Fall camps are close, the 2026 season is just a month away, and the excitement is at its peak. At this juncture, rosters are set, and QBs are ready to sling it into the end zone. The favorite to win it all? It’s Ohio State with +600 odds, along with Texas with +750 odds. However, ESPN broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit has picked a team that didn’t even make it to the playoffs last year to end its long-standing natty drought.

“I’m going Notre Dame,” Kirk Herbstreit said about his favorite pick to win the Natty on the Pat McAfee Show on July 22. “CJ is the real deal. I like Notre Dame. I like Miami. And I think A&M with Marcel Reed could make a run at this.”

CJ Carr has made significant progress since starting for Notre Dame. While his 2,741 passing yards at 66.6% efficiency were solid, he is a different player this year. He is Notre Dame’s undisputed starter but might also be the preseason favorite for the Heisman. Prominent NFL draft analyst Todd McShay saw him throw at the Manning Passing Academy in late June. There, he saw a different QB who had already overtaken Arch Manning and Julian Sayin.

“Wasn’t even close,” McShay said about Sayin and Manning. Carr’s throwing was precise; the ball came out on time, and his feet stayed planted as he did all that. Everything he did at the Academy looked like he was doing it with a clear purpose. So much so that McShay compared Carr’s 2026 ability and timing to legends like Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

Off the field, Carr has become the leading voice in the Fighting Irish locker room. Marcus Freeman even called him a “natural-born leader,” as he said the QB raised other players’ standards in the locker room. Not just that, throughout the year, Carr has studied film extensively on NFL QBs with a similar style. Those mental reps have already refined his decision-making, and those 2025 turnovers won’t potentially return this year. But it’s not just Carr; the Notre Dame team is well equipped to make a national title run.

Currently, Notre Dame is the second-favorite to win the national title, behind only Ohio State. Most importantly, the Fighting Irish return with a whopping 72% of their 2025 production, which ranks 1st nationally. Marcus Freeman has 14 starters from the 2025 season still with the team.

The team has added Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham to its WR room. Both are standout Ohio State recruits who ditched Ryan Day’s team. They have also added elite defensive tackle Francis Brewu from Pittsburgh, as he comes off a 36-tackle season last year. Then there is Colorado transfer CB DJ McKinney, who also had 35 tackles last year. But most of all, Notre Dame is determined to win it big because of last year’s playoff snub. Can they finally break their 38-year natty drought?