Notre Dame lands in top 10 of ESPN's 2022 future power rankings

Notre Dame’s transition from its all-time winningest coach to one with zero career victories hasn’t hurt the optimism around the Irish’s short- and long-term outlook. In fact, it may have even injected good vibes and fueled visions of a championship ceiling.

That’s according to ESPN college football writer Adam Rittenberg’s 2022 future power rankings, in which Notre Dame holds the No. 6 spot – a jump from the Irish’s No. 9 placement in 2021. Notre Dame is behind top-ranked Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Clemson.

“Notre Dame’s projection hinges on new coach Marcus Freeman,” Rittenberg wrote. “He has been on campus only 18 months after spending 2021 as the team’s defensive coordinator. Freeman is 24 years younger than predecessor Brian Kelly, who oversaw the team’s most stable stretch of success since 1988 to 1993, when Notre Dame won a national title and five AP top-6 finishes under Lou Holtz.

“There will be a learning curve, and if this were a one-year projection, Notre Dame would be quite a bit lower. But Freeman has energized areas of the program, especially recruiting, where Kelly’s involvement/influence seemed lukewarm at times.”

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Rittenberg’s future power rankings are still mainly based on personnel and attempt to identify college football’s best teams over the next three years. Coaching changes, program stability and upcoming recruiting classes are weighed more heavily than they are in his future offense, defense and quarterback power rankings.

Much of the optimism around Freeman has stemmed from Notre Dame’s recruiting success since his Dec. 2021 promotion and his prior work hauling in an impressive 2022 defensive group. The Irish have the No. 2 class in the 2023 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking, which includes five-star EDGE Keon Keeley (who Freeman recruited as defensive coordinator) and three other top-100 prospects.

The success on the trail hasn’t ended there. Notre Dame’s 2024 class is ranked No. 1 and includes quarterback CJ Carr, the highest-rated offensive recruit to choose the Irish in nearly 10 years. He’s the No. 28 player in the 2024 On3 Consensus.

Freeman’s first roster isn’t lacking talent, though. Seven starters from a sturdy defense are back. Notre Dame’s No. 6-ranked 2022 class includes five defensive players ranked in the top 200 of the On3 Consensus. It was enough to land Notre Dame the No. 6 spot in Rittenberg’s future defense rankings.

“Notre Dame’s defense has been the more elite unit in recent years and should continue to thrive, even this fall, as standouts such as sacks leader Isaiah Foskey, linebackers JD Bertrand and Jack Kiser, and defensive backs DJ Brown and Cam Hart all return,” Rittenberg wrote.

“Notre Dame also added safety Brandon Joseph, a 2020 All-America selection at Northwestern, and defensive tackle Chris Smith, an All-Ivy League selection at Harvard. Secondary depth beyond 2023 should be a mini concern for Freeman.”

Carr’s June 9 commitment was a breakthrough into a new level of quarterback recruiting. It was also an important step in Notre Dame elevating its passing offense. A good-not-great offense has been enough to twice get the Irish to the College Football Playoff. But eight years of CFP games suggest that’s below the requirement for winning once a team gets there.

Notre Dame aspires to reach the CFP before Carr’s arrival, though. It wants to get there this year – and every year. Those 2022 CFP hopes rest on sophomore quarterback and former top-100 recruit Tyler Buchner as much as anyone else on the roster.

“Despite two CFP appearances and three AP top-eight finishes since 2018, Notre Dame’s quest to end its national title drought likely comes down to quarterback play and upgrading its overall passing game,” Rittenberg wrote. “The team will turn to a new starter in 2022, but many around the program think Buchner will become the next-level QB the Irish have been seeking.

“Buchner, ESPN’s No. 41 overall recruit in 2021, still must beat out sophomore Drew Pyne but brings strong dual-threat skills to the offense. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who should have more autonomy with Kelly gone, likely will try to stretch the field more with a receiving corps that hasn’t taken off in recent seasons.”

The turnover at quarterback and loss of two-time 1,000-yard rusher Kyren Williams leaves a greater range of possible outcomes for the offense. Still, the collection of talent is intriguing enough to fuel expectations of an explosive attack. Rittenberg slotted Notre Dame No. 20 in his future quarterback rankings and No. 15 in his future offense rankings.

“The development of young, dynamic wideouts such as Lorenzo Styles and Deion Colzie is critical,” Rittenberg wrote. “Notre Dame’s anchor positions on offense – line, tight end, running back – project well through 2024. Junior Michael Mayer (71 receptions in 2021) is a leading Mackey Award candidate, and a line featuring center Jarrett Patterson, and tackles Blake Fisher and Joe Alt, could compare to the best groups in the latter part of Kelly’s tenure.”