Notre Dame Football

6 Thoughts on a Thursday

Thoughts on why high school recruiting still matters more when it comes to CFP contention, why I'm bullish on Notre Dame's 2026 O-line, and how CJ Carr's success within the structure of the offense helped the Irish become both explosive and efficient
By Jamie Uyeyama
February 5, 2026
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Photo by Rick Kimball/ISD

The most reliable path to compete for a championship in college football is still to sign elite high school recruits. Indiana’s run of success hasn’t changed that.

The teams with the five highest blue-chip ratios (percentage of 4 and 5-star recruits signed over a four-year period) all made the College Football Playoff last season. Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas A&M, and Oregon were those five.

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Marcus Freeman Joe Rudolph CJ Carr Football Notre Dame
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