IrishIllustrated.com Insider

Irish Illustrated Insider discusses Notre Dame's defensive expectations (elevated), offensive tweaks (necessary) and personnel matters from the bottom to the top of the roster in the heart of Marcus Freeman's fifth off-season as head coach.

Transcribed - Published: 1 June 2026

Irish Illustrated’s Tracking the Trail returns with host Drew Mentock and senior recruiting analyst Eric Thomas. The duo discusses Notre Dame’s most recent pledge, Jackson Vaughn. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound defensive lineman out of Bergen Catholic in Oradell, N.J., represents the No. 105 overall prospect and No. 15 edge rusher in the class of 2027, according to the 247Sports rankings. He’s the third blue-chip defensive lineman Notre Dame has landed this cycle. With official visits coming up, Mentock and Thomas also preview who could be the next Fighting Irish commits. Lastly, Eric answers questions from Irish Illustrated subscribers.

Transcribed - Published: 29 May 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider discusses future games (likely) lost, a kickoff time for '26 added, another string of success on the trail, and opposing portal additions that might impact the Irish next fall…and winter. We delve into off-season training, the bipartisan sports bill, and reclassification incentives as well.

Transcribed - Published: 28 May 2026

Episode No. 19 features Irish Illustrated's conversation with Kerry Neal, a former Notre Dame defensive lineman and four-year starter from 2007 to 2010. He totaled more than 100 tackles and seven sacks while playing for former Fighting Irish coaches Charlie Weis and Brian Kelly. Later, he signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent, but injuries cut his career short. Around the same time, the 2011 NFL lockout opened the door for him to become a sports performance trainer. Today, he’s the CEO of Win Performance in Highland Park, Illinois, where you train athletes of all ages. That includes a host of former Notre Dame All-Americans and standouts, highlighted by Chicago-area natives Julian Love and Rylie Mills, both of whom won Super Bowl 60 with the Seattle Seahawks this year. Neal also trains two blue-chip defensive tackles in the class of 2027: David Folorunsho and Brayden Parks. Folorunsho committed to the Fighting Irish last week (we recorded the episodes before the announcement), while Parks remains a top-priority nose tackle target for Notre Dame. We discuss both prospects near the end of the episode, and what it’s like to get to know the Irish coaching staff as recruiters.

Transcribed - Published: 22 May 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider delves into Notre Dame’s recent schedule announcements, reviews an odd inclusion on the nation’s most feared defenders list, discusses which depth pieces are crucial to a Playoff run rather than mere qualification, and asks off-the-record questions of three position groups.

Transcribed - Published: 21 May 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider rolls old school in the booth this Monday. Discussions include running backs, leading receivers, remaining recruiting needs, position switch notions, a dream team of announcers and our personal Mount Rushmore of former interview subjects under the Dome.

Transcribed - Published: 18 May 2026

Irish Illustrated’s Tracking the Trail returns with host Drew Mentock and senior recruiting analyst Eric Thomas. The duo discusses Notre Dame’s most recent pledge, David Folorunsho. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle out of St. Patrick’s in Chicago represents the No. 43 overall prospect and No. 3 defensive lineman in the class of 2027, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s also Notre Dame’s third top-100 commitment this month, giving the Irish six in the class. This episode also ponders if the program can set a new personal best in the modern recruiting era by signing 10 top-100 prospects in 2027. Lastly, Eric answers questions from Irish Illustrated subscribers.

Transcribed - Published: 15 May 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider discusses Notre Dame's best future Playoff plan, its continued triumphs on the recruiting trail, and answers readers' questions on trap games, NIL vs. depth charts, and conduct clauses in new player contracts. We also offer a forced 'hot take' that runs the gamut of answers among the three-man podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 14 May 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider runs the off-season gamut with discussions regarding former transfers' foibles, potential targets for '27, the hype surrounding November 7, recruiting news up front, opinions on this year's five-man front, a likely go-to player on third downs, and a few thoughts on Michigan football.

Transcribed - Published: 11 May 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider delves into Notre Dame's behind-the-scenes recruiting machine, Playoff proposals that work, players both on the spot and trending up entering the off-season, the new eligibility model, and how SMU and BYU can save the Irish schedule.

Transcribed - Published: 7 May 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider dives into Champ Monds IV’s reclassification, evaluates the commitments from Aidan O’Neil, Titus Hawk, and Jackson Coleman. Burning Up The Boards tackles fan expectations for portal vs freshmen, 2026 Notre Dame predictions, sack leaders, and whether CJ Carr could return in 2027

Transcribed - Published: 4 May 2026

Irish Illustrated’s Tracking the Trail returns with host Drew Mentock, senior recruiting analyst Eric Thomas and 247Sports and CBS Sports national college football recruiting analyst Tom Loy. The trio is here to discuss Notre Dame’s latest progress in quarterback recruiting, legacy prospect Julius Jones Jr. and provide updates on several blue-chip prospects who were on campus for the Blue-Gold Game last weekend. At the end, the crew also talks about the program’s most recent commitment in the class of 2027 from 100 edge rusher Aidan O'Neil.

Transcribed - Published: 1 May 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider discusses Notre Dame's forthcoming summer, Friday's dual-recruitment opportunity, projections for CJ Carr, and myriad off-field announcements impacting the program.

Transcribed - Published: 30 April 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider reviews Notre Dame's Blue-Gold highlights, notable performances, and disappointments. We also examine Notre Dame's drafted players and undrafted free agents and offer a quick review of Top 200 safety pledge Zayden Gamble.

Transcribed - Published: 27 April 2026

Today's edition of Irish Illustrated Insider is a special edition, combining two separate Instant Analysis episodes into one Blue-Gold Scrimmage breakdown. Part One focused on the offense, including CJ Carr's struggles and the solid play of Noah Grubbs and Blake Hebert, plus the volume of carries for Jonaz Walton and Anneyas Williams. Part Two examined the defensive performance of key secondary players and the defensive line. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider discusses likely Blue-Gold Game standouts, freshmen to watch, a veteran transfer under-the-radar to date…and Aaron Lynch? Come for the preview, stay for the memories on today's pre-game Insider Podcast.

Transcribed - Published: 23 April 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider relives Saturday’s Jersey Scrimmage. Who shined? Which backups showed they might be ready to make an immediate impact? And how will the team’s depth manifest over the long haul? We also discuss the pro potential of CJ Carr, Jeremiyah Love, Leonard Moore, and others on the current Irish roster.

Transcribed - Published: 20 April 2026

Irish Illustrated's Tim Prister, Tim O’Malley and Drew Mentock react to what they saw from the Notre Dame offense and defense during Saturday’s full practice viewing for the spring jersey scrimmage. The crews also discussed what they heard from Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman in a post-practice press conference on the field inside the Irish Athletic Complex.

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2026

Irish Illustrated's Tracking the Trail returns with host Drew Mentock and senior recruiting analyst Eric Thomas. The duo is here to discuss Notre Dame's big recruiting weekend, where 18 prospects came to campus. The coaching staff made significant headway with a number of intriguing prospects, including blue-chip wide receiver and Notre Dame legacy, Julius Jones. At the end, Eric also answers a few questions submitted by subscribers on the Four Horsemen Lounge.

Transcribed - Published: 17 April 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider digs into Notre Dame’s spring buzz, looks forward to the jersey scrimage, the looming 5x5 rule, portal drama, draft stock, and “ghost portal” penalties, then tackles subscriber questions on 2026 opponents, depth-chart battles, and CFB’s uncertain future.

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider hits spring standouts, nickel and CB rotation, and Luke Talich on Charles Jagusah’s progress. “Burning Up The Boards” tackles 2026 vs 2024 depth, Notre Dame’s top speed threats, OL moves, DL “improvements,” key Blue-Gold questions, and three classic delayed-breakout candidates.

Transcribed - Published: 13 April 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider takes a deep dive after Notre Dame's seventh of 14 spring practices leading into the Blue Gold Game. We offer intel on surging players, new and old, double down on captain projections, and offer an Outside-the-Top-10 player at present who'll likely crash that elite group by season's end.

Transcribed - Published: 9 April 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider's April 6 edition resets Notre Dame's spring at the halfway mark, spotlighting who has the most to prove before the Jersey Scrimmage and how a fresh 247Sports crystal ball for top‑200 safety Zayden Gamble reflects the Irish's recruiting punch. The show tackles the backup quarterback race, Will Black's surge on the offensive line, and the ongoing debate over Marcus Freeman's biggest weakness and signature in‑game moment. Fans ask questions on potential depth‑chart climbers, the injured playmaker Notre Dame can least afford to lose, the possibility of Nolan James becoming another surprise Week 1 starter, and a long‑overdue appreciation of Kyren Williams' place among recent Irish backs.

Transcribed - Published: 6 April 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider rolls old school with discussions involving the Fighting Irish (but no more than two), program cultures, position battles (kind of), pass-catching runners, sneaking quarterbacks, and an early line on the opener at Wisconsin. An expected but unfortunate transfer portal entry just beats the deadline for our lamentations as well.

Transcribed - Published: 2 April 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider delves into Notre Dame's running back trio, the offense's likely areas of improvement, X-factors on both sides for a Playoff run, and evaluate the wide receiver room's potential, We also discuss Niele Ivey's squad's improvement through season's end, The Shot heard around NCAA Tournament (history), and debate if Notre Dame could disappoint as did two of last year's pre-season football favorites.

Transcribed - Published: 30 March 2026

Irish Illustrated’s Tracking the Trail returns with senior recruiting analyst Eric Thomas and 247Sports and CBS Sports National College Football Recruiting Analyst, Tom Loy. The duo is here to discuss Notre Dame’s big Junior Day this past weekend. A number of big-time recruits were on campus. That includes several five-star prospects and running back Lathan Whisenton, the latest Fighting Irish commit. At the end, Eric and Tom also answer a few questions submitted by subscribers on the Four Horsemen Lounge.

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider offers behind-the-scenes tidbits from Notre Dame's first three practices. Who stood out? Who won't back down? And which transfers have begun to carve an early niche? We also discuss Notre Dame's troubled men's basketball program, the advantages of an incumbent, standout quarterback, and a few off-the-field notes in the NIL realm.

Transcribed - Published: 26 March 2026

Notre Dame’s spring transition is in full swing. We evaluate the immediate impact of spring practice on the fall depth chart, the surge of Irish baseball, and the contrasting states of the hoops programs. Plus, we touch on another national title run in South Bend, and which practice trends are built to last.

Transcribed - Published: 23 March 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider: Key Takeaways from Notre Dame’s First Spring Practice — The Irish Illustrated Insider team breaks down standout performances from Notre Dame’s opening spring practice, including which players stood out among the starters, who impressed with the second team, and which early enrollees made strong first impressions. Following practice, Notre Dame’s three coordinators shared updates and insights on player development and emerging talent heading into the 2026 season.

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider podcast looks ahead to Friday's opening of Notre Dame spring practice, dives into RB and LB depth concerns, injury updates, Jagusah’s 2026 outlook, the search for a backup QB, KVA’s trajectory, and which spring standouts could reshape the 2026 depth chart.

Transcribed - Published: 19 March 2026

Episode No. 18 of the Irish Illustrated Insider podcast features Frank Pomarico, who played offensive guard for Notre Dame from 1971-73. That includes earning the honor of team captain for the 1973 national championship team. The Kansas City Chiefs drafted Pomarico before he spent a few years in the CFL. He also published a book in 2015, "Ara's Knights," about Coach Parseghian and the golden era of Notre Dame football. We discussed all that. Plus, what it was like to get recruited to play college football back in the late 1960s, watching Joe Theismann, and why he decided to write a book. Get your copy of "Ara's Knights on Amazon: https://a.co/d/099eDo3n

Transcribed - Published: 16 March 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider returns with a special recruiting-centric episode, with host Eric Thomas and special guest Tom Loy. In Segment I, the duo breaks down the full Notre Dame 2026 haul, position by position, sharing insight and analysis from their high school careers. In Segment II, the guys answer subscriber questions about key 2027 recruiting topics, ranging from the latest with top defensive line targets to predictions on the Irish 2027 quarterback signee.

Transcribed - Published: 12 March 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider examines Notre Dame's newcomer-heavy spring session, discusses the program's commitment to victory and the stark contrast on the men's hardwood, and Tim Prister offers his final thoughts on the passing of Lou Holtz. We also opine on the team's ever-increasing talent level while O'Malley offers a final ode to Jeremiyah Love's greatness in direct response.

Transcribed - Published: 9 March 2026

Episode No. 17 of the Irish Illustrated Interviews podcast series features Ty Hildenbrandt, a lifelong Notre Dame fan and one of the co-hosts and founders of "The Solid Verbal" podcast. The show represents the largest independent college football podcast, and it's heading into its 19th season. The episode discusses his complicated fandom as a Penn State alumnus and a diehard Fighting Irish supporter, the consternation his dual allegiances have caused at times and what it's like to share his raw emotions as a fan with a national audience. The conversation also dives into The Solid Verbal and how he and his co-host, Dan Rubenstein, get the pulse of college football teams across the country while following dozens upon dozens of games each weekend. That includes browsing various message boards to monitor fan reactions. Check out The Solid Verbal here. https://www.solidverbal.com/

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider discusses the most recent round of freshmen interviews, the program's modern recruiting advantages, the dwindling position switch phenomenon, and Part 1 of the staff's thoughts and memories of the great Lou Holtz.

Transcribed - Published: 5 March 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider reviews Notre Dame's six-pack of combine performers, discusses spring question marks and concerns, and offers a little more hope on the injury horizon for one of the team's top talents. We also opine on the best matchups and individual opponents that await in 2026 while reviewing the world's greatest bingo game at Irishillustrated.com.

Transcribed - Published: 2 March 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider discusses Wednesday's initial interviews with Aaron Henry, a handful of early enrollees, and Micah Shrewsberry's future after a historic loss on the hardwood. We also offer best bets for forthcoming 40-yard dash times from Love and Price, offer a few projects for the upcoming campaign, and opine on the running backs room: do we prefer the freshmen tandem or the current reserves?

Transcribed - Published: 26 February 2026

The Irish Illustrated Insider podcast dives into Notre Dame’s shaky football series with Texas, key NFL Draft Combine storylines, and the challenges facing the men’s basketball team—plus your questions on CJ Carr, Leonard Moore, Joey O’Brien, and more from the Irish sports world.

Transcribed - Published: 23 February 2026

Episode No. 16 of the Irish Illustrated Interviews podcast series features Bo Bauer, a former Notre Dame linebacker who played for the Fighting Irish from 2018 to 2022. We discuss his various roles on the Notre Dame football team, from a special-teams star and fan favorite to nickel linebacker to team captain. Our conversation also delves into his tumultuous final season at Notre Dame, which was cut short by injury, and how that path led him down an arduous road as he pursued a career in the NFL. Still, he spent time with the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks before suffering another significant injury and retiring from the game in September 2024. Now, Bauer works for his mentor and a fellow former Notre Dame linebacker, Jack Shields, as an Implementation associate at Shields at Home and a strategic advisor with Project LAND, which stands for Life After Notre Dame.

Transcribed - Published: 20 February 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider breaks down Notre Dame football’s latest developments, featuring insights from new defensive line coach Charlie Partridge and seven incoming transfers. The episode also explores how player contracts, NIL revenue sharing, and the growing trend of undergraduate transfers are shaping the program’s future and competitive edge.

Transcribed - Published: 19 February 2026

On this edition of Irish Illustrated Insider, The latest "Burning Up the Boards" mailbag uses sharp, veteran questions to frame where Notre Dame stands and where it's headed, from which position coach you'd most want to sit with in the lunchroom to which young receiver is best positioned to emerge behind Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse in a crowded but intriguing room. Listeners press the issue of why emerging defenders like Shuler, Bowen, KVA and Tae Johnson lack national buzz despite the acclaim for Notre Dame's defense, while also turning the lens on the hosts with queries about when they were most wrong and most right, and where the top five champions of the CFP era truly stack up. The segment digs into what it means to cover Notre Dame as alumni versus outsiders, whether Ja'Juan Seider should expand his backfield rotation after losing two top backs to the NFL, the greatest throw, catch and run the staff has ever seen involving the Irish, and a pointed challenge on whether the offensive line cost Notre Dame the Miami game more than any other unit.

Transcribed - Published: 16 February 2026

On this edition of Irish Illustrated Insider, our staff takes a deep dive into a broad slate of topics — from the art of source-building to notable late-winter coaching shifts over the years. We assess the evolution of Notre Dame's coaching staffs, address current roster uncertainties, and examine the growing impact of five-star additions through both the transfer portal and recruiting trail. Plus, we update Loren Landow's status in South Bend.

Transcribed - Published: 12 February 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider delves into Notre Dame's recently released spring roster, discusses a few position battles as posited by posters, laments another opportunity lost on the hardwood, and wanders into the world of the Super Bowl and Winter and Summer Olympics.

Transcribed - Published: 9 February 2026

Today, we're sharing my conversation with Mike Amodei, a lifelong Fighting Irish fan who has been the field-level usher supervisor at Notre Dame Stadium for 22 years and an usher for 30 years overall. That's given him a unique perspective on game-day operations inside the stadium, where he's interacted with famous Irish fans and legends on the sidelines. That includes Jon Bon Jovi, Joe Montana, and Joe Theismann. We dive into the responsibilities of an usher and how he got his start wearing the distinctive uniform. Mike is also the executive editor and curriculum development manager at Ave Maria Press, where he's worked for almost 33 years. There, he's acquired and worked on multiple books from former Notre Dame coaches with a statue on campus: Lou Holtz and Muffet McGraw. We discuss what it's like to get to know both championship-winning head coaches outside the sports arena. Full disclosure: my wife is on the board at Ave Maria Press. Additionally, Mike was my seventh-grade baseball coach and my freshman-year basketball coach. Meaning he's easily yelled at me more and made me run more sprints than everyone else to appear on this podcast combined.

Transcribed - Published: 6 February 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider discusses Notre Dame's roster influx, the spring practice impact, infamous Signing Day stories past, and a six-pack of Irish combine hopefuls. We also rate the Irish DL vs. its OL, message board meltdowns, the Nickel position, and somehow return to the rabbit hole of Notre Dame's Playoff snub.

Transcribed - Published: 5 February 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider discusses the pending hirings of two new staff members, examines the myriad options afforded to remaining staff members, follows up with a relevant injury update, and mourns apathy regarding the men's basketball program.

Transcribed - Published: 2 February 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider discusses the loss of Mike Mickens to the NFL, the finalization of the 2026 football schedule, clarifies grad-transfer rules, and takes readers' questions ranging from the requisite September loss to tampering to position rankings heading into spring.

Transcribed - Published: 26 January 2026

Episode No. 14 of the Irish Illustrated Interviews podcast series features Patrick Creadon, a 1989 University of Notre Dame graduate and award-winning documentary filmmaker, whom Irish fans likely know for his work directing "Catholics Vs. Convicts" and "Hesburgh." He's also in the midst of a new project on legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne. Our conversation delves into his familial connections to the University and the football team, which date back more than a century. We also discuss his experiences as a Notre Dame student, paying extra attention to the role he and his roommate, Patrick Walsh, played in the Catholics versus Convicts story, the Notre Dame-Miami rivalry, and how he got involved with ESPN's 30 for 30. Then, we explore how Hesburgh, a film that details the life of Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, the University of Notre Dame president from 1952 until 1987, was inspired by his time on campus gathering footage and interviews for Catholics vs. Convicts.

Transcribed - Published: 23 January 2026

Notre Dame's latest Irish Illustrated Insider addresses a number of topics from Fernando Mendoza's title‑game "Heisman moment" to Jayson Onye's pivotal sixth year and a portal‑reinforced defensive front, while also unpacking a more aggressive undergrad‑transfer strategy and delivering a blunt, numbers‑driven critique of Micah Shrewsberry's struggling men's basketball program.

Transcribed - Published: 22 January 2026

Irish Illustrated Insider wraps up portal proceedings (for now), examines seven different position groups, offers updated schedule news, examines and looks at potential ramifications for tonight's championship game between one-time Irish archival Miami and new in-state rival, Indiana.

Transcribed - Published: 19 January 2026