Many believe that Notre Dame football will make a return to the College Football Playoff in the 2026 season, and ESPN doesn’t think its returning key player will be one of the household names.
The Irish have a clear star each side of the ball, quarterback CJ Carr and cornerback Leonard Moore, but Max Olson, who compiled the list picked a different player. He chose safety Adon Shuler, who will be a three-year starter and has seen his production remaining very impressive. Over the last two seasons, he has 102-tackles with 5 interceptions, a sack and three forced fumbles.
Olson didn’t really expand on why he ultimately picked Shuler, but the list was made up of upperclassmen who could have left their respective programs. It doesn’t seem like the fourth-year junior really thought about leaving South Bend, and neither did Carr or Moore.
A better choice would have been wide receiver Jaden Greathouse, who has shown that he can be a game-breaker, but hasn’t always produced at that level. Notre Dame did him a solid by redshirting him this past season, and a change of scenery could have unlocked his potential. Instead, he’ll try to realize it with the Irish, who have completely revamped the receivers room via the portal and recruiting.
Regardless of who Olson picked, Notre Dame is very happy that many of its major contributors chose to stay with the Irish for another season.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: ESPN surprises with pick of Notre Dame’s 2026 key returning player
Reporting by Michael Chen , Fighting Irish Wire / Fighting Irish Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
