Notre Dame football enters the 2026 college football season with national title aspirations, but head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish staff will also use the coming weeks to evaluate their next 2028 quarterback recruiting target.

With quarterback coach Gino Guidugli helping lead the charge, it remains uncertain where Notre Dame will turn. A few uncommitted targets remain on the board, and some committed flippable options could emerge as well.

One player who has piqued my interest so far is 2028 Littleton (Co.) Valor Christian quarterback Titus Huard.

If the last name sounds familiar, he is the son of former Washington quarterback Brock Huard, a third-round draft pick in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Huard also spent time with the Indianapolis Colts during his six-year NFL career.

His uncle is Damon Huard, who played at the University of Washington from 1991 to 1995 before spending time with the Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers on the NFL level.

And his cousin is Sam Huard, who signed with the Washington Huskies during the 2021 recruiting class. The Washington ties are clear to see.

Huard’s recruiting background

Despite those family connections, Huard has maintained that his process is wide open. He currently holds offers from Ohio State, Oregon, Arizona State, Arkansas, Washington, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Purdue, Texas Tech, UCLA, and SMU, among several others.

Huard is rated as a four-star player on the 247 Sports Composite ranking, currently sitting as the No. 173 overall player, the No. 11 quarterback, and the No. 1 player from the state of Colorado.

The 6-foot-5, 205-pound pocket passer is off to a fast start. Through two games for Valor Christian, he has thrown for 582 yards and four touchdowns, completing 37-of-53 attempts at around a 70% clip. He is also the teammate of Notre Dame 2027 wide receiver commit Jackson Coleman, who is having a tremendous start to his senior season.

Why Huard could fit the Notre Dame mold

We have seen that Notre Dame under Freeman has valued the sons of former NFL players, and Huard fits the bill, coming from a deep football family.

With Notre Dame recruiting the quarterback position at such a high level, including the 2026 recruiting class with Teddy Jarrard and Noah Grubbs, and having a commitment from 2027 signal caller Champ Monds, the Fighting Irish do not necessarily have to bring in a five-star level signal caller in the 2028 class. Huard presents an intriguing pocket passing option who does have a little bit of development in front of him.

If his junior season is any indication, his game is still evolving rapidly, and he could be a huge potential asset to the Notre Dame quarterback room. With a strong arm, good decision-making, and a lightning-quick release, Huard is one of the more polished 2028 quarterback prospects you will find.

There is no intel involved here, and I’m not predicting that Notre Dame will push hard for Huard, or at all.

His familiarity with Coleman could play into the Irish’s favor down the road, though. He’s a talented quarterback who checks the NFL bloodlines box and the bet that Notre Dame has typically made on NFL genetics. Huard is a gifted player with a Notre Dame connection that could go a long way if he continues his strong start to his junior season.