Ga.) Thomas County running back Jordan McNeil from the 2028 class will also be making the trip.

Future recruits to watch

There are also some younger players worth keeping an eye on. Maddox Porter, a 2029 wide receiver from Franklin, Tennessee’s Battle Ground Academy, is considered to be an elite-level prospect in the 2029 class early.

Sam Holcomb, a 2030 quarterback from Chicago’s Brother Rice, will also be making the trip. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound signal caller is already starting as a freshman and is incredibly talented with a huge arm. He’s already demanding attention from several big-time programs, and Notre Dame is included.

The September home games give Freeman and the Irish staff a real chance to build momentum in the 2028 and 2029 recruiting classes, and getting this many talented players on campus early in the season could set the tone for another strong recruiting cycle in South Bend.