Eight Notre Dame football players whose stock rose in fall camp

The quarterback competition dominated fall camp headlines at Notre Dame, but choosing redshirt freshman CJ Carr was not all the Irish accomplished throughout the past three weeks.

Here are eight Fighting Irish football players who raised their stock in one way or another in fall camp.

Running back Nolan James Jr. (Fr.)

When James entered the program, most thought, “Good player, could maybe carve out a role in a different year but there’s no way he’ll play in a running back room this loaded.”

Someone forgot to tell James, though.

“Nolan James has come in and put himself in a position to get on the football field,” Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock said. “What that role looks like is yet to be determined, but one thing’s pretty clear: He’s got a good feel for the run game. He’s tough as nails and can make plays out of the backfield, catching the football.”

Backfield reps might still be hard to come by, but James turned some heads in fall camp.

Offensive lineman Guerby Lambert (RS-Fr.)

Whether he beats redshirt sophomore Sullivan Absher for the starting right guard job or not, expect Lambert to play a lot of football for Notre Dame this season. He should be, at the very least, the first offensive lineman off the bench at every position but center. And if there’s anything Notre Dame learned from the 2024 season, it’s that you’re going to need more than five offensive linemen.

Lambert is 6-foot-7, 335 pounds with the mobility to play anywhere up front. After pushing for a starting job in camp, he seems like a lock to make a significant impact very soon.

Wide receiver Micah Gilbert (RS-Fr.)

Beating sophomore cornerback Leonard Moore over the top is hard, but Notre Dame provided evidence of Gilbert doing just that. It’s the second frame from the top, at the 20-second mark of this short video:

All indications — including from Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman at this past Sunday’s press conference — point to Gilbert as Virginia graduate transfer Malachi Fields‘ backup at boundary receiver. That puts the Charlotte, N.C. native in pole position to start in 2026.

Wide receiver Logan Saldate (RS-Fr.)

Like James, Saldate is a talented youngster who will have a tough time seeing the field in 2025 if everyone is healthy. Junior Jaden Greathouse and Wisconsin graduate transfer Will Pauling excel in the slot, where Saldate fits best.

However, Saldate frequently made plays in fall camp. He’s quick and explosive with smooth-striding speed after the catch. He’s in line for a game day role if Greathouse or Pauling go down, but like Gilbert, he’s well-positioned for big things in 2026.

Defensive tackle Jason Onye (RS-Sr.)

The only veteran on this list, Onye has given himself a shot to start at three-technique defensive tackle this season. Blue & Gold wrote about Onye on Thursday; the gist of that story is he’s been a monster since he returned from his four-month personal absence. The North Providence, R.I. native has been a standout all offseason, both in spring practice and fall camp.

“He’s had as good of a camp as I’ve seen in my four years. He’s just a reminder of development,” Freeman said. “Not everybody’s going to come in here and be an All-American as a freshman. If you believe in them and work with them, they can develop into something really good.”

Defensive end Loghan Thomas (So.)

You can never have enough pass rushers, and Thomas appears to be a good one. Freeman said that while the 6-foot-4, 220-pound sophomore might not be ready to defend the run at a high level yet, he’ll likely see the field in obvious passing situations.

“We’ve got a lot of confidence that he can go in and rush the passer,” Freeman said.

Particularly until sixth-year senior defensive end Jordan Botelho (pec) returns, expect to see Thomas involved in the defensive game plan.

Cornerback Mark Zackery IV (Fr.)

Any of Notre Dame’s three freshman cornerbacks (Zackery, Cree Thomas and Dallas Golden) would be worthy inclusions, but Zackery has been particularly impressive. Blue & Gold’s Mike Singer reported that he picked off back-to-back passes during Sunday’s jersey scrimmage, and Notre Dame showed him running an interception back for a touchdown on social media (at the 23-second mark).

Zackery is only 5-foot-11, but he has extremely long arms. Sometimes you hear about a player’s length and you can’t really tell when you watch him on the field, but Zackery’s length is noticeable. He, Golden and Thomas could all play as true freshmen.

Safety Tae Johnson (RS-Fr.)

After eventual starting quarterback CJ Carr threw 2 interceptions to Johnson on Day 1 of practice, a reporter joked to Denbrock that he might have had a better day if Kyle Hamilton wasn’t on the other side.

“Yeah,” Denbrock said, laughing. “Whoever, I mean, it looked just like him. Might as well have been. Maybe he slipped into town and we didn’t see him.”

Johnson made an incredible first impression in fall camp, and Freeman confirmed Sunday that he will have a role in the Notre Dame defense. He’s a freak athlete who seems destined for stardom sooner than later, and it wouldn’t surprise this writer if the “sooner” part won.