The Notre Dame Football team kicks off their season this weekend Against Texas A&M down in College Station, Texas. Next weekend, their first home game of the season will come against Northern Illinois University. Notre Dame is ranked in the AP top 7 and has high expectations for the year. With a top 10 recruiting class in the country (247 Sports), as well as incoming transfers, the Fighting Irish are hoping for a chance at the new-look college football playoffs, which includes 12 teams instead of the previous 4. 

After quarterback Sam Hartman’s departure to the NFL last year, transfer Riley Leonard from Duke is coming to fill the role left by Hartman, attempting to do what he could not. Win the championship. According to Sports Illustrated, Leonard is receiving around $1 million+ in Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals to play for Notre Dame. The star quarterback has deals with companies such as Rhoback, EA Sports, and Gillette sponsoring him this upcoming season.

In addition to the additions from the transfer portal, Notre Dame has padded their roster with the number 9 recruiting class in college football. Notable freshman include quarterback C.J. Carr, who will play behind Riley Leonard, Wide Receiver Cam Williams, a top 40 prospect in the country with deadly speed, Offensive tackle Guerby Lambert, Middle linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, and finally the 6’7”, 260 star defensive end, Bryce Young. These freshmen are hoping to compete for playing time and to make an immediate impact for the team (Sports Illustrated).

While new faces are welcome, the returning players on the Fighting Irish football team are trying to raise their draft stock in the 2025 NFL Draft. Rylie Mills, Xavier Watts, Howard Cross III, and Benjamin Morris all hope to produce results on the field alongside the newcomers to lead the Irish to their first playoff bid since 2020.