On Monday, August 3rd, Notre Dame and USC announced the renewal of the historic Jeweled Shillelagh trophy after the talks had fizzled out this past offseason. The Trojan Athletic Department had pushed heavily for a late-season matchup against the Irish, as a USC win would likely fare better in the playoff race. However, Notre Dame strongly pushed for an early-season matchup.

Each game features a new and unique saint that Fr. Wells talks about before the team takes the field. Players often keep the medals long after the game as mementos. The saints run on a five-year rotation; that way, seniors won’t get the same medals. Some saints are more helpful than others, as Fr. Wills humorously recalls.

As impressive as it is, Marcus Freeman and staff were able to top that in back-to-back classes; in fact, some say the 2026 and 2027 classes are the two best in program history. Below are the 2028 Big Board Defensive Talents that Notre Dame has their eyes on:

As impressive as it is, Marcus Freeman and staff were able to top that in back-to-back classes; in fact, some say the 2026 and 2027 classes are the two best in program history. Below are the 2028 Big Board Offensive Talents that Notre Dame has their eyes on:

In the spring of 2024, Notre Dame Athletics announced the construction of a new, state-of-the-art football facility. The facility was named Shields Family Hall, after a generous donation by Jack and Kathy Shields. Legendary Irish football player Pat Eilers also contributed among multiple other donors who had wished to remain anonymous.

Now that the 2026 football season is just over a month away, it is time to take a look at this new Notre Dame football roster. To start, let's take a look at the most important position, the quarterback.