Notre Dame football has wrapped up fall camp, and head coach Marcus Freeman now turns his attention to game prep for the 2026 season opener against Wisconsin on Sept. 6 at Lambeau Field.

The Fighting Irish staff still has decisions to make over the next couple of weeks about starters, primary backups, and overall formation. With new information from Freeman’s most recent press conference and observations from camp, here is an updated look at Notre Dame’s offensive roster projection heading into the matchup with the Badgers.

Quarterbacks

No. 1: CJ Carr, redshirt sophomore | No. 2: Blake Hebert, redshirt freshman | No. 3: Noah Grubbs or Teddy Jarrard, true freshmen

There is no surprise that CJ Carr will be the starting quarterback for Notre Dame after throwing for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdown passes with six interceptions and a completion percentage above 66% last season. The main question that will linger throughout the year is who will serve as Carr’s primary backup, and there doesn’t appear to be an easy answer right now.

I give the nod as of today to redshirt freshman Blake Hebert, even though he did miss a week of fall camp while attending to a personal issue. There’s a chance that Noah Grubbs or Teddy Jarrard could eclipse him at some point, but the year in the system that Hebert has could play into his favor. I would not bet on him holding the backup job for the entirety of the year, but to begin it, Hebert gets the edge.

Running backs

No. 1: Aneyas Williams, junior | No. 2: Nolan James Jr., redshirt freshman | No. 3: Kedren Young, redshirt sophomore

Based upon conversations I’ve had and what Freeman told the local media, Aneyas Williams, Nolan James Jr., and Kedren Young are all going to be mainstays in this running back room and the assumed top three heading into 2026. There isn’t much of a surprise there.

There is also a possibility that true freshmen Jonaz Walton and Javian Osborne could play a role at some point this season. However, the top three feel solidified to begin the year, and it’s a really intriguing mix of three completely different styles. Williams brings an all-around profile at 210 pounds, while James is a bit bigger at 215 pounds with really quick feet. Young is the hammer at over 230 pounds. That could be a really underrated trio for Notre Dame going into next season.

Wide receivers

X (boundary) receiver: No. 1 Micah Gilbert, redshirt sophomore | No. 2 Jerome Bettis Jr., redshirt freshman 

Z (field) receiver: No. 1 Jordan Faison, senior | No. 2 Matt Jeffery, redshirt sophomore

Slot receiver: No. 1 Jaden Greathouse, redshirt junior | No. 2 Mylan Graham, redshirt sophomore

On my previous depth chart released about a week and a half ago, I had Quincy Porter listed as the backup boundary receiver behind Micah Gilbert with the assumption that he would be ready to go by the beginning of the season. However, that timeline of recovery is still a little bit cloudy, with a couple of weeks of rehab still appearing to be ahead of him. I don’t feel comfortable as of today listing Porter on this depth chart, which moves Jerome Bettis Jr. into the second-string boundary spot behind Gilbert.

Otherwise, this is a pretty chalky projection. Jordan Faison and Matt Jeffery work to the field side, while Jaden Greathouse and Mylan Graham are the de facto rotation inside at slot. It will be interesting to see how much this depth chart changes at wide receiver as we get further into 2026.

Tight ends

No. 1: Cooper Flanagan, redshirt junior | No. 2: James Flanigan, redshirt freshman | No. 3: Ty Washington, redshirt senior or Jack Larsen, redshirt sophomore 

Cooper Flanagan has cemented himself as the de facto alpha in this room, according to Freeman, while James Flanigan is also going to play a ton of football in 2026. Beyond those two, Freeman announced that Ty Washington and Jack Larsen are the main competitors to be the third and fourth tight ends on this team.

That leaves true freshman five-star Ian Premer in a bit of a wait-and-see situation. I do expect him to crack this rotation at some point in 2026, but it appears the veterans have won out for now to start the season.

Offensive line

LT: No. 1 Will Black, redshirt freshman | No. 2 Styles Prescod, redshirt sophomore

LG: No. 1 Anthonie Knapp, junior | No. 2 Devan Houstan, redshirt junior

C: No. 1 Joe Otting, redshirt junior | No. 2 Sullivan Garvin, true freshman

RG: No. 1 Ashton Craig, redshirt senior | No. 2 Sullivan Absher, redshirt junior

RT: No. 1 Guerby Lambert, redshirt sophomore | No. 2 Owen Strebig, redshirt freshman

This is another chalky pick based on my previous depth charts. We know Will Black is going to start at left tackle, Anthonie Knapp at left guard, and Guerby Lambert at right tackle. The question comes at center and right guard, where two potential lineups exist.

One option places Ashton Craig at center and Sullivan Absher at right guard. The other lineup, which Notre Dame has utilized at times this fall, slots Joe Otting at center and flips Craig over to right guard. For now, I am going to roll with the latter based on conversations I’ve had, though I do think this competition could go either direction.

It’s good to have options in the interior. Either way, the staff will eventually need to identify the best five, and if Otting is a part of that conversation, the move from Craig to guard makes a lot more sense.