Just like that, Notre Dame football is a quarter of the way through the 2026 college football regular season, sitting at 3-0 and ranked as the No. 3 team in America.

Head coach Marcus Freeman has his Fighting Irish squad in a solid early position with all of their national title hopes and upside still in front of them. It’s always fun to go back and revisit preseason expectations and projections to see just how right or wrong you were about the potential breakout stars, starters, and key contributors who were going to take the next step.

It’s a small sample size, and things will change over the next nine regular season games, but this sits as a pillar opportunity to talk about some of those early surprises.

That includes the key contributors and “winners” who have hit or exceeded expectations, along with some “losers” who have tripped a bit along the way. Like any team at any level, there are always going to be some players who disappoint.

Here are the players who have lived up to the billing and some who have fallen short through three games.

THE WINNERS

Micah Gilbert and Jordan Faison

Heading into the 2026 college football season, most people expected wide receiver Jordan Faison to once again be a key target for star quarterback CJ Carr. He has been, hauling in 13 receptions for 173 yards and two touchdowns through three contests.

The surprise, however, has been the ascension of junior pass catcher Micah Gilbert, who now leads the team with 13 receptions for 251 yards and a touchdown. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound receiver is averaging over 19 yards per reception, coming off the best game of his career with eight receptions for 170 yards during Notre Dame’s 27-10 victory over Michigan State this past weekend.

It’s a small sample size, but Gilbert has stepped up as the starting boundary receiver for this team. There should be plenty of excitement about what that position could look like when wide receiver Quincy Porter is finally healthy enough to play. Both receivers could create a nice one-two punch for Carr going down the stretch of the season.

QB CJ Carr

Starting with the surprise pass catchers who are making good on their preseason hype felt right, but quarterback CJ Carr has been the one getting them the football. In three games, he has completed 53 of 73 passes for 726 yards and six touchdowns. That is a 72.6% completion percentage with zero interceptions, a passer rating of 183.3, and another score on the ground.

Carr has been incredibly controlled and poised through the first three games, picking up where he left off while demonstrating much more command at the line of scrimmage. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound passer is one of the absolute best quarterbacks in all of college football, and he has earned a large portion of trust across the fan base.

Transfer defensive tackles

The box score might not be super flashy for former Oregon defensive tackle Tionne Gray and Pitt defensive tackle transfer Francis Brewu, but each player has done a tremendous job during the first three games with Notre Dame. Gray has collected eight total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a sack while being an imposing presence on the interior at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds. Brew has seven total tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack to his credit as well.

Their impact goes far beyond the box score. They’ve been a consistent headache for opposing offenses on the interior. If Notre Dame is able to make a deep playoff run or potentially win a championship in 2026, a big reason is going to be the upgraded defensive tackle room.

Bryce Young’s breakout

The talent has always been there for the 6-foot-6, 260-pound pass rusher, but as we saw in his first year as a starter in 2025, Bryce Young was still a developmental player who was a bit raw with his overall plan of attack. His game has taken a massive step in 2026 after trimming down and losing about 10 to 15 pounds. He looks faster, more explosive, and currently leads the team with 3.5 tackles for loss through the first three contests.

Young has been consistent and active throughout, and along with fellow star pass rusher Boubacar Traore, those two have a chance to be one of the better pass rush duos in all of college football down the stretch.

Secondary living up to billing

Everybody knows that Leonard Moore is one of the best overall players in college football and an All-American at the boundary corner position, but the depth of the secondary has been nothing short of incredible. Even with the injury to Brauntae Johnson, Notre Dame has a star-studded secondary that includes Adon Shuler, Christian Gray, DJ McKinney, and new starting safety Luke Talich.

With so much depth, Notre Dame should be able to match up against just about any wide receiver group in the country, and the secondary’s diversity and versatility give it mismatch upside when the games start to matter most.

Notre Dame finally has a kicker

The kicking game has been tough sledding over the last couple of years, to say the very least. Purdue transfer kicker Spencer Porath has calmed those nerves immediately, nailing a 52-yard field goal during the win against Wisconsin in the opener. While he did miss a field goal this past weekend, he has been nearly perfect otherwise, knocking in all of his other field goals and extra points. For the first time in several years, it feels like when Notre Dame needs a big kick, Porath is going to be able to make it.

Sleepy Septembers are over

Early season losses have been a significant issue under Freeman during his tenure. The 0-2 start during the 2025 season, the losses to Marshall and Northern Illinois. Getting off to a faster start was important for this team, and sitting at 3-0 through September, barring some insane upset against a team like Purdue, Notre Dame should exit the month undefeated and in full control of its own destiny.

That’s a good step for a Fighting Irish team that has consistently played well in the bigger games during Freeman’s tenure but has also lost to one too many inferior opponents along the way. Notre Dame needs to be more consistent on a week-to-week basis, and it appears the Irish are locked in so far in 2026.

THE LOSERS

Aneyas Williams’ preseason hype

Going into the year, everyone knew Notre Dame would have to replace Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, which was going to be no easy feat. While it was unrealistic to expect a seamless transition, running back Aneyas Williams did have preseason hype, with many believing he would be a suitable RB1 for this Fighting Irish offense.

Through three games, it has been a struggle, running the ball for 144 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries, which is just 3.8 yards per carry.

Those issues have the Notre Dame fan base scrambling for answers, and the patience for Williams as the top running back in the room is dwindling. The ascension of sophomore tailback Nolan James Jr. and a couple of younger talented running backs who appear to be getting closer and closer to contributing has only heightened those concerns.

Nobody should throw away Williams, who has shown in the past that he has the talent to be a very important member of a running back room. There are questions, though, about whether he can be the lead back for a championship-level team. His early season impact has left many scratching their heads.

You also need to keep a close eye on the offensive line moving forward, as well as offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. Notre Dame’s issues in the run game is a collaborative failure thus far.

Jaden Greathouse’s redemption arc

The 2025 season was a lost one for wide receiver Jaden Greathouse, who dealt with a hamstring issue all year and played in only a handful of games. Many commented on the strong offseason he put together and spoke about his potential to recapture the previous hype.

Unfortunately, Greathouse has been a largely absent member of the offense, hauling in just four receptions for 54 yards in three contests. He is currently the fourth-leading receiver on this team and has fewer receiving yards than James, Gilbert, Faison, and Jerome Bettis Jr.

The slot position has become a bit of a trouble area alongside Mylan Graham, and Notre Dame needs to find a way to jump-start both players to get that position a lot more productive.

Tight end usage in the passing game

Both Cooper Flanagan and James Flanigan are good blockers, and they’ve showcased that during the 2026 season, especially in short-yardage situations. However, Notre Dame has had next to no impact in the passing game from the tight end position.

In three games, the tight ends have hauled in a mere six receptions for 31 yards and two touchdowns. Notre Dame has historically developed the tight end position as well as anybody in college football, and there is certainly still talent in that room, including true freshman five-star tight end Ian Premer.

Despite that, the targets and opportunities have been minimal, and the production has been even less. Notre Dame needs to get the tight end position going to make this a much more complete offense.

Transfer portal wide receivers

While the defensive tackles have done a great job via the portal, and Porath has stabilized the kicking game, and DJ Sanders has contributed as a defensive back, the tandem of Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter has had a rocky start. Both transferred from Ohio State, and neither has made the expected impact yet.

Graham has hauled in just three catches for 32 yards in three games while serving as the main backup at the slot position. Porter is still waiting for his first action coming back from an offseason surgery.

When Porter gets back, the outlook on this duo could be a whole lot different. For now, though, we’ve seen barely any production, and there is plenty of reason to believe that changes as the rest of the season unfolds.