The Irish Illustrated team has its finger on the pulse of Notre Dame transfer portal news, recruiting, coaching staff moves and more after the Irish lost to Ohio State in the CFP National Championship

Tyler Merrill is a four-star recruit according to 247 Sports. He is the #61 player in the 2026 recruiting class, the #5 IOL and the #2 player in the state of Pennsylvania. Merrill currently attends Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JANUARY 20: Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on after losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes 34-23 in the 2025 CFP National Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 20, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Three major college football programs are reportedly in the mix for Notre Dame transfer Rocco Spindler. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound offensive lineman appeared in 40 games with 23 starts over the last four seasons. He started the 2023 season before missing the final three games due to injury and returned to his starting role in 2024.

Ohio State football is only 30 minutes away from winning the College Football Playoff national championship over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Buckeyes look amazing. OSU currently head into halftime with a 21-7 lead over Notre Dame and are set to receive the ball in the second half.

Notre Dame’s college football future hinges on a hinge. An elbow, specifically. That elbow connects quarterback CJ Carr’s upper arm to his lower arm.

The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish have their warts ... Unfortunately, I think the luck of the Irish runs out in the final game of the 2024 college football season for Notre Dame. They’ve overcome so much, as most teams have this fall, but they are going ...

College football's most successful programs of all-time all have a common theme — when legendary coaches are meshed with elite talent, winning happens. Those among the top 15 ranked by all-time win percentage have combined to dominate the sport for decades,

"I knew I fit in the place ever since I visited for the first time. I really just want to get a great education and be around great people that I know can make me better."

After a season that saw them make the College Football Playoff, Notre Dame is bringing in some elite talent to South Bend.

Days after Al Golden left to become the defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, the Fighting Irish have hired former Rutgers coach Chris Ash to be their new defensive coordinator, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. Ash has been in the NFL since the start of the 2021 season and worked as a scout for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024.