How Notre Dame is building a college football power built to last

As Marcus Freeman prepares for his fifth year as Notre Dame's head coach, the Irish are one of the teams dominating the offseason headlines.

From recruiting success to being a title favorite with a Heisman hopeful quarterback candidate, the Irish are front and center in the college football world.

The Foundation for Sustainable Notre Dame Success Is Finally in Place

While 2026 will undoubtedly be a crucial year for Freeman and company on the field, off the field, the Irish are doubling down on who they have always been in an effort to create an elite program with staying power.

The most obvious indicator of this has come through Notre Dame's recruiting prioritization of certain positions and the success it's had in doing so.

Marcus Freeman wants an offensive and defensive line-focused program

When Marcus Freeman took over the Irish program, he stated loud and clear that the Irish would be a line-driven program. This is something that is easy to say, but hard to do.

After a few years of decent recruiting, the Irish have now hit their elite stride on the trail and are delivering on Freeman's line-driven program mantra.

Notre Dame isn't just talking the talk, it's walking the walk, and in a big way in this regard. In the 2027 recruiting class, the Irish have secured commitments from three top-five offensive linemen, headlined by Olu Olubobala, Albert Simien and James Halter.

Especially in the case of Olu and Albert, these are elite top prospects that can secure the Irish offensive front for years to come. This is a tremendous offensive line class.

Notre Dame's defensive line class of 2027 is elite, and could get even better

For as strong as Notre Dame's offensive line class is, the defensive line group may be even better. So far, the Irish have commitments from elite players like Abraham Sesay on the edge, supported by an underrated Aiden O'Neil and Jackson Vaughn, both top 15 prospects.

Along the interior of the defensive line, elite prospect David Folorunsho leads the way, with an underrated Segun Alexander also in the fold. For as strong as this defensive line group is now, it could get even better if the Irish can land Brayden Parks over Oregon in the near future.

In the modern era of college football, I've never seen the Irish load up on so many high-end linemen in one class on both sides of the football.

This is how you build a yearly playoff contender, and I couldn't be more impressed. It's one thing to talk about being a line-driven program; it's another thing altogether to actually make it happen.

This gives the Irish major staying power at the top end of the sport.

Today's best reads

• Five Things to Know About Notre Dame's 2027 Recruiting Class
• Notre Dame's Recruiting Push for Star Lineman Brayden Parks Hits Snag
• Notre Dame Has a New Role in 2026: National Championship Favorite
• Pros and Cons of Notre Dame's 2026 Football Schedule
• In-Depth Look at How ESPN FPI Sees Notre Dame for 2026 Season

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/notredame as How Notre Dame Is Building A College Football Power Built to Last.