Notre Dame football enters the 2026 season with legitimate national title hopes under head coach Marcus Freeman. The Fighting Irish return a loaded roster, and a talented defense led by defensive coordinator Chris Ash should create a significant advantage at the most important position in sports.

When you look across the 2026 Notre Dame schedule, the crop of opposing quarterbacks is not an overly impressive group. That said, there are a few signal callers who could present real problems for the Irish defense. Here is a ranking of all 12 opposing quarterbacks from least to most dangerous for Notre Dame next fall.

No. 12: Davis Warren (Stanford)

The Michigan transfer was one of the worst starting quarterbacks we have seen from the Wolverines in quite some time. Warren is projected to be the starter for a Stanford team still finding its way under general manager Andrew Luck. He is small, lacks athleticism, and does not possess standout physical tools. If Warren wins this job, it paints a telling picture about the state of the quarterback room for the Cardinal. He should be the least talented signal caller on the schedule.

No. 11: Mason McKenzie (Boston College)

McKenzie transferred from Saginaw Valley State this offseason and checks in at about 6-1, 190 pounds. He was not the most accomplished passer at his previous stop, but he is a very intriguing running option for a Boston College team that needs an injection of excitement on offense under head coach Bill O’Brien. Notre Dame has been much better against mobile quarterbacks in recent years, so McKenzie should not create an overwhelming challenge. His legs do offer some upside to extend drives and create chunk plays, though, and the Irish will have to be ready for a lesser-known player who carries some intrigue in the unknown.

No. 10: Jacurri Brown (Rice)

Brown began his career at Miami and is a talented athlete who could cause some problems on the ground. If Notre Dame is able to limit his rushing impact, there is not much hope for him to make a ton of plays in the passing game. Rice should be one of the weaker teams in FBS football next season, so Notre Dame simply needs to counteract Brown’s dynamic running ability and should win that game with relative ease.

No. 9: Ryan Browne (Purdue)

Ryan Browne is a bigger quarterback with a pretty live arm and decent athleticism, but he is still playing for a Purdue team under head coach Barry Odom that is working through a rebuild. Brown did present some problems for Notre Dame last season, but with a full year of film on him now, Ash’s defense should be well-prepared for the talented signal caller.

No. 8: Alessio Milivojevic (Michigan State)

The young quarterback played a lot down the stretch last season after filling in for Aidan Chiles, who transferred to Northwestern. There are no real standout traits, but he was productive in his opportunities. This could be one of the sneakier quarterbacks on the schedule because there is limited film on him and he has a knack for making key plays in big moments.

No. 7: Billy Edwards (North Carolina)

Edwards, a former Maryland transfer, was expected to start for Wisconsin last season before injury derailed his 2025 campaign. When he played for Maryland in 2024, he showed some high-end quarterback play. Now removed from that injury-plagued year, there is hope that Edwards can return to form. He is a fearless thrower with the ability to work the seam and create explosives in the passing game, though Notre Dame should still control that matchup comfortably.

No. 6: Braxton Woodson (Navy)

Woodson runs the Navy triple option at an extremely high level. He is not much of a passer, but he averaged over nine yards per carry last season. At 6-3, 215 pounds, he is a bigger option quarterback who could give Notre Dame problems in short yardage. If Navy is going to have any chance against the Fighting Irish, it will be because Woodson keeps the ball in Navy’s hands and grinds out tough yardage and first downs.

No. 5: Colton Joseph (Wisconsin)

Joseph transferred from Old Dominion and is one of the more talented dual-threat quarterbacks in college football. His passing is average, but his run game impact is huge. Notre Dame opens the 2026 season on the road at Lambeau Field against the Badgers, and Joseph has a chance to be a spoiler. If that game is closer than anticipated, it will be because Joseph’s legs are making key plays in big moments.

No. 4: Steve Angeli (Syracuse)

A familiar face for Notre Dame, Angeli was a backup for multiple seasons for the Irish before transferring after last spring. He was off to a strong start with Syracuse last year before suffering a torn Achilles. He is expected back early in the season, so Notre Dame should face him next fall. Angeli is a pure pocket quarterback with enough athleticism to extend the pocket at times. If he is fully healthy, this could be a revenge game that presents some real passing game challenges for the Irish.

No. 3: Bear Bachmeier (BYU)

A familiar name to Notre Dame recruiting from the 2025 class, Bachmeier was pressed into duty last season after Jake Retzlaff was dismissed from the team. Despite being a freshman, he did a lot of great things as both a passer and a runner. With a year under his belt, I expect Bachmeier to take a nice step forward and present some dual-threat headaches for the Irish defense.

No. 2: Kevin Jennings (SMU)

I think we have seen the ceiling for Kevin Jennings, and there is not much of an unknown at this point. He is still an intriguing dual-threat quarterback who moves around well and has played a ton of football. If you allow him to create explosives with his legs, his arm will follow. He is the heart and soul of this SMU team heading into next season, and Notre Dame cannot afford to sleep on him.

No. 1: Darian Mensah (Miami)

It should be no surprise that Mensah is the best quarterback on the schedule for Notre Dame next fall. After starting for Tulane as a redshirt freshman in 2024, he transferred to Duke last season and became one of the more productive passers in all of college football. Now he heads to Coral Gables, where he is expected to be an upgrade over Carson Beck and could potentially match some of the numbers Cam Ward put up in 2024. While Mensah is not as physically gifted as Ward, he makes his money creating explosives in the passing game and is one of the best deep ball throwers in college football. If Notre Dame is not ready for him, Mensah has the ability to create a whole lot of big plays in what the Fighting Irish hope will be a revenge game next fall.