National analyst believes Notre Dame unlocks its offense ...

What’s Happening

Listen up: On3 personality JD Pickell on a recent episode of his show “The Hard Count” looked at roster construction to suggests the Irish may be more pass heavy Story by National analyst believes Notre Dame unlocks its offense Sunny Verma, Fighting Irish Wire Fri, at 12:30 PM UTC · 2 min read On3 host J.

Pickell says Notre Dame may be closer to a meaningful offensive evolution in 2026 than many observers realize . He brought the idea up on his Feb. (it feels like chaos)

19 episode of The Hard Count .

The Details

Pickell pointed towards the construction of the roster and the tendencies of the coaches as reasons the Irish may be open to throwing the ball more while not abandoning their identity of being a physical football team which head coach Marcus Freeman emphasizes. He suggested the data point that sets the stage is volume.

Notre Dame attempted 323 passes in 12 games in 2025 , an average of 26. 9 attempts per game, while rushing 429 times and averaging 5.

Why This Matters

Pickell’s belief is that with less star power in the backfield, the coaches may place more of the offense on quarterback CJ Carr as he moves into a second season as the starting quarterback. Pickell also mentioned the wide receiver help brought in during the transfer portal. Former Ohio State wideout Mylan Graham was marked as a five-star prospect by 247Sports and On3, and fellow transfer Quincy Porter entered college as a five-star and No.

This could change the dynamics of the sport going forward.

Key Takeaways

• 13 overall in On3’s final 2025 On300.
• He circles back saying the coaching influences may align with this as well.
• Recent Denbrock-led offenses have operated at higher pass volume, including LSU’s 31.

The Bottom Line

6 pass attempts per game in 2023, which could be a clear signal why there could be an increase for Notre Dame in 2026. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

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