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Merry Christmas from my family to yours IB Nation. Today, we're going to dive into the Christmas Wish List for the 2026 Notre Dame football team that we discussed on Tuesday's show. With the exception of a a couple of things, these are facets of the program we wish to come true over the course of 2026. Some items on this list are in the preseason while others will hopefully take place over the course of the regular season and, ideally, the post season in 2026. I've broken this down into three main categories: program, offense and defense with a hint of special teams sprinkled in. 

Program Wish List

1. Marcus Freeman Contract Extension Announced PUBLICLY – With all the drama that went on after the playoff snub, there needs to be some public announcement of stability with the program. With the New York Giants making a strong push for the Fighting Irish head coach, an announcement of his contract extension to keep him in South Bend would put a lot of minds at ease, including my own. Do I think he's going to leave this offseason? No. But with the transfer portal window opening and the coaches hitting the recruiting trail hard, it would be beneficial for all parties to get this deal announced and announced quickly. 

2. A Top 5 Recruiting Class In 2027 – Stacking classes has been a consistent conversation we've had at Irish Breakdown. This past 2026 recruiting class was the highest rated class from Notre Dame since 2013 and the highest rated class of Freeman's tenure. Continuing this momentum would increase Notre Dame's stronghold on the recruiting trail and solidify them as a national recruiting power. The Irish have the right ingredients for a championship caliber roster, but sustained success is something we've haven't seen too much in South Bend since the early 1990's. Another top ranked recruiting class would be special. 

3. Limit The Number Of Significant Injuries – Injuries are a part of the game, I'm sure we can all agree upon that. But the last few seasons have been rough for the Irish, especially in the trenches. They've lost multiple starting offensive and defensive lineman to season ending injuries and players like wide receiver Jaden Greathouse's role this season was significantly decreased due to a severe hamstring injury. Will players get hurt? Absolutely, it's the game of football. Limiting the overall numbers of significant injuries would be ideal making it No. 3 on my program wish list. 

Offense Wish List 

1. Joe Rudolph Selects The Correct Starting Five – Notre Dame is one of the few programs in the country that can say their starting five is currently in the room. It's likely they'll have three returning starters next season from this past regular season's offensive line. Other players, like Will Black and Charles Jagusah, have the opportunity to insert their name into the starting rotation. It will be up to Rudolph to select the correct starting five AND put them in the position that best fits their skillset. If this is done correctly, there's no doubt in my mind that this unit can be Joe Moore Award finalists, but this offseason will be crucial in their development, the selection and the placement of the correct starting five. 

2. Cam Williams Breakout At Receiver – Honestly, you could pick any of the under-utilized, high skilled players in the receiver room. Micah Gilbert, Logan Saldate, Elijah Burress, KK Smith or any one of the incoming freshman could absolutely fit this category. But Williams combines the skillset that not many other players do. He has the size of Gilbert, the speed of KK, the frame of Greathouse and the after-the-catch ability of Jordan Faison. A breakout doesn't necessarily mean an 1,000-yard season. If he ends this next season playing 20-25 snaps a game with 25 receptions for 400 yards and a pair of touchdowns, that would qualify as a level of a breakout. 

3. CJ Carr Wins The Heisman – There are a lot of factors at play here, but it wouldn't surprise me if 2026 was Carr's last year in the blue and gold. He played exceptionally well as a redshirt freshman and still hasn't come close to hitting his ceiling as a starting quarterback. Pair that with the fact that 2027 quarterback commit Teddy Jarrard reclassified to the 2026 class, the expectation is that Carr's 2026 season will propel him as a top NFL draft pick. He has the talent, the skillset and Notre Dame is poised to make a run that would make him a Heisman front-runner. If next season could be his last year in South Bend, bringing home the program's 8th Heisman, and first since 1987, would be a heck of a way to go out. 

Defense Wish List: 

1. Mike Mickens Named Co-Defensive Coordinator – This would essentially kill two birds with one stone. First, it likely keeps Mickens around in South Bend for an extended period of time. Second, it would take some of the overall pressure off of currently defensive coordinator Chris Ash and allow him to focus on elevating their already stout run game. Mickens has been on an absolute tear for the Irish bringing in elite class after elite class and developing the top level talent that's in the room. His latest accomplishment was coaching up star sophomore cornerback Leonard Moore to Unanimous All-American status. This would be the right move for Freeman and the defensive coaching staff. 

2. Boubacar Traore, Bryce Young And Josh Burnham Combine For 30 Sacks – Obviously, this is an extremely high number, but I'm also calculating this out of a 15 game season *hint hint*. This season. Traore, Young and Burnham were an extremely effective trio along the defensive line and played a key factor in Notre Dame leading the nation in pressures according to Pro Football Focus. Young and Burnham were extremely efficient players and were on pace to surpass Traore in total pressures if given the same amount of pass rushing snaps. Traore was far and away their best defensive end this season and will look to build upon that in 2026. 

3. Drayk Bown And Moore Win Post Season Awards – Moore was named a Unanimous All-American this season as a sophomore and a finalist for the Bronko Nargurski Award, Him Thorpe Award and LOTT Impact Trophy. Bowen, Notre Dame's stud middle linebacker, wasn't on many lists to end the season. Next season will likely be the last season we see Moore in South Bend and it will definitively be the last time we see Bowen due to his eligibility. I'd love nothing more than to see both of those impactful players leave this team winning the Thorpe Award and the Butkus Award to end their Notre Dame careers. 

For special teams, it's relatively simple. The one and only thing on my wish list for this unit in 2026 is to make their field goals and all of their extra points. The kicking woes hit an all time low this season and needs some reevaluating moving forward. I don't care who the place kicker is. Whomever the staff deems the starter, I'd love nothing more than to see that kid stay healthy and be a Top 40 field goal kicker in the country. That happens, and I'm officially a happy camper. 

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