Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is shifting the Fighting Irish away from playoff speculation as fall camp opens ahead of a Sept. 6 opener against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, pointing to last season’s 10-2 exclusion and an 0-2 start as stark reminders to focus strictly on the present moment.
Marcus Freeman Shuts Down CFP Talk as Fall Camp Begins
As Notre Dame opens fall camp with a veteran roster and a preseason ranking at No. 5 in the coaches poll, head coach Marcus Freeman has delivered a blunt directive to his players: stop talking about the College Football Playoff.
The Fighting Irish enter the 2026 campaign carrying the bitter memory of a controversial exclusion from the 12-team playoff bracket in December, despite finishing the year with a 10-2 record and a No. 11 ranking in the final CFP standings. That snub, followed by a decision not to participate in a bowl game, created an unusually long and reflective offseason in South Bend. Freeman acknowledged that the disappointment has served as an internal catalyst, but he insists that dwelling on the past or looking ahead to January creates complacency.
“When your mind is thinking about something that isn’t right in front of you, you create bad habits. You create complacency, and it’s important that every time we think about last year, 2024, the future, it’s a trigger to remind us to take care of what we have right in front of us, and that’s this moment.”
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame Head Coach, via Daily Herald
Overcoming Early-Season Stumbles and Retaining Staff Continuity
The urgency driving Notre Dame stems directly from a persistent vulnerability during Freeman’s first four seasons: slow starts in August and September. Last year’s campaign was derailed early by an 0-2 start featuring losses to Miami and Texas A&M, mirroring a September slip-up against Northern Illinois in 2024. To prevent a repeat, Freeman evaluated every operational detail from the conclusion of the last season to the opening of camp.
This high level of staff continuity has allowed the team to enter August physically ahead, bigger, stronger, and more explosive.
CJ Carr and a Loaded Defense Control Their Own Destiny
On the field, the Irish return 12 of their top 13 tacklers from a defense that finished ninth nationally in yards allowed per play at 4.62 and tenth in scoring defense at 17.6 points per game. Safety Adon Shuler emphasized the unit’s aggressive mindset for the upcoming slate, noting that the defense features no apparent weak points.
Offensively, quarterback CJ Carr returns for his second year as a starter after setting a school single-season pass efficiency record of 168.1—ranking sixth nationally—while throwing for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2025.
“He’s almost like a version of a coordinator on the field. The coach-to-player communication cuts off at 15 seconds. And so, he’s able to see a defense and anticipate what the defense is going to be and put our offense in a position to not have a negative play.”
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame Head Coach, via Daily Herald
The players recognize that controlling their own destiny means leaving no doubt when they take the field against Wisconsin on Sept. 6.
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