2026 ND Portal Targets

[SoIll]

I'm fascinated that people who are so into a college football team that they spend time posting on a message board continue to have this take on Coogan. Nobody at ND missed on his evaluation. Coogan wanted to start. ND wasn't going to guarantee him a starter role because Craig was and is a better center. IU needed a starting center. Coogan went to IU. The end.

Is he though…..

 

[smw6230]

I think IU falls off some next year.

I tend to think so as well. The core of that team are JMU players that have spent 4 yrs in that system. They were foundational pieces in the current IU program. Those guys are now out of eligibility.

Cig now will have to replace them with either HS kids he's developed, or portal additions. In either case experience will be a problem. The HS kids may know the system but they have no experience. The portal additions have experience but not in that system.

IU going after Marsh is iny opinion Cignetti's nod to reality that going forward he needs impact players to bridge some of the gaps that experienced RKGs hid.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Found Gordy’s alt ☝️

Forget what I said bro.. I’m sure you’re a wrecking ball.. D line will be fine.

Just give me 11 Hinish’s

I suggest we actually pause, take a breath, wait to see which players we have acquired through the portal, and find out the Onye ruling before we just have a hissy fit. But, I tend to use rational, calm analysis unlike some of you keyboard heroes.

 

[IrishInOntario]

Is he though…..

I think it's close. Craig is a better athlete and I think ND simoly with the guy that had higher upside and wasn't demanding a starting spot. Now, lots of credit to the player that Coogan has become and the job Bob Bostad has done with him, but I don't think ND made a bad choice. One guy got hurt, the other is still leading his group.

 

[Crazy Balki]

Is he though…..

....Yes.

 

[Irish4life]

Well the scorched earth heat sure died off quickly

 

[WildMan1]

I suggest we actually pause, take a breath, wait to see which players we have acquired through the portal, and find out the Onye ruling before we just have a hissy fit. But, I tend to use rational, calm analysis unlike some of you keyboard heroes.

So you’re protesting to any if/then posting? No future speak?

This thread is about the portal.. My comments were about how badly we need to address the D Line & you call it a hissy fit.. It’s just simply the truth is it not?

It’s weird you feel the need to tell me to take a breath & wait until the portal is over to post about the portal.. in the portal thread.

Maybe don’t enter the thread where there’s speculation & discussion if you aren’t interested in it?

I’m not panicking or throwing a hissy fit.. merely pointing out my disappointment in Marsh & my thoughts on our needs.

 

[ND88]

I'm fascinated that people who are so into a college football team that they spend time posting on a message board continue to have this take on Coogan. Nobody at ND missed on his evaluation. Coogan wanted to start. ND wasn't going to guarantee him a starter role because Craig was and is a better center. IU needed a starting center. Coogan went to IU. The end.

I didn't talk shit about Coogan nor Freeman. IU is our head-to-head competitor now, and Coogan was a great win for them. They are doing a lot with what they have, and right now, ND has to counter their gains. No need to be disrespectful, lol.

 

[WildMan1]

I have faith in the staff.. I know we’ll get some guys. I do think DL is the most important area of focus.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Sometimes a player just wants to go elsewhere, not everything that happens is ND's "fault." I'd be interested to hear what happened here.

Same. Specifically who is going to be his QB next season? Gotta think that’s a big factor for incoming WR. Especially if money was not an issue as reported by a poster above quoting Roberts.

 

[rtrn2glory]

Honestly I like hearing this analysis. We need this in the receiver room. A dude that can go up and get it. As long as we land this dude we'll be fine.

 

[NDWarrior]

He gone...

 

[arrowryan]

He gone...

I like our secondary as is

 

[IrishLax]

I like our secondary as is

Yeah we honestly need like zero secondary help. We need some fucking DTs and WRs.

 

[Rocketman84]

We’ll be fine, if we don’t get Strong then might be time to question some things.

Need to get Canion back in the fold

 

[rtrn2glory]

We need a nickel otherwise we have the best safety room in the country

 

[Rocketman84]

The kicker ND thought they had locked up is no longer entering the portal, per Eric Thomas. Now you can commence your bed wetting

Yep, he had a helluva season too

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I think IU falls off some next year.

I tend to think so as well. The core of that team are JMU players that have spent 4 yrs in that system. They were foundational pieces in the current IU program. Those guys are now out of eligibility.

Cig now will have to replace them with either HS kids he's developed, or portal additions. In either case experience will be a problem. The HS kids may know the system but they have no experience. The portal additions have experience but not in that system.

IU going after Marsh is iny opinion Cignetti's nod to reality that going forward he needs impact players to bridge some of the gaps that experienced RKGs hid.

IU can sleepwalk to 9-3 next year w/ their '26 schedule. If they hit on QB and a few key replacements, 10-2 is likely, imo. OSU, @Michigan, @Nebraska (lets go Kenny), and USC are their only tough games and I don't see Cig losing all 4 of those. I'm so sick of seeing these giant conferences spit out shit schedules for some teams and absolute gauntlets for others. It's crazy.

 

[Dale]

He gone...

We weren’t recruiting him.

 

[MacIrish75]

I don’t have any proof. I believe Marsh is a top 50 talent (NFL draft wise). I was hoping ND would get aggressive and land an Alpha for Carr. It can still happen, obviously.

I don’t think I’ve been negative towards the program. I think they’re in a great spot!

How about the hoops program?? 😏

 

[PutuporShutup]

Marsh is a big loss.

Glad ND skipped a bowl game to focus on portal and 26 season to only get outworked by teams that played in bowl games or are still in cfp … I say that somewhat sarcastically because I do expect ND to land good portal DTs and a WR but so far no good when the opening portal weekend we aren’t bringing anyone on campus. That makes no sense. The portal isn’t a marathon it’s a sprint.

 

[Crazy Balki]

Marsh is a big loss.

Glad ND skipped a bowl game to focus on portal and 26 season to only get outworked by teams that played in bowl games or are still in cfp … I say that somewhat sarcastically because I do expect ND to land good portal DTs and a WR but so far no good when the opening portal weekend we aren’t bringing anyone on campus. That makes no sense. The portal isn’t a marathon it’s a sprint.

You land Strong, that's no longer a "big loss".

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Marsh is a big loss.

Glad ND skipped a bowl game to focus on portal and 26 season to only get outworked by teams that played in bowl games or are still in cfp … I say that somewhat sarcastically because I do expect ND to land good portal DTs and a WR but so far no good when the opening portal weekend we aren’t bringing anyone on campus. That makes no sense. The portal isn’t a marathon it’s a sprint.

There's a new thread for these types of posts....

 

[IrishInOntario]

He gone...

Liked him as a potential nickel option, but safety is his best position. This makes sense for Georgia. ND needs to go hard after Jontez Williams, who would be a top 50 pick in the NFL Draft this year if it weren't for him tearing his ACL, with Sidney from Cal (another excellent nickel) as a backup option should Williams commit elsewhere.

We don't need a CB or S, we need a single experiencdz NB that can compete with Dallas Golden because Nickel is the ND base defense most games.

CB: Leonard Moore
2. Khary Adams or Ayden Pouncey

CB: Christian Gray
2. Mark Zackery

S: Adon Shuler
2. Luke Talich

S: Tae Johnson
2. Joey O'Brien

NB: Jontez Williams
2. Dallas Golden

That's the vision the ND staff has for what could be the nation's best secondary.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

You land Strong, that's no longer a "big loss".

And yet, he’ll repeat it until the keys on his keyboard no longer show the letters Nick Marsh or Big loss.

 

[IrishInOntario]

You land Strong, that's no longer a "big loss".

Exactly! Took the words out of my mouth. Who they get determines the size of the loss. It can be minor, major or anything in between.

Well said.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

And yet, he’ll repeat it until the keys no longer show the letters Nick Marsh or Big loss.

He will somehow blame Christian Gray for it.

 

[smw6230]

Liked him as a potential nickel option, but safety is his best position. This makes sense for Georgia. ND needs to go hard after Jontez Williams, who would be a top 50 pick in the NFL Draft this year if it weren't for him tearing his ACL, with Sidney from Cal (another excellent nickel) as a backup option should Williams commit elsewhere.

We don't need a CB or S, we need a single experiencdz NB that can compete with Dallas Golden because Nickel is the ND base defense most games.

CB: Leonard Moore
2. Khary Adams or Ayden Pouncey

CB: Christian Gray
2. Mark Zackery

S: Adon Shuler
2. Luke Talich

S: Tae Johnson
2. Joey O'Brien

NB: Jontez Williams
2. Dallas Golden

That's the vision the ND staff has for what could be the nation's best secondary.

Sleeping on Ethan Long

 

[arrowryan]

Yeah we honestly need like zero secondary help. We need some fucking DTs and WRs.

Honestly I think we only need one WR

 

[Crazy Balki]

Honestly I think we only need one WR

Yeah, just 1 boundary guy. That's basically it.

They may also take the ISU receiver, but he's more of a Jayden Harrison type, used more for his special teams capabilities and the occasional change of pace on offense rather than starting receiver.