Luckily for Notre Dame, they were able to pull in an elite secondary class even without Womack. The five-man group of Joey O'Brien, Khary Adams, Chaston Smith, Ayden Pouncey, and Nick Reddish is an outstanding one. The future of the back end under secondary coach Mike Mickens is in a very good place, and is only getting better.

Sierra Canyon four-star safety Myles Baker has cruised up the recruiting rankings this offseason after a stellar sophomore campaign in 2024.

Carr is expected to carry the torch forward from program legend Riley Leonard, who led the Fighting Irish to the 2024-25 National Championship Game and is now in the NFL with coach Shane Steichen’s Indianapolis Colts.

Notre Dame football continued to make its recruiting focus on the 2027 class, as they offered Mississippi 4-star running back Tyson Robinson.

Notre Dame Football has no interest in abandoning the run game in 2025. Pounding the rock is one of the things the Irish are known for and are efficient at, and this will continue to be a large part of the program's core DNA. That being said, the Irish offense will look different in 2025 compared to in the first few seasons under Marcus Freeman.

Under the new SEC rules, every team must schedule at least one nonconference matchup against an ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 opponent, or Notre Dame. The Irish will maintain their high-profile games against Alabama, Texas, and Florida, ensuring marquee matchups every season without giving up their independent status.