Notre Dame makes a late addition to the 2026 recruiting class, gives a boost to one of the biggest question marks on the roster
Notre Dame made a very late addition to the 2026 recruiting class.
While it won’t get talked about a ton, Notre Dame football had a really big question to answer this offseason – finding a kicker. They did just that, signing former Purdue standout Spencer Porath in the transfer portal, who was one of the more accurate kickers in all of college football last season. During that junior season, the Indiana native managed to connect on 15 of 17 field goals, including a long of 53 yards. Porath also made all 24 of the extra points he attempted during the year.
With two years of eligibility remaining for Porath, it appears that head coach Marcus Freeman and special teams coordinator Marty Biagi just found their answer at kicker for the next two seasons. Despite that, Biagi is continuing to try and upgrade that specialist room. On Tuesday, the Fighting Irish landed a commitment from Hinsdale (Ill.) Central kicker Micah Drescher, widely considered one of the very best in the 2026 recruiting class.
Drescher was previously committed to the Michigan Wolverines under former head coach Sherrone Moore. Once everything went down with Moore, and the program transitioned to Kyle Whittingham, Drescher was one of the players who opened himself up to other opportunities out there. While Drescher isn’t expected to see substantial playing time next season, having a young and talented kicker in the pipeline is never a bad thing, especially if something goes wrong.
For two straight seasons, Notre Dame has had a huge injury issue with their starting kicker. That includes Mitch Jeter during the 2024 season and Noah Burnette this past year. Preparing for the worst is a good practice. This team is clearly prioritizing adding good depth everywhere, and Drescher is just the latest example of that.
Micah Drescher’s recruiting background
Drescher is considered to be the top kicker in the 2026 recruiting class, according to Chris Sailer Kicking. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, the Illinois native was ranked as the No. 2,850 overall player, the No. 12 placekicker, and the No. 75 player in the state of Illinois.
Specialist recruiting is an extremely unique process, and they don’t get offered nearly to the degree that other positions do. He held four reported offers, including the Fighting Irish, the Wolverines, Northwestern, and Air Force. As a junior in 2024, the 6-3, 198-pound kicker made 3 of 5 field goals with a long of 47 yards.
The Illinois native also hit touchdowns on 42 of his 50 kickoffs. He also was able to down 10 of his 22 points inside the 20-yard line.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish News
Notre Dame’s defense just got another huge boost from a very familiar face following a crucial offseason decision
Even more good news just dropped for the Notre Dame defense heading into the 2026 season.
