Where Notre Dame Stands In Way-Too-Early 2021 Top 25s
Lose a record-setting quarterback, a possible top-20 pick on defense and 80 percent of an indispensable offensive line, and a drop in preseason rankings relative to the final in-season polls is inevitable.
A proven infrastructure and some returning skill position centerpieces, though, stops any fall before it hits terminal velocity.
Notre Dame reached the 2020 College Football Playoff as a top-four team and is No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll. In the traditional morning-after national championship way-too-early top 25s, the Irish are largely popping up between 10th and 15th.
The lowest landing spot for Notre Dame among six major outlets’ early 2021 rankings was 15th, by ESPN.
“The Irish will have a face-lift on offense, starting at quarterback,” ESPN’s Mark Schlabach wrote. “[Jack] Coan, a Wisconsin transfer, will battle [Tyler] Buchner, Drew Pyne and Brendon Clark for the starting job this spring. Notre Dame has good pieces on offense to build around, including tailbacks Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree and wide receivers Braden Lenzy and Jordan Johnson.
Four starting linemen are gone; center Jarrett Patterson is coming back from a broken foot. [Brian] Kelly hired Cincinnati's Marcus Freeman to replace defensive coordinator Clark Lea, who left to become Vanderbilt's coach. Freeman will have to rebuild the defensive line and find more depth in the secondary.”
Stadium’s Brett McMurphy placed the Irish at No. 14.
“Notre Dame returns 10 starters and picked up graduate transfer QB Jack Coan, who started at Wisconsin,” he wrote. “Based on early power ratings, the Irish could be favored in all 12 games in 2021. Does that mean another College Football Playoff appearance? Not necessarily. But it will be a historic season as Brian Kelly needs only four wins to pass Knute Rockne as the school’s winningest coach.”
The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel and CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd placed the Irish at No. 10 and 11, respectively. Athlon Sports ranked them ninth.
“Kelly loses talent. His program hasn't lost its identity,” Dodd wrote. “Coan transferred in from Wisconsin to give the Fighting Irish at chance at quarterback after the loss of Ian Book. There will have to be a replacement for left tackle Liam Eichenberg to make the offense hum. Williams has a 1,500-yard season in him. The defense faces challenges with the loss of the nation's best linebacker, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, but All-American safety Kyle Hamilton returns.”
There is one major trend-breaker. Sporting News slotted Notre Dame sixth, behind only Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Georgia.
“The offensive line and front seven will need to be rebuilt, but Brian Kelly successfully retooled both sides of the ball the last three seasons,” Sporting News’ Bill Bender wrote. “The matchup against Wisconsin at Soldier Field is an interesting test to see how the interior will hold up on both sides.”
Four of Notre Dame’s 2021 opponents were consensus top-25 teams in the six polls mentioned. Cincinnati and North Carolina appeared in several top 10s and were in the top 15 nearly everywhere. USC’s outlook ranged from ninth (ESPN) to just missed (The Athletic). Wisconsin’s ranking ranged from 10th and 21st.
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