Hurricanes Flood Opponents to Watch List; Top Ten Players Notre Dame Will Play in 2026 (#5-1)
- Brenden Duffy
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
While Notre Dame may have its most star-studded roster in a while, there will be no shortage of talent lining up on the other side of the Irish as we preview the top ten players Notre Dame is set to face during the 2026 regular season.
Photo via University of Miami Athletics
I released the bottom half of my top ten on Thursday, and now we can get into the elite-level game changers. Below are my top five players Notre Dame will take on in 2026:
5. Darian Mensah; Miami QB
Coming in at number five is Miami’s newest transfer signal-caller, following in the footsteps of Cam Ward and Carson Beck. Mensah, a 6-3 and 205-pound Redshirt Junior, was originally a three-star QB out of San Luis Obispo, CA, who committed to Tulane out of high school.
After redshirting his freshman season in 2023, Mensah earned the starting role at Tulane in 2024. That season, he completed 65.9% of his throws for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns with six interceptions across 13 games played. Mensah and the Green Wave finished the year with an AAC Championship Game appearance and a 9-4 record.Â
Following his breakout campaign at Tulane, Mensah would enter the portal and transfer to Duke, reportedly signing a two-year, $8 million deal with the Blue Devils. Last season at Duke, Mensah excelled with a 66.8% completion percentage while throwing for 3,973 yards (Duke single-season record) and 34 touchdowns with six interceptions across 14 games played. With Duke’s high-octane passing offense, Mensah led the Blue Devils to ACC Champions as the QB earned MVP honors during the conference title matchup. He then went on to earn the Sun Bowl MVP after throwing for 327 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Arizona State, improving Duke’s final record to 9-5.Â
This offseason, Mensah violated his original contract with Duke and transferred to Miami following a controversial settlement between the Blue Devils and their former QB. The Hurricanes’ freshly poached QB possesses good accuracy, nice touch on his deep throws, and demonstrates a very high football IQ. However, he is prone to turnovers, getting lucky with a few missed interceptions last season, and has had fumble issues in the past.
4. Damon Wilson II; Miami EDGE
The first of two Miami DL in this list is another transfer for the Hurricanes, Senior Damon Wilson II. The 6-4, 250-pound EDGE out of Nokomis, FL was a highly-touted five-star recruit at Venice High School who had committed to Georgia.
Across two seasons in Athens as a Bulldog, Wilson posted 26 tackles, six TFLs, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 26 games played, including two starts. Seeking an increased role, Wilson would enter the portal and transfer to Missouri for the 2025 season.
Last year at Missouri, Wilson showed why he is an elite pass rusher as he tallied 23 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, nine sacks, two PBUs, one interception, and one fumble recovery in 13 games played. He earned an All-SEC Second Team selection following this campaign, in which he generated 54 pressures.Â
This offseason, Wilson entered the portal again, this time taking his talents back to his home state of Florida and the Miami Hurricanes. With elite measurables, a great burst, and an explosive skillset, the ‘Canes found themselves another elite pass-rushing EDGE to replace Tampa Buccaneers first-round NFL Draft selection Rueben Bain Jr.
3. Ahmad Moten Sr.; Miami DL
The leader on the interior of Miami’s DL is, undoubtedly, Redshirt Senior Ahmad Moten Sr. The 6-3, 300-pound DL decided to return to the Hurricanes this offseason despite receiving early-round NFL Draft buzz.
Moten committed to Miami as a four-star recruit out of Cardinal Gibbons HS in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The DL really broke out last season as a Redshirt Junior, tallying 31 tackles, nine TFLs, and 4.5 sacks across 14 games played, helping the ‘Canes to a CFP Championship Game appearance. Moten made his mark against Notre Dame, finishing the contest with three tackles and was credited for a sack on the costly intentional grounding penalty against CJ Carr.
The All-ACC Second Team DL is a great athlete for his size; however, he performs better as a pass-rusher compared to a run-stopper despite the massive frame. The key to countering Moten is not to run plays at him, as he does tend to be a non-factor and give up if the ball is not around him.Â
2. LJ Martin; BYU RB
The most talented RB on the Irish’s schedule is not much of a debate with this 6-2, 225-pound Senior looking to build off an outstanding Junior campaign. An El Paso, TX native, Martin committed to BYU coming out of high school as a three-star RB.
Martin made an impact early in his BYU career, totaling 1,379 yards and 14 touchdowns across 20 games played as a Freshman and Sophomore. However, last season was when the Cougars RB became a national star. Across 13 games, Martin tallied 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns on 236 carries. The BYU Team Captain was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage (1,560). As a receiving option, Martin contributed 36 receptions for 255 yards.
The 6-2 RB offers great measurables, including a 4.46 40-yard dash time. He is an elite contact-seeking runner who always falls forward and fights for every yard. Martin carries his frame well, and despite not being the cleanest route runner, his hands are very reliable out of the backfield.
1. Malachi Toney; Miami WR
And finally, the number one player that Notre Dame will line up against in 2026 is the Hurricanes’ Sophomore WR. Coming out of Liberty City, FL, Toney was a four-star recruit at American Heritage who reclassified from ‘26 to ‘25 to join Miami early.
At just 17 years old, Toney had a historic freshman campaign last season, setting Miami single-season records in receptions (109) and receiving yards (1,211). He also ended up with 10 receiving touchdowns, with his first coming in his first collegiate game against Notre Dame, where he finished with 82 yards across six catches. Toney’s 109 receptions led the country, while his 1,211 yards led the ACC. These are two major reasons he earned the following accolades in 2025: AP All-American Second Team, Consensus Freshman All-American, ACC Rookie of the Year, and All-ACC First Team.Â
Toney is an extremely versatile threat, as evidenced by his usage last season. The 5-11, 188-pound WR rushed for 113 yards and added another touchdown across 23 carries. He totaled 298 yards across 23 punt return attempts. To top it off, he even threw 4/7 for 82 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers as a passer.Â
There is not much the 2028 NFL Draft top-10 pick lock can not do. Toney is an elite route runner who burns defenses after the catch, and he maintains great ball skills.Â
Honorable Mentions:Â Bryce Fitzgerald (Miami DB), Addison Nichols (SMU OL), Joshua Bates (SMU OL), Melkart Abou Jaoude (UNC DL), Mason Posa (Wisconsin LB), Bruce Mitchell (BYU OL), Kevin Jennings (SMU QB)
Want the latest intel on Notre Dame football? Subscribe to Tribune+ and get access to recruiting and team intel from The Irish Tribune team, as well as access to our intel community, exclusive app, and more Notre Dame content: Subscribe here to support our independent journalism.
Follow The Irish Tribune on social media:
Follow @Brenden_Duffy on X
Liked this story? Subscribe to our mailing list and get every story in your inbox.
Check out our Irish partners:
TMPR Sports - Use code "IrishTribune20"Â to get $20Â off your officially-licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle here!
