Notre Dame kicked off spring training today in South Bend and had a really impressive first day out on the football field. We got to see this team for the full duration of practice and plays were being made all over the field. We will have to wait some time to see this group fully practice in pads, but what we saw today made me all the more anxious to watch this group throughout the offseason.
Now that we’ve had a few hours to digest Notre Dame’s first spring practice of 2026, we dove into our recap on both sides of the ball, breaking down who stuck out and which position groups shined. We also talked through some things that were confirmed like the first team offensive line. We wrapped everything up by breaking down the high caliber recruits that will be on campus this weekend. You can watch all of that and more in today’s episode of the Irish Breakdown Podcast.
Advertisement
You can watch the entire press conference here:
Here are some of the main things we discussed on today’s episode:
On The Freshman Defensive Backs Class…
“Look, it was the first day and they weren’t in pads. We have to still see how they tackle and play at full speed, but athletically I’m confident in saying they were the best defensive back class in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Everyone stood out, and as good of a day as Joey O’Brien had, Nick Reddish at nickel might have had a better day. He looked very comfortable in a very difficult position to play on defense. Both of the true freshman corners, Chaz Smith and Ayden Pouncey also looked very comfortable out there. And here’s the crazy part, we haven’t even see Khary Adams yet and won’t until the fall.”
Advertisement
On The Wide Receivers…
“I didn’t pay too much attention to Jordan Faison because we already know what we’re going to get from him. We’ve seen him play in big moments and he ended last season as Notre Dame’s No. 1 wideout when the season was over. Three guys stood out to me today: Cam Williams, Mylan Graham and Jerome Bettis Jr. Bettis was a pleasant surprise because we talk a lot about the wide receivers on this roster and he’s always been an after thought. Today, he started to show why he shouldn’t be one. We’ve been waiting for a Williams breakout for a while now; he’s always been gifted athletically, but today he really started to come on as a football player.”
On The Loaded Junior Day Visit List…
“This is one of the most talented Junior Day visit lists that I’ve seen in a very long time and they’re at different stages with everyone on this list. Some guys they’re a lot closer to getting than others, but the fact that they’re all making the trip to South Bend is a massive step in the right direction. For some of these guys, it’s about getting official visits scheduled. I doubt they walk out of tomorrow with guys who are committed, but getting that official visit set will be massive.”
Advertisement
——-
Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!
Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes
Follow me on Twitter: @TTrow5
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook
