The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are set for their 2026 home opener against the Rice Owls, and this game should provide head coach Marcus Freeman with a golden opportunity to showcase some of the program’s most talented young players.

Coming off a dominant 41-13 victory against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, Notre Dame should handle Rice with relative ease, creating the kind of blowout scenario that lets a coaching staff get freshmen meaningful snaps.

These types of games matter for program building. Freeman and his staff can use the second half to evaluate the future of Notre Dame football while keeping their starters healthy.

Several true freshmen have generated buzz throughout the offseason, and a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday against an overmatched opponent could be the stage where they introduce themselves.

Rodney Dunham leads the defensive freshmen to watch

The defensive side of the football is where some of these young players could see time regardless of the score.

Five-star true freshman defensive end Rodney Dunham, listed at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, saw limited action in the Wisconsin opener and figures to get more run this week. He was the talk of spring practice, fighting for reps in a deep edge room that includes Boubacar Traore, Bryce Young, and Keon Keeley.

Dunham’s film coming out of North Carolina flashed the explosiveness, bend, and power potential of a future high-level NFL Draft prospect. If Rice falls behind early, the Owls will have to abandon their run-heavy approach and throw the football, giving Dunham chances to showcase his pass-rushing ability.

In the secondary, safety Joey O’Brien and cornerback Khary Adams are two freshmen to monitor closely.

O’Brien, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound former wide receiver and corner at LaSalle College Prep, played just one snap against Wisconsin. With the injury to Brauntae Johnson, O’Brien is now No. 2 on the depth chart behind Luke Talich and should play early in this game regardless of the score.

The comparison might be ambitious, but O’Brien’s length and versatility give him the upside to eventually become a Kyle Hamilton-type player for this defense.

Adams, meanwhile, was considered a borderline five-star cornerback in the 2026 class but did not record a defensive snap in Week 1. That says nothing about his talent. Notre Dame’s cornerback room featuring Leonard Moore, Jayden Sanders, DJ McKinney, Mark Zackery, and Dallas Golden is simply stacked.

A blowout would give Freeman the chance to finally get Adams on the field.

The quarterback battle behind CJ Carr

On offense, the young quarterback situation is worth watching. Behind starter CJ Carr, the depth chart lists Noah Grubbs or Teddy Jarrard, both true freshmen listed at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds. Based on how Notre Dame typically handles the “or” designation, Grubbs would likely be the first quarterback in after Carr.

Grubbs was a good high school recruit, though the ceiling was harder to project. Seeing how the ball comes off his hands in a live game setting will be telling.

Jarrard, a reclassification who is less experienced than Grubbs, has a different appeal. The ball pops out of his hands with velocity and urgency, even in practice reps. In a perfect scenario, Freeman could give a couple of second-half drives to Grubbs and a couple to Jarrard, providing a valuable evaluation window for both.

Ian Premer could be the most exciting freshman on offense

At running back, Javian Osborne and Jonaz Walton are two names to track. Walton has had a strong offseason in the weight room and has drawn consistent praise from the staff, including running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider. Osborne, who was an extremely high-ceiling recruit, could factor into the kick return game or pick up some offensive touches.

Tight end Ian Premer might be the most intriguing freshman on the entire roster. The five-star talent enrolled in the summer rather than the spring, which kept him out of the current rotation behind Cooper Flanagan, James Flanigan, Ty Washington, and Jack Larsen.

At 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, Premer is an incredibly athletic prospect who came from a lower classification in the state of Kansas. There is a real argument that he is the most physically gifted tight end Notre Dame has signed in quite some time, and that includes the Michael Mayers of the world. The question is how quickly he can assimilate to the college game, but a game like this could offer an early answer.

Wide receiver Bubba Frazier rounds out the list. Notre Dame signed a talented freshman class at the position with Devin Fitzgerald, Kaydon Finley, Brayden Robinson, and Dylan Faison all in the mix. Frazier, though, has generated the most buzz with his speed, after-the-catch ability, and playmaking juice. Getting him on the field against Rice would be a smart way to see if that skill set translates at this level.

Saturday’s game against Rice is about taking care of business first, but the second half could provide a glimpse at the players who will define Notre Dame football for years to come.