2026 RB Izaiah Wright Enjoys First Look At Notre Dame

Izaiah Wright‍ enjoyed his first trip to Notre Dame despite the Irish’s ugly loss to Northern Illinois.

“It was cool,” the 2026 Michigan running back said afterward. “I got to see a couple things. We got there a little late so we didn't see everything, but I got to see a little bit of the stuff, see the players walk in, experience the environment. It was nice.”

The Oscar A. Carlson High School standout liked the atmosphere inside Notre Dame Stadium.

“The game was a little rough, but I saw some things I liked,” he acknowledged. “The running backs look pretty good, so yeah, I liked it. Jeremiyah Love had a nice run, so I liked what I saw for the most part.”

The 5-foot-10, 202-pounder said the outcome of the game didn’t cause him to change the way he views the Irish.

“It's football, it happens,” he said. “But really what's going to show is how they bounce back? What Coach (Marcus) Freeman can do to rally the guys and see how they can finish out the season? That will show what kind of team they really are.”

Wright, who has a dozen offers from schools like Michigan State, Wisconsin, Tennessee and West Virginia among others, had the chance to speak with Irish running backs coach Deland McCullough. 

“He was just telling me about him because we hadn't really talked before, so he was just telling me his story and telling me that he had watched my film and I'm a guy that they have interest in and things like that,” Wright explained. “It was great. It was great to know that a school like that, who's ranked number five in the country, has interest in me.

“He was a great person. He told me his story and it was mind-blowing and I could just tell he was a great guy.”

McCullough shared the story of learning his biological father was actually his coach and neither knew. 

“It's a wild story,” Wright said. 

Wright also had a brief chat with Freeman.

“He was getting ready to go out and go to his guys, but he was just saying 'What's up?'” he recalled. “He was glad that I was there and things like that.”

Wright is set to visit Wisconsin next month and is trying to set visits to Cincinnati and Tennessee up as well.

As for Notre Dame, he isn’t sure what’s next, but he’d like to return to South Bend.

“I really like it. I would love to come back, maybe come to another game or wherever the case may be.”

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