Notre Dame Football Mailbag: 5-for-5 eligibility impact, CJ Carr's draft future, 2027 recruiting class favorites, and bold 2026 predictions
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Notre Dame football heads into the 2026 CFB season with some high expectations. Let’s pass the time with a good ole’ mailbag.
Notre Dame football enters the 2026 offseason with national title expectations under head coach Marcus Freeman. The Fighting Irish are widely considered a potential No. 1 team in the country, and with the dead period in full swing, the questions from fans are piling up. From CJ Carr’s NFL Draft timeline to the 5-for-5 eligibility rule’s impact on Notre Dame’s roster, from the 2027 recruiting class standouts to how many Fighting Irish players project as draftable prospects, there is plenty to unpack heading into fall camp.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the latest Notre Dame football mailbag.
CJ Carr doesn’t need the 5-for-5 rule, but when does he declare?
One of the most common questions centered on which Notre Dame players with draftable grades should take advantage of the new 5-for-5 eligibility change. The easy answer that fans wanted to hear was quarterback CJ Carr, but he doesn’t actually need it. Carr is only a redshirt sophomore entering his third season. He could return for his redshirt junior year in 2027 without exercising the fifth-year provision. I see him as a player who enters either the 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft, but the 5-for-5 rule is irrelevant to his timeline.
The players who could benefit from the rule are more subtle. Linebacker Drayk Bowen, a multi-year starter at middle linebacker, carries only modest late-round NFL projections right now. With Notre Dame potentially losing Jaylen Snead and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (if he has a big and healthy 2026 season), keeping Bowen around for a fifth year makes financial sense when considering what the program could offer him in NIL compared to a Day 3 NFL salary.
Cornerback Christian Gray is another sneaky candidate. He’s been a three-year starter in the secondary but is transitioning to nickel for the first time in 2026. A second year at that position could boost his draft stock considerably. Safety Luke Talich is worth monitoring as well, since he never redshirted because of his special teams contributions throughout his career. Wide receiver Jordan Faison will be asked about, but I don’t see that one happening.
The 2027 recruiting class favorites
When it comes to a favorite recruit in Notre Dame’s 2027 recruiting class, offensive lineman Albert Simien out of Louisiana stands above the rest. His film is fantastic, and he profiles as the best interior offensive lineman the Irish have potentially signed since Quenton Nelson. Beating Texas A&M for a Louisiana prospect only adds to the significance of that addition.
The most underrated member of the class is quarterback Champ Monds. He was injured for much of his 2025 season and reclassified, which explains his low ranking. But anyone watching a 6-2, 225-pound athlete with his arm talent knows that is not a three-star quarterback.
The running back room will look different
Fans expressed concern about the running back position, and the honest answer is that this group will not replicate what Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price provided. Notre Dame is going to rely on a committee approach. Aneyas Williams projects as the lead back, but he’s not a 250-touch workhorse – which is fine! The running game will need to be more efficient rather than explosive. When there’s two yards to gain, this group needs to pick up three. When there’s five, they need to get six.
Kedren Young is the wild card. The 230-plus-pound back was injured in the preseason last year, but if healthy, he could carve out a role in short-yardage situations and push for top-three carries. Nolan James Jr. provides a solid floor alongside Williams, and two talented freshmen are nipping at their heels.
Leonard Moore vs. Tae Johnson, and the draftable player count
The defensive backfield features two elite talents in cornerback Leonard Moore and safety Tae Johnson. Johnson may end up being more productive statistically because opposing offenses could simply refuse to test Moore after two years of dominant film. That doesn’t make Johnson better. The cornerback position carries more weight, and Moore is better at his job than Johnson is at his. Both project as very good NFL starters, but Moore gets the edge.
As for how many Notre Dame players get drafted in the 2027 NFL Draft, I’m comfortable at 11 based on what we know today.
On offense, Carr, wide receiver Jordan Faison, and offensive lineman Anthonie Knapp all carry draftable grades right now. On defense, the list includes Boubacar Traore, Bowen, Viliamu-Asa, DJ McKinney, Moore (a potential top-10 pick), Johnson, Adon Shuler, and Gray.
Could names like Jaylen Sneed, Jaiden Ausberry (if he declares), or Francis Brewu (repeat Ausberry) push that number higher? It’s possible. But projections as high as 18 draftable players have been floating around, and that feels like preseason banter. It’s engaging conversation, but it’s too much.
Notre Dame has the talent to compete for a national championship in 2026. The questions now are about depth, development, and which roster decisions Freeman’s staff makes along the way.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Notre Dame Football Mailbag: 5-for-5 eligibility impact, CJ Carr’s draft future, 2027 recruiting class favorites, and bold 2026 predictions
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