Let’s overanalyze Notre Dame’s Blue-Gold Game

TL;DR

The Notre Dame Blue-Gold Game served as a spring practice, revealing strengths and weaknesses among players. Key performances included young wide receivers and standout defense, while the overall format limited offensive evaluation.

Key points

The Blue-Gold Game was a spring practice for Notre Dame.
Young wide receivers showed promise for the upcoming season.
CJ Carr's performance raised some concerns among fans.
The defense performed strongly despite the game's format.
Spencer Porath emerged as a reliable kicker.

Notre Dame Fighting IrishCJ CarrJayden SandersSpencer Porath

SOUTH BEND, IN - APRIL 25: Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Joe Otting (64) prepares to snap the ball during the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Spring Game on April 25, 2026 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images If you have followed me long enough over the years, you already know that I don’t put too much stock into what Notre Dame football presents us each spring. I know it’s exciting to get a glimpse at next season, and to begin putting our hopes into one individual or another, but the version of the football we see in spring is vastly different than what we get in the fall. So, having said that, the Blue-Gold Game wasn’t much of what fans had hoped for on Saturday — and that’s fine. Much of what went on during the game was because of how it was formatted and who was playing. Marcus Freeman is completely entitled to run his football practices any way he wishes, and make no mistake about it, the game was ultimately a glorified practice. In this practice, the defense clearly won the day despite the “score” that was on the scoreboard. CJ Carr struggled a bit, but any big takeaways from what went down isn’t just wrong — it’s comical. Carr isn’t some new QB ready to take the reins, he’s a seasoned vet now, and one that was pretty outstanding in 2025. I’ve already seen a handful of overreactions to his play on Saturday and immediately I labeled them as random casuals. Overall offensively, the young wide receivers played well. Devin Fitzgerald looks like a player that will press for playing time in the rotation this fall, and looked like a legit starter as well. It’s hard to gauge much of anything in the running game with how it was laid out, but Jonaz Walton showed some nice ability to get upfield between the tackles. On the defensive side of the ball, Jayden Sanders really stood out at cornerback with a couple of pass deflections. The new defensive line situation was encouraging as well with freshman Rodney Dunham playing well along with . Again, despite the score, the defense pretty much won the day in my opinion. The real winner of the game, however, was kicker . If we need to take everything from the spring game with a grain of salt — Spencer Porath is sodium free. has a kicker, and we can breathe a little easier. It was… a practice, and I’m totally good with that. Notre Dame is working toward putting together a championship team in 2026, and Saturday was just another checkpoint along the way. So yeah, let’s overanalyze a practice — that makes perfect sense. It was a chance for Notre Dame fans to see most of the 2026 team, which is a team that is comprised of more than 1/3 of new players. I advise you to watch the game again and focus on three or four players. Analyze that.

Q&A

What were the key takeaways from the Notre Dame Blue-Gold Game?

The game highlighted young wide receivers' potential and a strong defensive performance, despite being a practice format.

How did CJ Carr perform in the Blue-Gold Game?

CJ Carr struggled during the game, but he is considered a seasoned player with a strong performance in 2025.

Who stood out defensively in the Notre Dame Blue-Gold Game?

Jayden Sanders excelled at cornerback with pass deflections, and freshman Rodney Dunham impressed on the defensive line.

What is the significance of the Blue-Gold Game for Notre Dame's 2026 season?

The game serves as a checkpoint for evaluating new players as Notre Dame aims to build a championship team for the 2026 season.