The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are quietly executing a strategic shift under head coach Marcus Freeman that is set to transform their program and the college football world. Notre Dame has been a consistent contender over the past few years but they have always fallen short of defeating the elite blue bloods in the biggest games. But now it looks like the Fighting Irish have eliminated the last major competitive advantage held by those blue bloods. This could legitimately transform Notre Dame into an undisputed dynasty. Following a critical on-field victory against a tough USC squad, Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish appear poised for even bigger wins.
This shift first got noticed after the Fighting Irish got some great news involving Kemon Spell, the number one running back in the 2027 class, who recently decommitted from Penn State. Rivals.com expert Steve Wilfong has logged an expert prediction for Notre Dame to land the star. This is opportunistic; the Fighting Irish are clearly taking advantage of Penn State’s turmoil. It also confirms that Notre Dame is now successfully attracting elite, top-flight talent.
This ability to secure an elite running back is directly tied to the recent on-field performance of the running back room. In the dominant win against USC, the team put up massive rushing numbers. Starter Jeremiah Love had a stellar 228 rushing yards, while backup Jadarian Price added 87 rushing yards. This shows recruits that Notre Dame can run the football exceptionally well, and even secondary backs will get significant reps. This no doubt has played a role in allowing Notre Dame to move closer to securing Spell as a future running back.
The long-term significance of this move, however, is the fundamental shift in Notre Dame’s recruiting trajectory under Marcus Freeman. Historically, due to academic constraints, the Fighting Irish survived by developing B/B+ talent (four- and three-star players) over several years. Meanwhile perennial powerhouses like Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and Oregon could stock their rosters with five-star talent that dominated immediately. This was the biggest advantage those programs held over Notre Dame.
The below table (based on data from 247sports.com) reveals a seismic shift that is occurring when it comes to the talent pool in South Bend:
| Recruiting Class Year | Five-Star Commits |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| Combined (2022-2025) | 2 |
| 2026 (Future Class) | 3 |
The 2026 class has already secured three five-star commits, which is more than the previous four classes combined. With the 2027 class building significant momentum, Notre Dame appears poised to successfully close the talent gap.
For decades, the narrative was that Notre Dame could compete at the highest level but they could not win a title without the five-star talent. Losses against Ohio State and Alabama in championship moments over the past decade or so supported this thesis. That seems to be changing however. By maintaining their successful culture, development, and consistency, while simultaneously acquiring the elite talent that once eluded them, the Fighting Irish are eliminating the final hurdle to a championship.
It’s important to understand that this current version of the Fighting Irish (the 2025 team) will be the worst iteration of this team going forward. And they are a Top 10 program with a real chance to run the table! But based on their upcoming increase in talent Notre Dame is poised to become an unstoppable force. For years, the biggest advantage the other blue bloods had over Notre Dame was that they could win in recruiting when it came to the elite talent. With that advantage gone, there is nothing to stop the Fighting Irish from becoming a dynasty.
Disclaimer: The content of this article was originally published as a YouTube video on the SMI College Football Show YouTube channel. With AI assistance, the publisher of the video created this article based on the content of that video.
