Marcus Freeman is preparing to lead Notre Dame on what he hopes will be a College Football Playoff run in 2026 after falling short last season. As CJ Carr is entering his second year as the Irish’s starting quarterback, early buzz surrounding the 2027 NFL Draft is already beginning to surface.
Meanwhile, Freeman remains focused on grooming the quarterbacks behind Carr to ensure the program’s long-term stability at the position.
Marcus Freeman’s Stealth Recruiting Mission Puts Pressure on Illinois QB Pursuit
According to recruiting insider Mike Singer, Notre Dame is back in contact with 2027 class four-star quarterback Kamden Lopati, who is currently committed to Illinois.
“The tradition is rich at Notre Dame,” Lopati told On3.
While Lopati has been committed to Illinois since late July of last year, several big-time programs have been pursuing him, including Oregon, Tennessee, Arizona State, Utah, Washington, Colorado, Houston, Arkansas, Duke, and Purdue. More schools are continuing to show a lot of interest in Lopati, who has been on Notre Dame’s radar for months and visited South Bend on April 9.
“I felt that (Coach Freeman) was real and very honest with me,” Lopati said. “I appreciate that in a coach.”
Lopati also received a visit from Notre Dame quarterback coach Gino Guidugli in January.
“Thank you to coach @GinoGuidugli for visiting me and talking more about @NDFootball. #playlikeachampiontoday,” Lopati tweeted with a snap with Guidugli.
As a junior in 2025, Lopati passed for 2,671 yards and 34 touchdowns with just eight interceptions, while adding 730 rushing yards and 10 more scores on the ground. He completed better than 64% of his throws and averaged 8.1 yards per carry. He is the No. 12 quarterback in the 2027 class and the No. 143 prospect in the nation, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.
Greg Biggins of 247Sports had a phenomenal evaluation of Lopati.
“His arm talent is what jumps out and what separates him,” Biggins wrote. “He can throw the deeper outs and posts on a rope, and the ball jumps out of his hand. Want to see him continue to improve his ability to process the game and be quicker with his reads, but with two more years to develop, it’s exciting to see where his game will be at by the time he’s ready for college.”
Notre Dame quarterback Teddy Jarrard’s decision to reclassify into the 2026 class opened a spot for a 2027 quarterback in the Irish class, which likely explains the renewed pursuit of Lopati. The quarterback room also features Blake Hebert and Noah Grubbs.
Bringing in a player of Lopati’s caliber would strengthen the chances of identifying a true successor to Carr, who wrapped up last season ranked No. 23 nationally in the PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Metric with an 85.9 grade.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s recruiting momentum remains strong. Four-star offensive tackle Cameron Wagner is set to attend junior day on March 21 and is considered a major target who was previously projected to land with the Irish. Additionally, elite 2027 edge rusher KJ Green told Blue & Gold that he has a March visit to Notre Dame on the schedule.
