2026 Spring Practice Thread

[stpeteirish]

• Walton/Osborne situation reminds me of Adms/WIlliams or Folston/Bryant situation. Lower ranked rb impressing. I know O isn't practicing, but monitoring.
• Not concerned about Lambert. New position and the people who beat him are DUDES. Absher.... idk man. I think he can be a fine OL but to get to the heights we want, Jagusah or someone emerging is key.
• Zackary is worth monitoring because I just don't see it
• Love having a kicker

I'm thinking McKinney (the Colorado transfer) passes Zachery when he arrives this summer. He's actually in South Bend but can't practice until he graduates from Colorado in May.

 

[RudyVerse]

I think the CO corner is going to be exceptionally and has day 2 pick potential.

 

[Dale]

I'm thinking McKinney (the Colorado transfer) passes Zachery when he arrives this summer. He's actually in South Bend but can't practice until he graduates from Colorado in May.

Yup definitely the expectation at this point. Sanders could also, though they are trying him at Nickel often right now.

 

[allenm5333]

I'm thinking McKinney (the Colorado transfer) passes Zachery when he arrives this summer. He's actually in South Bend but can't practice until he graduates from Colorado in May.

Agree 100%. But mid season, he could be outside cb 6…Moore, Mckinney, Gray, Adams, Golden

 

[IrishInOntario]

Did Keon Keeley play?

Yep! I think we all have to take a step back on the Keeley excitement for a little while though. What ND is asking him to do vs what Alabama was asking him to do are totally different. I don't think he was coached very well there. Give him the summer to adapt and hopefully continue to reshape his body and lean put a little bit more. I'd like to see him down in 265lb range, where he's hopefully more explosive.

It might very well be the case that we see the best of Keon in 2027, while he's a quality rotational player in 2026.

 

[stlnd01]

• Not concerned about Lambert. New position and the people who beat him are DUDES. Absher.... idk man. I think he can be a fine OL but to get to the heights we want, Jagusah or someone emerging is key.

Agreed. I’m a Lambert believer. He looks like he was put on earth to play tackle, and the guys he’s blocking in practice are Day 2 (at worst) NFL draft picks.

Our best OL is Black-Knapp-Craig-Jags-Lambert and that’s what I’m gonna keep rooting for by mid-season.

 

[Huntr]

Pretty good breakdown here by Sampson, for Athletic subscribers.

Notre Dame spring football: A running diary of the Fighting Irish’s open practice

Quarterback CJ Carr dazzles, the offensive lines show promise and Spencer Porath hints Notre Dame may have kicker during spring practice.

www.nytimes.com

9:57 a.m.: Backup center Herron snaps the ball over Grubbs’ head while backed up at the goal line. Grubbs throws the fumble out of the end zone as Dunham is all over the quarterback. Notre Dame never seems to have a capable backup center during spring practice...

 

[stlnd01]

It might very well be the case that we see the best of Keon in 2027, while he's a quality rotational player in 2026.

As long as he’s patient enough (no reason to think he won’t be), this is a totally fine outcome.

 

[NDFAN2008]

II instant analysis video said Faison and Graham are going to be problems. Suggested Greathouse may have to move to boundary because of them and others ascending. If all holds, WRS could be:

1. Faison
2. Graham
3. Gilbert
4. Porter
5. Cam
6. Frazier
7. Burress
8. Greathouse

Bold is going to be interesting

You also got Fitz and Finley on all these guys asses itching to get time. Doubt either play this year besides the min 4 games but the WR is stacked

 

[IRISHbluehen]

 

[IRISHbluehen]

I know it was against 3rd team guys but man Fitz runs exactly like his dad.

 

[rtrn2glory]

I see talich had another pick..... Starting to think he is a ball magnet

 

[Irishdawg]

I see talich had another pick..... Starting to think he is a ball magnet

Over under for Talich 2026 pics 5.5

 

[irishandy]

The revenge tour isn't starting against Wisconsin, sounds like the revenge tour has been happening a couple of times during spring practices.

I think this is the most anticipated B&G game I've waited for.

Now if I were Wisconsin....don't piss off Cooper or Sneed.

 

[Blazers46]

Excited!! I’ll be on campus 4/5 days this week for work and then again Saturday.

 

[pumpdog20]

I'm thinking McKinney (the Colorado transfer) passes Zachery when he arrives this summer. He's actually in South Bend but can't practice until he graduates from Colorado in May.

Hard to imagine we are living in a world so blessed that Christian Gray isn't being talked about to handle a position he's manned for two years, if things go "bad".

 

[Old Man Mike]

"IF" Black//Knapp//Craig//Jagusah//Lambert with Abshur//Otting//Augustine standing up waiting,
Then that's the best OLine in the country. It depends upon health obviously.
But it also depends upon Lambert improving his feet to show he can do the speed rush task.
I'm optimistic on all of that. (Still wish I had Billy. But I still wish we had Q, so .... )

 

[rtrn2glory]

Speaking of Schrauth, I just saw he was mocked in the 5th round. I know he's had injury history, but I have a hard time believing that he wouldn't have benefitted from staying another year. I just don't understand the thought process behind some of these guys across the country leaving early if they're not a sure fire day 1-2 pick.

 

[arrowryan]

Speaking of Schrauth, I just saw he was mocked in the 5th round. I know he's had injury history, but I have a hard time believing that he wouldn't have benefitted from staying another year. I just don't understand the thought process behind some of these guys across the country leaving early if they're not a sure fire day 1-2 pick.

He got really bad advice to leave early

 

[NDFAN2008]

Speaking of Schrauth, I just saw he was mocked in the 5th round. I know he's had injury history, but I have a hard time believing that he wouldn't have benefitted from staying another year. I just don't understand the thought process behind some of these guys across the country leaving early if they're not a sure fire day 1-2 pick.

This you got guys coming back in NCAAB who are projected first round picks, Schrauth shoulda came back

 

[IrishLax]

Speaking of Schrauth, I just saw he was mocked in the 5th round. I know he's had injury history, but I have a hard time believing that he wouldn't have benefitted from staying another year. I just don't understand the thought process behind some of these guys across the country leaving early if they're not a sure fire day 1-2 pick.

It's insane to me that he didn't come back. He was a captain, and I think we as fans expect his mindset to be closer to that of Love where guys want to be here and they're only leaving because the $$ is too much to pass up... but everything I have heard is that he was ready to get going to the NFL. Whether that's on him or his advisors I dunno, he got weird advice goin all the way back to his initial recruitment. But it really surprised me to learn this wasn't really even much of a debated / tough decision on his part, and unfortunately the RG spot is the weakness up front.

 

[Dale]

He didn’t leave early to be fair. He’s been here 4 years, assume he’s graduated. He just didn’t stay an extra year.

I could see him going in the 4th. That is his consensus spot. Some 3rd. Some 5th. #133 and there is a drop off right after him. Take out the centers and he’s a Top 10 OG - though some OTs should be OG so more like Top 15.

 

[allenm5333]

He was one injury away from going undrafted...

 

[MeanGreenBeans]

He was one injury away from going undrafted...

This is the only explanation that makes sense.

 

[arrowryan]

Schrauth has a little bit of an injury history, and will be drafted on potential/upside more than proven production. Round 4 seems about right.

 

[TorontoGold]

Glad he’s being drafted, can only take Tim O’Malley butchering his last name so much. Insane that he spent 4 years saying it so weirdly.

 

[Irish#1]

It's insane to me that he didn't come back. He was a captain, and I think we as fans expect his mindset to be closer to that of Love where guys want to be here and they're only leaving because the $$ is too much to pass up... but everything I have heard is that he was ready to get going to the NFL. Whether that's on him or his advisors I dunno, he got weird advice goin all the way back to his initial recruitment. But it really surprised me to learn this wasn't really even much of a debated / tough decision on his part, and unfortunately the RG spot is the weakness up front.

He may be getting bad advice, but ultimately it's on the player to make the decision at this stage of his life as opposed to a HS recruit.

 

[IrishLax]

Final nuggets now that we're at the end of spring:
-WR competition will go deep into the fall, the only guys who are "locks" for major snap count are Faison and Graham. Graham is a hit, and can play multiple spots. Picking the complimentary pieces to those two will be exactly that... what is the best combination of guys for 3 and 4 WR sets.
-OL has questionable depth and injuries could be "catastrophic" if they happen to the wrong guys. RG is by far weakest spot of the starters, but overall they feel very good about the five as a unit and expect it to be a lot better than last year.
-Expect more pass heavy offense with a premium on receiving ability / pass protection from the RBs.
-The crazy thing about the team is that the offense *should* be a lot worse without Love/Price and the defense *should* be better but allegedly the offense gets the better of the defense quite a bit in competitive situations. So read into that what you will, but it's possible the offense is just nasty. Only cautionary thing I've heard on the defense is that they miss Bowen/KVA, generally speaking they expect this DL to be orders of magnitude better than what we saw last year and the secondary is just all the same dudes + some new good pieces. Apparently the freshman DBs are LEGIT so thank you Mike Mickens for that parting gift.

 

[Dale]

I am sticking to my prediction that Craig could end up at OG because Otting is just better than Absher.

Unless Jagusah takes it of course

 

[greyhammer90]

Mike Mickens could ask me for a ride to the airport and I'd just give him my keys and tell him to bring it back when he wants to.

I say this because I feel like I owe him big but also because given his track record he'd come back to me with a Porshe 911.