Marcus Freeman's 2026 recruiting class at Notre Dame wasn't thought to be possible for the Fighting Irish a few short years ago.
It wasn't long ago that some wondered if Notre Dame would ever return to any real form of glory and seriously contend for national championships again. A huge part of the reasoning for that was because Notre Dame was unable to land truly elite recruiting prospects with any consistency, and certainly without any depth.
Fast forward to the final week of January 2026, and we now have Notre Dame's most impressive recruiting class since the internet became mainstream.Rivals released its final five-star list for the 2026 recruiting cycle on Tuesday, and on it Notre Dame had five players.For those who aren't aware, Rivals gives out just 32 five-star grades during a cycle. It's meant to represent who the first round picks would be in an NFL draft made out of the class.This Fighting Irish recruiting class is a national title-caliber group being added to a roster that was already on that level.Notre Dame's five are more than the Big 12 and ACC combined to have, and nearly half the total of the entire SEC which comprises16 teams. The Big Ten has 12 total in its oversized 18 team league, with five going to Ohio State, the only program to match Notre Dame's total.It's amazing what happens when everyone plays by the same set of rules. For years, we've seen the SEC dominate everything football-related, winning seemingly every national championship from 2003 through 2022. However, NIL came in and now teams based in the north are doing what those in the southeast had been doing for years. Don't get it twisted. Notre Dame hasn't won a national championship since the 1988 season, meaning it hasn't joined the club that Indiana, Ohio State, and Michigan recently have. That doesn't mean it's going to some kind of cakewalk, but what should be happening is even further improvement to what is already an extremely talented Notre Dame roster. The level of high school recruiting showcased here combined with Notre Dame's new acceptance of undergraduate transfers, and a coaching staff that can develop both, should only improve Notre Dame's chances of joining that club of Big Ten teams and ending its national championship drought.Managing Editor for Notre Dame On SI. Started covering Chicago sports teams for WSCR the Score, and over the years worked with CBS Radio, Audacy, NBC Sports, and FOX Sports as a contributor before running the Notre Dame wire site for USA TODAY.Nebraska vs. Michigan Prediction, Odds for College Basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 27
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